Administration Guide › Configuring the SPS Server Settings › Session Scheme Settings in the server.conf File › Establishing a User Session

Establishing a User Session

There are distinct phases for establishing a user session, as follows:

1. Discovery phase

   During this phase of a session, the SPS looks for an appropriate session key based on the user agent type. Session keys are either SiteMinder cookies, or a token that points to the appropriate information in the SPS in-memory session store. As previously discussed, tokens may be in the form of mini-cookies, SSL IDs, device IDs, or other tokens. If no session key can be identified, the Web Agent in the SPS takes over and forwards the request for authentication and authorization and establishes the identity and entitlements of the user.

2. Agent Handling phase

   The SPS contains a Web Agent that communicates with SiteMinder. The Web Agent is responsible for decrypting SiteMinder session information and validating a session with SiteMinder. If a user’s request is accompanied by an SMSESSION cookie, or the SPS has located a user’s session in the session store, the Web Agent validates a user’s request with SiteMinder.

3. Reverse Proxy phase

   In this phase, after the user’s session has been validated, the SPS uses one of its defined services (forward, redirect, or another service) to handle the user’s request. The action of the SPS in this phase is determined by the proxy rules contained in the proxy rules XML configuration file.

   Note: For URL rewriting session schemes, content is forwarded to the rewriting mechanism in this phase before being sent back to the user.