SessionState timeout problem

[Mikko Penkkimäki]

Hi

Looks like I can not change Web page's timeout setting. In practise it's all
the time 20 minutes - no matter what I do.

I have this kind of setting in web.config:
<sessionState
mode="InProc"
cookieless="true"
timeout="1"
/>

With this settings program goes to Global.asax's Session_End() function
after 1 minute but the session is still running after this. It's only after
20 minutes when the session really stops.

I have tried to change the timeout setting in Machine.config also >> No
difference.
I have even booted my computer after I have made change to the setting -
just in case if something is still running in memory. >> No help.

That 20 minutes settings has to be somewhere hidden, but where? Couldn't
find it from IIS either.

I have Windows XP Pro and Visual Studio .NET 2003.

Please help me.

Regards
Mikko

 

[Paul Glavich [MVP - ASP.NET]]

How are you determining that the session is still running? Is it just that
you dont go back to the login page or something like that?

 

[Karl]

Also, keep in mind that it's 20 minutes from the last activity - ie, it's a
sliding timer not an absolute one.

karl

 

[Mikko Penkkimäki]

Hi

There's no login page in the software. New session is created for every new
user from "HttpContext.Current.Session.SessionID". This SessionID is used
for loading and saving user dependent session data (for
ex."HttpContext.Current.Session["UserDependentVariable_1"]").

I can see that the session is still running because the SessionID is still
the same and all user dependent data is still in session. When I change to
another page in the software after about 20 minutes, the SessionID has been
changed. Session data is also empty - of course.

I have now changed the SessionState's mode to "StateServer". I have read
from the Web that it's not as buggy as "InProc". Still no effect in my
software.

My problem is that there is a need that the session lasts hours - not 20
minutes. I have changed SessionState's timeout to "120" in Web.config and
Machine.config. I also found setting from IIS: Web page Properties >>
Configuration... >> Options: Enable session state, Session timeout. I
changed also this to 120. Still the session is lost after about 20 minutes.

I have tried to find answer to this from the Web. I haven't found any answer
yet but I have found many other programmers who have faced the same problem:
Sessions just don't last long. Is there any way to get over this?

Regards
Mikko

 

[Jason Bailey]

You were in the right place when you poked around in IIS.

Go to the website in question, right-click and choose "Properties".
Click on the "Home Directory" tab
Click on the "Configuration" button
Click on the "App Options" tab on the pop-up window
Choose the session timeout you wish. As you can see on this screen, the
default value built into IIS 5.0 out of the box is 20 minutes.

 

[naijacoder naijacoder]

Hi Jason,
So which one works for Session.Timeout?
The IIS setting or the web config?
Bcos 'm confused!
And which one overrides the other does IIS setting overrides the WEB
CONFIG?
Let me know please.
thanks