Login Sessions and Bookmarks

Contents

• Overview
• Helpful Hints
• Related Topics

Overview

To access any of the screens beyond the login screen, a valid login session must be acquired. Acquiring a valid login session will require a valid user ID and password.

Login sessions have a maximum time that they are allowed to exist when idle. When an attempt is made to access a screen after a login session's idle time limit has been exceeded, the login screen will be presented to re-authenticate the user. To access the desired page simply supply your user id and password.

A Logout button is always available on each application screen. The logout button will immediately end your session when pressed, and as a result the application login screen will be presented.

Using your browser's bookmark or "favorites" feature can avoid extra steps when returning to a particular application screen. However, one can expect an intermediate trip through the login screen whenever there is not an active login session.

Helpful Hints

Consider the following notes about application data and login sessions:

• The session timeout feature provides additional security so that one cannot simply walk up to a browser that someone has left open and access the application. However, this is only a limited degree of security. For added security, always logout of the application when not actively using the system and exit the browser application.
• Note that cached pages will be accessible by using your browser's history navigation mechanisms without having an active application session. However, even if an entry screen is accessed in the history cache, no changes will be possible unless the user is re-authenticated via the login screen. For a higher degree of security, make sure that after application sessions, you clear your history cache and close all browser windows.
• Using the browser's Back and Forward buttons can speed application navigation, particularly when returning to query results from a detail screen. However, this can yield unexpected results at times. One particular situation to be aware of is jumping back in the browser's history list to an entry screen that was previously accessed. Though there is nothing inherently wrong with doing this, it is wise to press your browser's reload button prior to making changes to attributes so that fresh values are displayed prior to making changes. One particular behavior that may cause confusion is that the application always compares entered values with the values that were presented to the screen, and only changed values are updated. This is a generally desired characteristic, but if the screen values are stale, it can yield surprising results by not applying a change to a value. Reloading prior to making changes will always avoid a surprise.

Related Topics

• Reporting Problems