ASSASSIN

EASY TO INSTALL!

What is ASSASSIN?

ASSASSIN is an Idle Process Management (IPM) software product that automatically performs predefined actions on processes that are idle, inactive or meet special conditions.

What does ASSASSIN do?

ASSASSIN’s monitoring component periodically gathers information about the processes on your system and decides if an action is required. If a process is consuming CPU time, generating I/Os or pagefaults above the thresholds you specify, then the process is perceived as being busy. Otherwise, it is considered idle. You can define how much resource consumption is required for processes to be considered as busy so that users are measured according to your definition of idle. ASSASSIN’s configuration component allows you to tailor ASSASSIN to meet the special needs of your organization, system; different nodes at different times of the day and days of the week.

With ASSASSIN you can specify:
• What action ASSASSIN will take when a process is idle
• The level of activity that determines when processes are idle
• Which processes get special treatment or are exempt
• Where and how messages are sent when an action is performed
• The messages that the user receives when an action is taken
• Who on the systems staff is notified when ASSASSIN takes an action
• Which processes will be terminated because the user has been logged in to the system
for too long a period of time
• Which Screen Saver Image is displayed on an idle terminal

How easy is it to use?

You can quickly and easily install ASSASSIN on your system or in an OpenVMS cluster environment. We use standard VMSINSTAL and a default installation should take about five or ten minutes to complete. The ASSASSIN Manual, which you can download along with the 30-day free demo, contains complete easy-to-use instructions for installation. Once ASSASSIN is configured as you desire, simply start ASSASSIN’s monitor and forget about idle processes on your VMS system.

How does ASSASSIN strengthen system security?

Processes which are idle or inactive can place system security at risk. If a terminal is left logged-on but unattended, anyone could use it to enter commands, steal information, delete or alter documents or create other mischief, limited only by the privileges of the person logged in. You can specify which terminals are to be “locked” after the user logged in at the terminal has been idle for too long.

Unlimited password attempts during screen-unlocking are no longer allowed. Instead, the VMS limit of 3 password attempts is used if the password retries parameter from ASSASSIN Menu C – Lock Parameters isn’t specified or is specified as zero.

Assassin now sends lock notifications as follows:
Notify Operator Lock Warning Idle-terminal lock warning issued.
Notify Operator Lock Terminal Idle-terminal locked.
Notify Operator Lock Unlocked Idle-terminal successfully unlocked.
Notify Operator Lock Bad Password Idle-terminal bad password entered.
Notify Operator Lock Logout Idle-terminal logged out due to too many failed password attempts.

How are license fees determined?

An account representative will provide a quote for you for your exact configuration and needs. Because ASSASSIN increases system performance and frees up system resources, be sure to factor in the savings realized.

How do you get the licensing?

Download a free demonstration copy that is good for 30 days. Use the Quick-Install Sheet to install the demonstration copy, which is a fully-working copy ASSASSIN. This takes a matter of minutes – it is not a weekend project! Then call or e-mail to work out the details with an account representative.