Configuring session management by level

When you configure session management at the web container level, all applications and the respective web modules in the web container normally inherit that configuration, setting up a basic default configuration for the applications and web modules in it. However, you can set up different configurations individually for specific applications and web modules that vary from the web container default. These different configurations override the default for these applications and web modules only.

About this task

An enterprise application can contain web modules, and so can an OSGi application. At the web container level and at the application level, the process for configuring HTTP sessions is the same whether the web module is part of an enterprise application or an OSGi application. For enterprise applications only, you can also configure HTTP sessions at the web module level.

Note: When you overwrite the default session management settings at the application level, all the web modules contained in the application inherit the new setting unless they too are set to overwrite these settings.
Avoid trouble: Session management configuration is a post-deployment configuration and is tied to existing targets. If you change the target mapping after you configure session management, you must return to the session management configuration page in the administrative console or use wsadmin scripting and apply the changes. Apply the changes to module targets if session management is configured for a web module. Apply the changes to all targets if session management is configured for an application level.

Procedure

  1. Open the administrative console.
  2. Change the configuration for the web container, enterprise application, or web module level.
    The following substeps explain how to access the configuration panels for each of these levels.
    • Complete the following substeps for the web container level:
      1. Click Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > server_name.
      2. Under Container Settings, expand Web Container Settings and click Web container.
      3. Under Additional Properties, click Session management.
    • Complete the following substeps for the application level:
      If the application is an enterprise application:
      1. Click Applications > Application Types > WebSphere enterprise applications > application_name.
      2. Under Web Module Properties, click Session management.
      If the application is an OSGi application:
      1. Click Applications > Application Types > Business-level applications > application_name > eba_asset_name.
      2. Under Additional Properties, click Session management.
    • Complete the following substeps for the web module level, if the application is an enterprise application:
      1. Click Applications > Application Types > WebSphere enterprise applications > application_name.
      2. Under Modules, click Manage Modules > module_name.
      3. Under Additional Properties, click Session Management.
  3. Manage sessions by configuring session tracking, session timeouts and serializing access.
  4. If you are working at the web module or application level and want these settings to override the inherited Session Management settings, under General Properties select Override session management.
  5. Click Apply and Save.