sessionState mode="StateServer" vs. "InProc"

  • Thread starter Thread starter April
  • Start date Start date
A

April

I have a Windows 2000 Server (SP4) with .NET Framework 1.1 (with hotfixes)
installed, along with .NET Framework 2

I have a Delphi .DLL that interfaces with several .aspx files as part of a
member database. Each .aspx file contains categorized properties about
members. The first page is named profile1.aspx, the second page
profile2.aspx and so forth. NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons allow the user to
move back and forth.

For some unknown reason, the session state is being lost as the member/user
clicks the NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons. My web.config file contained the
following lines:

<sessionState
mode="InProc"
stateConnectionString="tcpip=127.0.0.1:42424"
sqlConnectionString="data source=127.0.0.1;user id=sa;password="
cookieless="false"
timeout="20"
/>

Out of desperation we changed the mode from "InProc" to "StateServer" and
then turned ON the "ASP.NET State Service" from within the Services MMC
snap-in. After making this change, the session state is preserved between
pages.

Might anyone know why session state would always be lost as the user moved
from .aspx to .aspx page with mode="InProc"?

And 'yes' we do have the Application > App Options > Application
Configuration > Enable Session State ENABLED within the web site's
properties within IIS 5 (with session timeout of 20 minutes).

Thanks.
 
April said:
I have a Windows 2000 Server (SP4) with .NET Framework 1.1 (with hotfixes)
installed, along with .NET Framework 2

I have a Delphi .DLL that interfaces with several .aspx files as part of a
member database. Each .aspx file contains categorized properties about
members. The first page is named profile1.aspx, the second page
profile2.aspx and so forth. NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons allow the user to
move back and forth.

For some unknown reason, the session state is being lost as the
member/user clicks the NEXT and PREVIOUS buttons. My web.config file
contained the following lines:

<sessionState
mode="InProc"
stateConnectionString="tcpip=127.0.0.1:42424"
sqlConnectionString="data source=127.0.0.1;user
id=sa;password="
cookieless="false"
timeout="20"
/>

Out of desperation we changed the mode from "InProc" to "StateServer" and
then turned ON the "ASP.NET State Service" from within the Services MMC
snap-in. After making this change, the session state is preserved between
pages.

Might anyone know why session state would always be lost as the user moved
from .aspx to .aspx page with mode="InProc"?

And 'yes' we do have the Application > App Options > Application
Configuration > Enable Session State ENABLED within the web site's
properties within IIS 5 (with session timeout of 20 minutes).
Click to expand...

Bizarre. The only reason I can think of is that the application is shutting
down between requests. Check the event logs to see if there is any
indication of that. I take it you have Application Protection set to High
(Isolated) for this app. In which case you will have COM+ application in
Component Services, check this COM+ activation tab to see if anyone has
fiddled with the idle timeout, ordinarily this will be set to remain running
when idle but if someone has enabled an agressive idle timeout that could be
your problem.
 
Anthony Jones said:
"April"
Click to expand...

Oops I was thinking I was in a different NG. This advice makes sense still:-
Bizarre. The only reason I can think of is that the application is
shutting down between requests. Check the event logs to see if there is
any indication of that.
Click to expand...

However this advice applies to ASP not ASP.NET:-
I take it you have Application Protection set to High (Isolated) for this
app. In which case you will have COM+ application in Component Services,
check this COM+ activation tab to see if anyone has fiddled with the idle
timeout, ordinarily this will be set to remain running when idle but if
someone has enabled an agressive idle timeout that could be your problem.
Click to expand...

On IIS5 ASP.NET runs in its own ASPNET_WP.exe process, you need to looking
for whether that process is being knocked off for some reason between
requests. IMO, ASP.NET doesn't still well on IIS5.
 
Oops I was thinking I was in a different NG. This advice makes sense
still:-
Click to expand...

Anthony,

Thanks, however, what "application" are your referring to? My Delphi DLL,
or IIS? Both are applications, technically. It's not clear which you are
referring to.

Let me also comment that we have tried the DLL/.ASPX files on 2 other W2K
servers. 1 owned by yours truly, another by a firm across the Pacific.
Oddly, the very same thing happens on our second server, while on the server
across the sea, it works perfectly without resorting to turning on the
ASPNET State Service. Both are running IIS 5.
On IIS5 ASP.NET runs in its own ASPNET_WP.exe process, you need to looking
for whether that process is being knocked off for some reason between
requests.
Click to expand...

And how do I do that?

Thanks
 
April said:
Anthony,

Thanks, however, what "application" are your referring to? My Delphi DLL,
or IIS? Both are applications, technically. It's not clear which you are
referring to.
Click to expand...

Application refers to the fact that the website or a sub folder thereof is
marked as an application.
Let me also comment that we have tried the DLL/.ASPX files on 2 other W2K
servers. 1 owned by yours truly, another by a firm across the Pacific.
Oddly, the very same thing happens on our second server, while on the
server across the sea, it works perfectly without resorting to turning on
the ASPNET State Service. Both are running IIS 5.


And how do I do that?
Click to expand...

Check process ID of the ASPNET_WP.exe after each request, if it varies then
the process is bombing out after the first request for some reason.
 
Application refers to the fact that the website or a sub folder thereof is
marked as an application.
Click to expand...

Anthony,

I've never heard such a thing. How can a website or a folder be marked as
an application? This language is foreign to me...i.e, a folder being
"marked as an application". How does a folder become marked as an
application, or a web site become an application?
Check process ID of the ASPNET_WP.exe after each request...
Click to expand...

Could you be more specific as to HOW do I check the process ID. Using what
tool or method?

Thanks.

April
 
Could you be more specific as to HOW do I check the process ID. Using
what tool or method?
Click to expand...

I suspect you are referring to using Task Manager to check the PID. Problem
is...the server is remote, and I'm connected via Remote Terminal Services,
meaning, TM doesn't show the PID for a service that launches on boot up.

April
 
Check process ID of the ASPNET_WP.exe after each request, if it varies
then the process is bombing out after the first request for some reason.
Click to expand...

I have shut down the "ASP.NET State Service", changed its startup state to
MANUAL. Changed the web.config mode = "InProc". Rebooted the server. I
installed a process explorer that shows PIDs (even though I am connected
remotely), ran the .NET apps (login.aspx -> profile1.aspx ) and the PID for
aspnet_wp.exe is NOT changing. It remains constant after repeated F5
refreshes. The PID prior to logging in remains the same PID after the user
clicks NEXT on the profile1.aspx page. Yet the app is not taking the user
to the 2nd page of the membership profile, but looping back to the login
window (login.aspx). The only way to get to the 2nd page of the membership
database (profile2.aspx) is to turn on "ASP.NET State Service" and change
the web.config mode to "StateServer".

April
 
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