Abstract: A system for managing a computer implemented service, according to given requirements has a template (71) of a model of the service, parameterised by requirements and also representing allowed operations (65) to change the model, parameterised by requirements. A rendering tool (61) uses the template to create a service model according to the given requirements. The service can be deployed according to the model. A change manager (62) can make changes to the service model according to the allowed operations of the template. Having the allowed operations in parameterised form in the template can help reduce a risk of introducing changes which are inconsistent with the requirements.

Abstract: An assembly which comprises (a) a duct (22) for transmission of fluids, said duct having longitudinal axis, (b) at least one emitter (301) capable of exciting a beam of radiation (21) in the form of a cone having root angles ?ex and ?ey, which may be the same or different, into a cross section area of a duct to be analysed in a direction downstream of fluid flow in the duct at an angle ?e from the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct, the angle ?e being between 5° to 45°, (c) a detector (23, 304) sensitive to radiation radiated by scattering centres in the fluid over at least 1% of the cross sectional area of the duct, the direction of the central axis of the emitter cone being at an angle ? to the direction of the central axis of the detector cone, the detector cone having root angles ?dx and ?dy, which may be the same or different and the detector cone having angle ?d perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the duct, the direction of the detector being downstream of fluid flow in the d

Abstract: A system has a virtual overlay infrastructure mapped onto physical resources for processing, storage and network communications, the virtual infrastructure having virtual entities for processing, storage and network communications. The system has a mapping manager to dynamically alter the mapping for balancing, performance, and redundancy. There can be more independence from the underlying physical configuration, compared to known methods of virtualizing only some of the entities. The mapping manager can be distributed across a number of entities on different physical servers arranged to cooperate with each other.

Abstract: A business process (15) having a number of computer implemented steps using software application components, to enable automatic deployment on computing infrastructure, is modelled by a management system. It automatically derives a grounded model (55) of the business process from an unbound model (25) of the business process, based on an infrastructure design template (35). The unbound model specifies the application components to be used, and the grounded model adds a complete design of the computing infrastructure to be used. The use of an infrastructure design template can reduce the large number of options to be evaluated to help reduce the complexity of generating or changing the grounded model. The infrastructure design template formally relates the business process, application components and infrastructure design so that designs, or changes which are inconsistent or inefficient can be avoided. Thus more automation of the designing and changing the design is feasible.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for detecting presence in gas of transient particulate above its normal zero or acceptable level within a duct (4), said apparatus comprising at least one emitter (2) of illumination selected from infra-red, ultraviolet and visible radiation capable of being projected over essentially the entire cross section of the duct (4) and at least one detector (8, 18, 25) for detecting any sparkle of the illumination from the particulate. The apparatus and method are in particular useful for detecting monitoring particulate in areas where build up or presence of particulate can be disadvantageous, for example hospitals and electricity generating stations.

Abstract: A continuous stream binary array ink jet print head includes an elongate cavity for containing ink and an array of nozzle orifices formed so as to extend through a wall of the cavity for passing the ink from the cavity to form jets. The nozzle orifices extend along the length of the cavity. The cavity is divided up along its length by at least one internal wall thereby to create a plurality of sub-cavities substantially acoustically isolated from one another and to divide up the array of nozzle orifices between the sub-cavities such that each sub-cavity communicates with one or more of the nozzle orifices of the array. One or more actuators associated with each sub-cavity cyclically varies the dimensions of the sub-cavity thereby to cause the or each jet emanating from the nozzle orifice(s) of that sub-cavity to break up into ink droplets at a predetermined distance therefrom. The droplets of each jet are selectively electrically charged and deflected.

Abstract: A variable gain optical amplifier, in which homogeneous gain broadening is dominant, has first and second fixed gain rare-earth doped optical waveguide amplifiers (21, 23) optically in series together with an intervening variable attenuation optical attenuator (22). This arrangement circumvents the problem of gain tilt encountered when operating such amplifiers under variable gain conditions. An alternative form of the module has variable gain waveguide amplifiers, but these are co-regulated so that the aggregate of their gain at a wavelength within the gain spectrum is maintained constant. A further alternative form of module is employed in a concatenation of such modules. In such a concatenation, the gain of individual modules is allowed to vary, but the aggregate of the gain, at a wavelength within the gain spectrum, of all the waveguide amplifiers of all the modules of the concatenation is maintained constant.

Abstract: A droplet generator for a continuous stream inkjet print head has an elongate cavity for containing the ink and nozzle orifices in a wall of the cavity for passing the ink from the cavity to form jets. The nozzle orifices extend along the length of the cavity. An actuator is disposed so as to address the face of the cavity opposite the wall to vibrate the ink in the cavity such that each jet breaks up into ink droplets at substantially the same predetermined distance from the wall. The actuator has a plurality of constituent sub-actuators each capable of independent vibration. The combined coverage of the face of the cavity by the sub-actuators is such that the jet break up can be achieved without resonance of the cavity in its dimension from the wall to the face.

Abstract: To support interleaving of optical channels and to provide sufficient isolation between such interleaved channels, a circulator (60-62) receives, on an optical fiber (16-18), a broadband signal containing a plurality of adjacent channels. The circulator selectively routes the broadband signal through a filter (64, 66) to isolate, on an individual basis, at least one desired channel. A filtered signal, corresponding to the at least one desired channel, is then output from the filter (64-66) and reflected back into the filter by a mirror (68-70) such that the at least one desired channel is subjected to a second filtering process that further improves isolation of the at least one desired channel. Following this second filtering process, the at least one desired channel is applied to the circulator (60-62) for re-inserting into the optical fiber (16-18), as illustrated in FIG. 6.

Abstract: A coupling system for a vehicle such as an articulated lorry and method of use thereof is provided. The articulated lorry includes at least a tractor unit and a trailer unit. The tractor unit has first coupling means provided on a fifth wheel which engages with second coupling means typically in the form of a kingpin on the trailer unit. The fifth wheel coupling means and the kingpin have one or more pneumatic and/or electrical supply lines provided therein which engage upon mechanical engagement of the fifth wheel coupling means and kingpin, thereby allowing pneumatic and/or electrical supply between said tractor unit and said trailer unit and/or vice versa. One of the fifth wheel coupling means or kingpin is provided with one or more annular protrusions on a coupling surface and the other is provided with complementary annular channels on a coupling surface.

Abstract: A droplet generator for a continuous stream inkjet print head has an elongate cavity for containing the ink and nozzle orifices in a wall of the cavity for passing the ink from the cavity to form jets. The nozzle orifices extend along the length of the cavity. An actuator is disposed so as to address the face of the cavity opposite the wall to vibrate the ink in the cavity such that each jet breaks up into ink droplets at substantially the same predetermined distance from the wall. The actuator has a plurality of constituent sub-actuators each capable of independent vibration. The combined coverage of the face of the cavity by the sub-actuators is such that the jet break up can be achieved without resonance of the cavity in its dimension from the wall to the face.

Abstract: A continuous stream binary array ink jet print head comprising: an elongate cavity for containing the ink; an array of nozzle orifices (37) formed so as to extend through a wall of said cavity for passing ink from the cavity to form jets, said nozzle orifices (37) extending along the length of said cavity, said cavity being divided up along its length by at least one internal wall (33) thereby to create a plurality of sub-cavities (35) substantially acoustically isolated from one another, said dividing up of the cavity to form sub-cavities (35) correspondingly dividing up said array of nozzle orifices (37) between the sub-cavities (35) such that each sub-cavity communicates with one or more of the nozzle orifices (37) of the array; one or more actuator (39) means associated with each said sub-cavity for cyclically varying the dimensions of the sub-cavity thereby to cause the or each jet emanating from the nozzle orifice(s) of that sub-cavity to break up into ink droplets at a predetermined distance therefrom;

Abstract: A continuous stream ink jet print head has a droplet generator with an elongate cavity for containing the ink, and nozzle orifices in a wall of the cavity for passing ink from the cavity to form jets. The nozzle orifices are disposed at spaced positions along the length of the cavity. An actuator for vibrating the ink in the cavity is provided such that each jet breaks up into ink droplets at the same predetermined distance from the wall of the cavity. The actuator is disposed on the opposite side of the cavity to the wall, includes a vibrator which is divided up along the length of the cavity at least partially into at least two parts, and includes a backing member disposed further from the cavity than the vibrator and secured to and bridging the parts into which the vibrator is at least partially divided. The vibrator is interposed in line between the backing member and the cavity.

Abstract: A variable gain optical amplifier, in which homogeneous gain broadening is dominant, has first and second fixed gain rare-earth doped optical waveguide amplifiers (21, 23) optically in series together with an intervening variable attenuation optical attenuator (22). This arrangement circumvents the problem of gain tilt encountered when operating such amplifiers under variable gain conditions. An alternative form of the module has variable gain waveguide amplifiers, but these are co-regulated so that the aggregate of their gain at a wavelength within the gain spectrum is maintained constant. A further alternative form of module is employed in a concatenation of such modules. In such a concatenation, the gain of individual modules is allowed to vary, but the aggregate of the gain, at a wavelength within the gain spectrum, of all the waveguide amplifiers of all the modules of the concatenation is maintained constant.

Abstract: A Web browser (210) is configured to run in a middle compartment (206) of a Compartmented Mode Workstation (CMW) (200). The operation of the Web browser (210) is prevented from accessing or damaging other compartments of the CMW machine (200) as a result of mandatory access control (MAC), which is configured appropriately. The Web browser (210) communicates with Web servers (252) attached to the internet (240), the Internet being connected to an outside compartment of the CMW machine (210), via a trusted outside process (TPO) (214). TPO (214) has the privileges required to override MAC. The Web browser (210) communicates with a display server (232), which is attached to an inside compartment (204) of the CMW machine (210), via a trusted inside process (TPI) (204). TPI also has privileges to override MAC. The Web browser (210) can request and receive Web pages incorporating mobile code, and can process the mobile code safely within the middle compartment (206).

Abstract: A variable gain optical amplifier, in which homogeneous gain broadening is dominant, has first and second fixed gain rare-earth doped optical waveguide amplifiers (21, 23) optically in series together with an intervening variable attenuation optical attenuator (22). This arrangement circumvents the problem of gain tilt encountered when operating such amplifiers under variable gain conditions. An alternative form of the module has variable gain waveguide amplifiers, but these are co-regulated so that the aggregate of their gain at a wavelength within the gain spectrum is maintained constant. A further alternative form of module is employed in a concatenation of such modules. In such a concatenation, the gain of individual modules is allowed to vary, but the aggregate of the gain, at wavelength within the gain spectrum, of all the waveguide amplifiers of all the modules of the concatenation is maintained constant.

Abstract: A droplet generator for a continuous stream ink jet print head has a cavity for containing ink, and nozzle orifices passing ink from the cavity to form jets. An actuator means vibrates the ink in the cavity such that each jet breaks up into ink droplets. The actuator means is disposed on the opposite side of the cavity to the nozzle orifices, and a surrounding wall of the cavity extends between the actuator means and nozzle orifices for containing the ink therebetween. The surrounding wall has inner and outer constituent wall. The resistive component of the wave impedance of the outer wall passively damps vibration of the inner wall by dissipating its vibration; the reactive component of the wave impedance of the outer wall actively restrains vibration of the inner wall, ensuring that each jet breaks up into ink droplets at the same predetermined distance from its respective nozzle orifice.

Abstract: In an optical transmission system employing optical amplifiers a method of regulating the gain of such an amplifier uses a non-linear control system whose non-linearity of operation is provided at least in part by the enabling/disabling of a portion of the control system by the operation of a transient magnitude threshold sensor.

Abstract: A droplet generator for a continuous stream ink jet print head has a cavity (3, 23) for containing the ink; nozzle orifices (17, 27) in a wall (9) of the cavity (3, 23) for passing the ink from the cavity (3, 23) to form jets; and first (11, 21) and a second (13, 25) actuator device for establishing in combined operation a travelling wave. The travelling wave travels from the fist actuator device (11, 21) through the ink to the second actuator device (13, 25) and passes in a direction substantially parallel to the wall (9) containing the nozzle orifices (17, 27).

Abstract: An optically amplifying waveguide guides both the LP.sub.01 and the LP.sub.02 mode. Its erbium distribution profile is preferentially matched with the modal field distribution of the LP.sub.02 mode. The waveguide is provided with long period perturbations of a pitch and strength that resonantly couples signal power of different wavelengths from propagation in the LP.sub.01 mode to propagation in the LP.sub.02 mode and back again to propagation in the LP.sub.01 mode whereby the longitudinal distribution of gain along the waveguide at one wavelength is longitudinally displaced with respect to that at least one other wavelength.