🚀 go-pugleaf

lamy@sobeco.com (Jean-Francois Lamy) writes:

>In any case, I strongly feel this is something best done in the kernel, and
>provided by the vendor.  Kudos to Control Data for at least recognising the
>need...

Yes I must agree that this is best done in the kernel, however, it can still
be done effectively at the user level in certain environments.
We currently run a locally developed package to do project based accounting
and CPU quota.

The technique we use is to "wrap" the users login shell, batch job, etc. 
with another process which handles the accounting and quota stuff.
This system works well for us, we've been running this for about a year now 
on a SYSV4 machine and it's now quite stable and usable. But it's success is
probably largely because we have co-operative users. There are just too many
ways for a semi-determined user to circumvent such a system.

In short, user level accounting of this sort can be done, but the integrity
of the data cannot be guaranteed unless your users co-operate, or you have
a big enough stick to deter any would be offenders.

I have heard of several commercial packages which claim to be able to do
project based accounting. The one I know most about is SHARE II from
Softway, an Australian company. I believe that SHARE II is 
liscensed to Convex and Cray and form part of their operating system.

The other 2 packages I have only read short passages about is AIM Job
Accounting and UniSol JobACCT. I have phone numbers for these if anyone
wants them.


Mathew Lim, Unix Systems Programmer, ANU Supercomputer Facility,        
Australian National University, GPO Box 4, Canberra City, ACT, Australia 2601.
Telephone : +61 6 249 2750      | 
Fax       : +61 6 247 3425      | E-Mail  : M.Lim@anu.edu.au