Login session
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In computing, a login session (or logon session on Windows NT-based systems) is the period of activity between a user logging in and logging out of a (multi-user) operating system.[1]
On Unix and Unix-like operating systems, a login session takes one of two main forms:
- When a textual user interface is used, a login session is represented as a kernel session — a collection of process groups with the logout action managed by a session leader.
- Where an X display manager is employed, a login session is considered to be the lifetime of a designated user process that the display manager invokes.
On Windows NT-based systems, logon sessions are maintained by the kernel,[2] and control of them is overseen by the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).[1][2] On user authentication, Winlogon requests LSA to create a logon session and a corresponding token including a logon ID, a 64-bit value identifying the session.[1] Each process started on the system is tied to a token. On logout, the system requests all of the processes belonging to a logon session to close.[2] Windows has three logon sessions that start on boot, with hardcoded logon IDs: SYSTEM (logon ID 999/0x3e7), Local Service (997/0x3e5), and Network Service (996/0x3e4). A special type of logon session also exists for null sessions.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "LSA Logon Sessions - Win32 apps". learn.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
- 1 2 3 4 Brown, Keith (2004). The .NET Developer's Guide to Windows Security. Addison-Wesley. pp. 77–80. ISBN 9780321228352.
Further reading
[edit]- Microsoft. "How Interactive Logon Works". Windows Server 2003 Technical Library. Archived from the original on 2006-05-07. Retrieved 2006-05-24.
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