Abstract: The state of data of a communications environment is automatically managed. The automatic management is provided via a facility that automatically obtains the current state of the data and uses that information to place the data in an appropriate state for a selected event to be processed. The data is, for instance, maintained on replicated storage media.

Abstract: A process for producing N-carboxyanhydrides is disclosed. The process produces N-carboxyanhydrides as a product and HCl as a by-product. The HCl by-product is purged from the reaction mixture by passing a purge gas through the reaction mixture as a carbonylation reagent is reacting with an amino acid or a salt thereof. The N-carboxyanhydrides produced by this process have a relatively lower chloride impurity content, relatively higher yields can be achieved, and the N-carboxyanhydrides can be produced on a larger scale.

Abstract: A methods for labeling or coding optical conduits is disclosed. The method comprises a steps of providing an optical conduit, and utilizing reflected light resulting from the transmission of at least one light pulse along the optical conduit to generate a multi-digit code. Still further, the method comprises a step of utilizing the multi-digit code to distinguish the optical conduit from other optical conduits. The utilization of Bragg gratings to code or label optical conduits with a unique multi-digit code is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the using optical waveguides to detect chafing of electrical cables is disclosed. Chafing damage is preferably detected by disposing several optical waveguides about the periphery of an electrical cable such that any chafing that causes damage to the electrical cable will likely also cause damage to at least one of the optical waveguides. The disclosed apparatus and method allows multiple optical waveguides of one cable segment to be connected to multiple optical waveguides of an adjacent cable segment using only a single optical waveguide connection, while still allowing each of the optical waveguides of either cable segment to be monitored independently of each other.