Asp.NET Session Management

In Asp.net, there are 4 methods available for session management.

1. InProc
   This is the default mode used in ASP.net. Session state will be stored on same ASP.net
   process and perform best. If IIS restarts session state will lost.
   Use when, Session data is not critical and Web application hosted in a single server.
   


2. StateServer
   This is, Windows NT service called ASPState, used to store session state out of ASP.net process.
   
   
   To enable this , Start the service, run command
   net start aspnet_state 
   In the web.config add or change following element
   
   

   <configuration>
       <system.web>
           <sessionState mode="StateServer"
               stateConnectionString="tcpip=servername:portno"
               cookieless="false"
               timeout="20"/>
       </system.web>
   </configuration>

   
   By default stateConnectionString is 127.0.0.1:42424
   


3. SqlServer
   Session state will store in SQL server so that higher level of reliability. This is best for clustered/web farm environment although performance isn’t as fast as former 2 modes.
   You have to do,
   On the computer SQL server running, run InstallSqlState.sql
   to create necessary tables and sps to manage session state. This file can be found,by default, %SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.x.xxxx\
   Note: for .net 3.5 you have to find this file from .net 2.0 path.
   
   In web.config,
   

   <sessionState
      mode="SQLServer"
      sqlConnectionString="Integrated Security=SSPI;data source=sqlserver;"
      sqlCommandTimeout="10" />
     </system.web>
   </configuration>
   

   
   You don’t have to explicitly put Initial Catalog for sqlConnectionString attribute.
   


4. Custom
   This mode is very rarely used unless you want to store session state on custom data store. To implement custom mode you can find more information on MSDN.