ItsDeadJim

Version: 0.3.1

ItsDeadJim is a read-only chaos simulation tool for backup environments. It models what breaks when a component “dies” (proxy, repository, job, or credential) and shows the blast radius.

It does not connect to real systems.
It does not make changes.
It exists to expose hidden dependencies, false-green states, and delayed failures before reality does it for you.

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Quick Start (Manager-Friendly)

Run the Application

1. Unzip the release folder.
2. Navigate to:

   dist\ItsDeadJim\
   

3. Double-click:

   ItsDeadJim.exe
   

4. Follow the guided wizard:
   • Select an environment
   • (Optional) Enter a seed for repeatable demos
   • Choose a scenario and failure mode
   • Review the impact summary

No command line knowledge required.

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What to Distribute

Always distribute the entire folder, not just the EXE:

dist\ItsDeadJim\
  ItsDeadJim.exe
  examples\
  scenario_packs\
  assets\
  _internal\

Zipping this folder is the recommended delivery method.

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Requirements (To Run)

Running the Packaged EXE

No installs required.

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit)
• Ability to unzip files

Python is not required to run the EXE.

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Wizard (Default Experience)

Running ItsDeadJim.exe with no arguments launches the guided wizard.

Wizard features:

• Menu-based environment selection
• Environment preview (counts of proxies, repos, jobs, creds)
• Optional seed for repeatable simulations
• Scenario category browsing (no typing scenario names)
• Failure mode selection
• Manager-friendly summary output
• Option to run another simulation or exit cleanly

This is the recommended mode for demos and leadership reviews.

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CLI Usage (Engineer Mode)

The EXE also supports command-line usage.

Commands

• ItsDeadJim.exe version
• ItsDeadJim.exe scenarios
• ItsDeadJim.exe wizard
• ItsDeadJim.exe run <env_file> [options]

Example

.\ItsDeadJim.exe run .\examples\env_basic.json --scenario green_dashboard --mode misconfig --seed 7 --manager

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Environments

Environment files are JSON models of backup environments.

Bundled examples:

• examples/env_basic.json
• examples/env_small_shop.json
• examples/env_mid_enterprise.json
• examples/env_bad_day.json

Custom environments can be:

• Placed next to the EXE
• Selected via “Enter path manually” in the wizard

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Scenario Packs

List available scenarios:

.\ItsDeadJim.exe scenarios

Scenarios are grouped by category (Attack, Change, Confidence, Human Error, Identity, Organizational, Storage, etc.).

Scenario packs are loaded from:

scenario_packs\*.json

Authoring a Scenario Pack

Create a new file in scenario_packs/.

Example:

{
  "name": "green_dashboard",
  "description": "Everything looks healthy until restore day.",
  "category": "Confidence",
  "priority": ["job", "repo", "proxy"]
}

Valid target types:

• proxy
• repo
• job
• cred

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Failure Modes

Each scenario can be run with different failure modes:

• kill
  Immediate hard failure. Loud and obvious.

• degrade
  Partial impact. Performance issues, queues, slow failures.

• misconfig
  Silent breakage. Dashboards stay green. Reality arrives later.

False-green and delayed consequences are intentional.

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Seeds (Repeatable Runs)

Using a seed makes a simulation deterministic.

• Same environment + same scenario + same seed = same outcome

Useful for:

• Demos
• Before/after comparisons
• Leadership walkthroughs

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Output Modes

Wizard defaults to manager-friendly output:

• High-level impact
• Severity summary
• “What should we fix first” heuristics
• Short narrative explanation

CLI users can access full detail.

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Build From Source (Developers)

Requirements (To Build)

• Windows 10/11
• Python 3.12+
• PowerShell
• Git (optional)

Setup

python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
python -m pip install -U pip
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
python -m pip install -r requirements-build.txt
python -m pip install -e .

Build the EXE

.\build_exe.ps1

Output:

dist\ItsDeadJim\ItsDeadJim.exe

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Icon

The application icon is:

assets\itsdeadjim.ico

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Safety and Scope

ItsDeadJim is:

• Read-only
• Offline
• Simulation-only

It does not connect to Veeam or any production system.
It is a modeling and risk-conversation tool.

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License

Free use.