From: S211KENO@KUB.NL (Kees Noyens - KUB/DRC)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: idle terminal killers: summary
Date: 13 Apr 92 11:25:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet

Thanks to everybody who responded to my question about idle terminal killers.
Here is a summary:

>Can anybody give me some hints about idle terminal killers ?
>I would like to know which terminal killer is the best.

I like WATCHER, but then, I wrote it. :-)

> Area's of interest are:
>
>o reliability: what is "idle" ?

With WATCHER, you can specify any or all of terminal I/O count, process
I/O count (which counts the process I/O's of all processes in a job tree),
and/or CPU time (which includes the CPU time of all processes in a job tree
also), as the metric(s) you want to use to determine whether a terminal
is active, on a per-terminal basis.  You can also specify minimum change
thresholds on each metric.

>o customization to site requirements (exclude privileged users, determine
>  idle time, selection based on terminal-type or process-type)

WATCHER can be customized to watch any or all terminals.  Metrics used,
time till logout, and such can be set on a per-terminal basis.  You can
exclude users based on userid, UIC, a held identifier, privilege mask,
location, and time of day/day of week.  You can also use overrides so
that some users, while not being exempted from activity monitoring, can
be subject to activity requirements that are different from other users
(longer idle period before logout, etc.).

>o availability: where can you get such a program ? Decus or FTP ?

You can get WATCHER from the DECUS Library (program V00482), on recent
DECUS VAX SIG tapes (Spring 1991 is the most recent, I believe), or by
anonymous FTP from vms.ecs.rpi.edu and vms2.ecs.rpi.edu.

-Matt
--
Matthew Madison, Systems Programmer  | Internet: madison@vms.ecs.rpi.edu
Engineering Computing Services       | Bitnet:   MADISON@RPIECSVX
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute     |
Troy, New York 12180-3590 USA        |
 
===========================================================================

You recently wrote:

>Can anybody give me some hints about idle terminal killers ?
>I would like to know which terminal killer is the best. Area's of interest
>are:
>
>o reliability: what is "idle" ?

WATCHER is fully configurable in this regard.

>o customization to site requirements (exclude privileged users, determine
>  idle time, selection based on terminal-type or process-type)

You can do this all, and more, with WATCHER.

>o availability: where can you get such a program ? Decus or FTP ?
I use WATCHER, available via FTP from VMS.ECS.RPI.EDU or via mail at
FILESERV@VMS.ECS.RPI.EDU.

It is completely configurable, and works very well.

I used to use WATCHDOG (from the DECUS tapes) but it crashed my SMP machine,
and have been very happy with WATCHER - it does everything that WATCHDOG
does and more!

-Dan Wing, DWING@UH01.Colorado.EDU  (or WING_D@UCOLMCC.BITNET)
 Systems Programmer, University Hospital, Denver

=============================================================================

    I copied the hack referred to as "Chainsaw Massacre" in the Feb (I think)
    issue of Dec Professional by Kevin G. Barkes; DCL Dialogue column.  It
    executes in a sub-process, and logsout if there is not 100 MS of CPU time
    in some number of minutes.  I believe the original code called for 30 mins,
     which I changed to 60 for my hack.  It's short, and cheap two ways: first
    it's free, and second, doesn't use much system resources.   Either copy
    it for yourself, or let me know; I can MAIL my copy.

  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)=
=
  |  Mike Wuest, Allin1, DDN, & VAX Systems Manager
|
  |  Armstrong Laboratories                          SYSTEMM@ALHRG.WPAFB.AF.MIL
|
  |  Logistics Research Division                     SYSTEMM@[131.28.15.14]
|
  |  (513)255-8225 (USA)    DSN 785-8225      (aka)  MWUEST@ALHRG.WPAFB.AF.MIL
|
  |   "Every programmer has a second language; profanity"  - Rich Malafa
|
  | Disclaimer: Opinions are like ears; everybody has a couple - these are mine!
|
  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)==  ==(*)=
=

==========================================================================

Good Day.

Regarding idle job killers:

I have written several over the last few years. The advantage of
doing this is:

        1) You can customize/configure it for your own site
 
           specific requirements.

        2) It's less expensive by a long shot.

        3) It's educational and fun.

They're not too tough to write, either. Essentially all you do is
a wildcard getjpi(w) on all processes, compare the change in CPU
time and the change in I/O, and, if they are below certain values,
you call brkthruw and delprc to deal with the process.

You might want to check come DECUS tapes for a reliable job killer.
They're not too complex, and I would trust one off a DECUS tape.
Mine works, too, but I don't support it.

Good luck!

        scott

==========================================================================

We have used both the WATCHDOG program from a DECUS tape and the WATCHER
program (Matthew Madison, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute).  Both are
fairly flexible in being able to configure/customize about who is being
watched, the criteria for killing a process, etc.  I now use WATCHER
exclusively because it is a little more flexible and comes with relatively
good documentation.  The only problem I have had with both of these
programs is with workstations (ours all run VWS), since the programs do not
correctly shut down the windows, and the process goes into RWAST state--
and stays that way until you reboot.  But otherwise I have been happy with
the way WATCHER handles all other interactive processes.  It can be set up
to handle telnet logins and remote logins differently than locals, and
offers several options for excluding (or using different "idle" criteria
for) users, terminals, or holders of identifiers.  "Idle time" can be based
on terminal i/o, process i/o, or cpu time.

I think that WATCHDOG may be available via FTP from somewhere; sorry, I
don't remember where I saw it -- but I do still see it in the DECUS tape
catalog.  I got WATCHER via FTP --- don't remember where, but you can ask
the author at:  madison@vms.ecs.rpi.edu or MADISON@RPIECSVX (BITNET).

**If you do find out anyway to get one of these to correctly handle VWS
sessions, I would certainly appreciate hearing back from you!**

Lee M. Daniels - Laboratory for Molecular Structure and Bonding - Texas A&M
   daniels@lmsbvx.tamu.edu  |  DANIELS@TAMLMSB.BITNET  |  (409) 845-3726
 

==========================================================================

Most idle terminal killers define idle time as having no cpu time consumed
or no io's performed.  These parameters can be adjusted along with the amount
of idle time allowed before terminating the user.  You can usually put
together a list of users that you do not want to be terminated and not have
them bothered.  I do have a program that does all of this that is written in
C language if you want a copy.  One flaw that I know of, if a user does a set
host to another node, my program is not smart enough to figure this out and
will log out the original session.

-- Jim Strother
Vax System Manager
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma
 
==========================================================================

Kees Noyens
VAX system manager
Computing Centre Tilburg University
The Netherlands

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