ARGUS is a YAITK (yet-another-idle-terminal-killer)

Features
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  o Flexible configurability via logical names and configuration file
  o Exemptions based upon username, image name, and terminal name. Exemptions
    can be placed in effect for portions of a day. Also, the program can be
    armed/disarmed for portions of a day.
  o ARGUS also detects two classes of "runaway" processes.

Operation
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It's really pretty simple. In between naps, ARGUS wakes up and checks
on what each process on the system was doing while it was asleep. If
ARGUS finds that a given process was not doing anything (as indicated
by a lack of buffered I/O and a lack of CPU usage), it bumps a timer
for that process. Once that timer count has gotten over the pre-defined
threshhold, that process is deemed to be truly idle and is deleted
via the system service SYS$DELPRC. On the other hand, if ARGUS wakes
up and finds that a given process has actually done some buffered I/O
or has used some CPU time, then the timer is reset to zero and the
process is left alone. Certain processes are exempted from the
algorithm, as noted in the comments further below. In addition, the
system manager can explicitly exempt certain users, terminals,
and/or images.

ARGUS also contains some logic to detect "runaway" processes and notify
the system manager. There are two classes of such processes : (1) those that
are doing I/O and/or using CPU time, but do not appear to be running an
image, and the process image count remains constant, and (2) those that are
doing buffered I/O at a "very high" rate.

Bob Marshall
Lockheed Missiles & Space Company
Sunnyvale, CA
marshall@nebula.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com