Abstract: Persistent development in global trade has significantly increased the demand for liner shipping, of which the industry is now being characterised by larger vessel size, comprehensive geographical coverage and frequent restructuring of shipping lines like transhipment. In turn, this has led to tense port competition, and port attractiveness is playing a pivotal role in this aspect. Understanding this and using container transhipment as a case study, this paper investigates the attractiveness of the major ports in Northern Europe acting as transhipment hubs. Through a Likert-style questionnaire directed towards the top 30 shipping lines, it was found that Hamburg and Rotterdam are the most attractive options acting as transhipment hubs within Northern Europe, with Antwerp and Bremerhaven closely behind. Felixstowe and Le Havre are the least attractive options requiring substantial improvements to change the current situation. In general, the opinion of shipping lines in port attractiveness seems to be in accordance to their decisions on transhipment hub choices. It is believed that this paper can shed some light on the attractiveness of major North European ports and the methodology of assessing port attractiveness, as well as providing a springboard for further research related to port competition.

Abstract: This study presents the findings of a survey to determine the service characteristics that shippers consider important when selecting a port and the way these characteristics are prioritised according to their importance. Seven criteria for the port selection decision and four ports were identified, and the decision problem was structured into a three-level hierarchy using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The findings suggest that shippers place high emphasis on efficiency, frequency of ship visits and adequate infrastructure, while quick response to port users' needs was insignificant to them. Results from the study are of interest to Port managers because they provide essential information on the key factors that come into the decision process of port users, thus, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the ports.

Abstract: Structural change in container port operation and ownership over the past decade has seen the emergence of port-operating transnational corporations (TNCs). The emergence of the port-operating TNC requires a fundamental epistemological shift in reconceptualising the port, from a single, fixed, spatial entity to a network of terminals operating under a corporate logic. This shift is twofold. First, because under port reforms corporate entry occurs overwhelmingly at the terminal level, the terminal rather than the port becomes the relevant spatial unit of analysis. Second, although spatial theories of the firm represent a longstanding stream in economic geography, such theories have yet to find general application in port studies. Consequently, in addressing the interface between transport and economic geographies, the authors suggest a geography of the port-operating TNC as a potential bridge. A decade of privatization in the port sector has rendered the industry an appropriate empirical ground for enquiry...

Abstract: This paper is an annual publication prepared by the Microeconomic Analysis unit of the National Bank of Belgium. The Flemish maritime ports -Antwerp, Ghent, Ostend, Zeebrugge- and the Autonomous Port of Liege play a major role in their respective regional economies and in the Belgian economy, not only in terms of the industries they encompass but also as intermodal centres where transhipment and industrial activities are concentrated. This update1 paper provides for the first time an extensive overview of the economic importance and development of the Flemish maritime ports together with the Liege port complex in 2004. The results for the rest of the period 1999 - 2003 have also been updated. Focusing on the three major variables of value added, employment and investment, the report also provides some information about the financial situation of several vital sectors in each port. A global indication concerning the financial health of the companies studied is also provided, using the NBB bankruptcy prediction model. In addition, it includes figures with respect to the ongoing growth of several cargo traffic segments and provides an overall picture of socio-economic developments in the ports. Annual accounts data from the Central Balance Sheet Office were used for the calculation of direct effects, the study of financial ratios and the analysis of the social balance sheet. The indirect effects of the activities concerned were estimated in terms of value added and employment, on the basis of data from the National Accounts Institute. 2004 was an excellent year for the Flemish maritime ports as a whole, in terms of the quantity of handled cargo and the value added produced. But the employment situation was more mixed, and private investment dropped. The ongoing developments in the maritime ports sector and in the world economy are having a dramatic impact on the operations of the Flemish ports, which have to deal with the global trend of increasing international competition, expansion and dispersion of foreign trade, capital concentration, privatisation and vertical integration of port logistic services, increase in containerised shipments, and so forth. At the same time, as major logistic centres, they have to face a dual challenge: increasing demand in terms of capacity, and the necessity to add climate of increasing regional and international competition, not only within the Hamburg - Le Havre range but also from Asian markets. The port of Liege, still the second largest inland port in Europe, is striving to turn a threat into an opportunity. Although the Cockerill Sambre blast furnaces are being closed, that is creating new space and the overall Liege port complex is being restructured. In spite of this climate of uncertainty, the main goal of the Autonomous Port of Liege is to establish itself as a major logistic centre in the region, able to attract new businesses. In the meantime, the short-term impact on employment is negative, as direct employment decreased substantially in 2004, whereas value added and investment made up for the ground lost in 2003. The present report tackles all these issues by giving details per economic sector.

Abstract: In this paper, our goal is to assess whether the accepted rationale of port selection by shipping lines – based on the combined importance of quality of infrastructures, cost, service and geographical location – is useful to account for the selection behaviour observed in the Northeast of North America, particularly the recent arrival of new global carriers in Montreal. We use a multicriteria approach in combination with scenarios where the relative importance given to selection criteria and the performance of ports are both varied across a wide range. This allows us to assess how port preference is affected by changes in criteria weight (expressing selection rationale) and by changes in evaluation (expressing relative port performance). With criteria weights set to reflect the common selection rationale, our findings suggests that shipping lines should call at New York and bypass Montreal. For Montreal to become the preferred choice, extensive hinterland coverage must be the top criterion for carriers and simultaneously the port must perform better in terms of cost and/or service. We conclude by discussing the implications for the hub-and-spoke paradigm of network evolution.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system includes a signature server comprising a signature unit to receive an update to a software application. The signature server also includes a first machine-readable medium to store a mapping between an identification of the software application and an address of a location of a private key. The system includes a cryptographic device coupled to an external port of the signature server. The cryptographic device includes a second machine-readable medium to store the private key. The cryptographic device also includes a cryptographic unit to generate a signature of the update based on the private key.

Abstract: In this paper, empty container movements in the Los Angeles and Long Beach (LA/LB) port area are studied in an effort to reduce congestion by optimizing the empty container reuse. The dynamic empty container reuse is modeled analytically, and techniques are developed to optimize empty container operations. Several case studies based on current and projected demand in the LA/LB port area are used to evaluate the proposed techniques. Simulation results demonstrate that significant cost and congestion reductions can be achieved in the area, through reuse of empty containers.

Abstract: A connection server (3) includes: a reception unit (31) for receiving request information concerning on load distribution which has been transmitted from a first information processing device (1) to a load distribution port of the connection server (3); a load distribution unit (32) for allocating the first information processing device (1) of the transmission source of the request information to one of the processing servers; a transmission unit (33) for transmitting port position information indicating the position of the connection port corresponding to the processing server allocated, to the first information processing device (1); and a connection unit (34) for establishing a connection between the connection port and the processing server corresponding to the connection port. The first information processing device (1) transmits the received port position information to a second information processing device (2). With this configuration, it is possible to access one processing server from a plurality of information processing devices in a communication system performing load distribution.

Abstract: Providing communications between operating system partitions and a computer network. In one aspect, an apparatus for distributing network communications among multiple operating system partitions includes a physical port allowing communications between the network and the computer system, and logical ports associated with the physical port, where each logical port is associated with one of the operating system partitions. Each of the logical ports enables communication between a physical port and the associated operating system partition and allows configurability of network resources of the system. Other aspects include a logical switch for logical and physical ports, and packet queues for each connection and for each logical port.

Abstract: A technique is provided for facilitating fabric membership login for anN_Port of a storage area network. A communication from a network node is received. The communication may include a portion of criteria associated with the NPort. Using at least a portion of the portion of criteria, a virtual fabric identifier corresponding to a virtual fabric which is associated with the N_Port may be automatically identified. Fabric configuration information, which includes the virtual fabric identifier, may be automatically provided to the network node. A fabric login request from the N_Port to login to the virtual fabric may then be received (2). According to a specific embodiment, the communication may be transmitted from a network node to an F_Port on a Fibre Channel switch. When the N_Port received the fabric configuration information from the F_Port, the generating, using at least a portion of the received fabric configuration information, a fabric login request message may be generated by the N_Port which includes a fabric login request for the N_Port to login to the virtual fabric corresponding to the virtual fabric identifier (4). In at least one implementation, the N_Port and/or F_Port may be configured or designed to support trunking functionality (6).

Abstract: textThe port of Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe and a huge industrial complex. This seaport has been the focal point of several studies that merely view the port as a transport node. This neglects the fact that it is also a collection of thousands of related businesses that together form the Rotterdam seaport cluster. This PhD thesis deals with the companies in the Rotterdam seaport cluster and their value for the competitiveness of the port. Companies active in many sectors, such as stevedoring, transport, logistics, off-shore and shipbuilding. The competitiveness of the port of Rotterdam is dependent on the behavior of the firms located in the port cluster. Some firms create substantially more positive effects than others and are called ‘leader firms’. The Characteristics and the behavior of these leader firms are analyzed in this study. The Rotterdam port cluster is defined and the business structure is researched to select the leader firms. Nine forms of leader firm behavior are identified in the fields of innovation, internationalization and cluster governance. With the use of a qualitative comparative analysis it is researched which firm characteristics foster leader firm behavior. Conclusions are drawn about the role of leader firms in clusters and the stimulus and obstacles for leader firm behavior. Recommendations are formulated for the business community, government and the leader firms.

Abstract: A bridge forwarding method comprises: receiving a frame from an input port, obtaining the input VLAN ID and a destination MAC address of the frame; determining an output port and an output VLAN ID of the frame, and forwarding the frame according to the output port and the output VLAN ID. A bridge forwarding apparatus includes at least one output port used for receiving a frame from more than one VALN, at least one output port used for transmitting the frame to more than one VALN and a forwarding unit, the forwarding unit obtains the input VLAN ID and the destination MAC address in the frame, determines the output port and the output VLAN ID of the frame, and outputs the frame to the corresponding output port. The method and the apparatus of this invention can realize the bridge forwarding of the Ethernet frames between multiple VLANs.

Abstract: The aim of the present study is investigate the distribution of heavy metals (Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Co, Cr and Ni) and to evaluate the contamination levels of the Aden Port sediments. In this study, the concentrations of heavy metals were measured, using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) for 21 sediment samples collected at different stations in Aden Port during 2004. The range and average concentrations measured in μg g -1 were 138.23 658.87 (335.5) for Mn, 21.85 263.49 (128.59) for Zn, 8.06 111.00 (19.89) for Cu, 14.8 138.06 (77.28) for Pb, 13.8 33.64 (23.97) for Co, 17.00 233.93 (82.19) for Cr and 16.17 48.07 (34.54) for Ni. To evaluate the levels of sediment contaminations, the background values of the different elements were defined, depending on the international standards. In case of Pb, Cr, Zn and Co at most of sites, their concentrations in the sediments exceeded the background levels. However, the average values for Cu, Ni and Mn were less than the background values. It is noted that the contamination factors in the investigated sediments were 0.31-3.39 for Zn, 0.4-5.55 for Cu, 0.74-6.9 for Pb, 1.06-2.59 for Co, 0.57-7.80 for Cr, 0.43-1.27 for Ni and < 1 for Mn. In general, the contamination factors of heavy metals in the present study could be arranged as following: Pb > Cr > Zn • &R ! 1L ! &X ! 0Q The relatively high levels of Pb, Cr, Zn and Co in the sediments of the Aden Port are due to Samir M. Nasr et al. 100 the discharges of untreated wastewater of desalination plant, electrical power station, refinery plant, textile industry, oil spills from the oil pipes, as well as domestic wastewater.

Abstract: In various embodiments, devices coupled to upstream ports may enumerate the USB switching hub according to the total number of downstream ports on the USB switching hub. In some embodiments, when a first upstream port is communicating with a first downstream port, status registers coupled to the second upstream port may indicate to the second upstream device that the first downstream port is disconnected. By enumerating the USB switching hub according to the total number of downstream ports, the upstream devices may not have to re-enumerate the hub (and correspondingly each device coupled to the hub) each time a downstream device is switched. In some embodiments, an intelligent port routing switch may delay switching communications for the downstream port if there is an active transfer in progress between a related downstream port and an upstream port.

Abstract: A method of enforcing a network security policy including mandatory access control (MAC), discretionary access control (DAC) and integrity control for a secure information network, includes operating a transport guard within a memory partition logically between a protected application running in the partition and a networking stack, and defining ports for the transport guard including (i) an application port for forwarding data to and receiving data from the application, (ii) a data port for receiving data addressed to the application from the networking stack, and for sending data originating from the application to the stack, and (iii) a control port for supplying configuration data to the transport guard. The configuration data corresponds to MAC, DAC and integrity control policies specified by the network for the protected application. The transport guard limits data flow between its protected application and the data ports accordingly.

Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for a power control based on application awareness in a packet network switch are provided. Data communication flow may be monitored in ports in a packet network switch based on packet classification. Ports where data flow is not detected may have at least some functionality disabled to reduce power consumption. In this regard, a power saving mode may be utilized for disabling at least some functionality in a switch port, such as Ethernet ports, for example. A partially disabled port may be fully enabled when monitoring detects active data communication flow in that port. Port functionality may be enabled or disabled sequentially, for example. In some instances, a physical layer portion of the packet network switch may be utilized to adjust power in a port based on the data communication flow.

Abstract: A USB hub according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a USB upstream port unit for inputting/outputting data in accordance with a USB protocol; a wireless upstream port unit for inputting/outputting data in accordance with a predetermined wireless communication protocol; a USB downstream port unit including at least one input/output port for inputting/outputting data in accordance with the USB protocol; a port selector for selection between the USB upstream port unit and the wireless upstream port unit to be connected with the input/output port; and a communication protocol converting unit provided on a connection path between the wireless upstream port unit and the port selector and converting the USB protocol and the wireless communication protocol.

Abstract: Even the most cursory examination of port-oriented, landside freight systems suggests at best partial policy frameworks and at worst a serious policy vacuum. In Australia – and certainly at the ports of Melbourne and Sydney – port-adjacent and inner-city gridlock is driving the mantra of ‘more containers on rail’. This paper cautions against defining policy and strategy for landside logistics operations on the basis of intuitive solutions and as coping rather than as development strategies. Rather, it argues that there is a critical need to understand that fundamental restructuring in port landside operations is a function of two key issues – pervasive value migration in landside operations and progressive strategy decay as ports struggle to redefine themselves. The paper offers a conceptual framework for strategy and policy definition that deals explicitly with both issues and is summarised within a ‘centre–periphery’ model that suggests the necessity of a comprehensive, strategic approach.

Abstract: This paper aims to empirically identify the competitiveness of container ports in Asia by examining factors influencing the perceived competitive edge of each port using the Hierarchical Fuzzy Process, a method embracing human knowledge and/or judgement into a mathematical framework. This analysis is unique in that the ‘human-perceived’ competitiveness on Asian container ports is examined under the quantifiable framework. The findings reveal that Singapore is the most competitive port among the sampled ports. Moreover, the methodology employed here shows the potential to be applicable to other transport and logistics related service industries.

Abstract: A network switch for network communications includes a first data port interface. The first data port interface supports a plurality of data ports transmitting and receiving data at a first data rate. A second data port interface is provided; the second data port interface supports a plurality of data ports transmitting and receiving data at a second data rate. A CPU interface is provided, with the CPU interface configured to communicate with a CPU. An internal memory is provided, and communicates with the first data port interface and the at least one second data port interface. A memory management unit is provided, and includes an external memory interface for communicating data from at least one of the first data port interface and the second data port interface and an external memory. A communication channel is provided, with the communication channel communicating data and messaging information between the first data port interface, the second data port interface, the internal memory, and the memory management unit. A plurality of semiconductor-implemented lookup tables are provided, with the lookup tables including an address resolution lookup/layer three lookup, rules tables, and VLAN tables. One of the data port interfaces is configured to update the address resolution table based on newly learned layer to addresses. An update to an address table associated with an initial data port interface of the first and second data port interfaces results in the initial data port interface sending a synchronization signal to the other address resolution tables in the network switch. As a result, all address resolution tables on the network switch are synchronized on a per entry basis.

Abstract: As the clearinghouses for a major portion of the world's rapidly increasing international trade flows, ocean ports and the efficiency with which they process cargo have become an ever more important topic. Yet, there exist very little data that allows one to compare port efficiency measures of any kind across ports and, especially, over time. This paper provides a new statistical method of uncovering port efficiency measures using U.S. Census data on imports into U.S. ports. Unlike previous measures, this study's methodology can provide such estimates for a much broader sample of countries and years with little cost. Thus, such data can be used by future researchers to examine a myriad of new issues, including the evolution of port efficiencies over time and its effects on international trade flows and country-level growth.

Abstract: A system and process for improving container flow within a port facility, including improved equipment and software for controlling operation and flow of the equipment in the part facility. The system may include a port facility geographically arranged to separate land operations and water operations. Land operations such as over-the-road missions and rail missions may use landside access areas positioned at one end of a yard including rows of container stacks. Water missions such as loading/discharging a vessel may use waterside access areas positioned at the opposite end of the yard. Automated cranes linked with a terminal operating system may pick/drop/shuffle containers and/or refrigerated containers (“reefers”) within the container stacks. Shuttle trucks may be used to pick/drop containers at quayside access points and the waterside access areas. The shuttle trucks may utilize shared wheelpaths. Software systems may be used to implement various principles of the invention.

Abstract: A system and method are provided to prevent the formation of loops in a network. The network device includes a plurality of ports for receiving and forwarding network messages and a spanning tree protocol engine. The spanning tree protocol engine, in one embodiment, implements the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) to transitions the ports among a plurality port states, including a discarding state, a learning state and a forwarding state. The network device further includes a loop guard engine that is in a communicating relationship with the spanning tree protocol engine and the ports. The loop guard engine monitors the receipt of bridge protocol data units (BPDUs) by the ports. If a given port stops receiving BPDUs, the loop guard engine prevents the spanning tree protocol engine from transitioning the given port to the forwarding state. Instead, the loop guard engine causes the port to transition to loop inconsistent state.