Comparing web.configs, enableSessionState="true" vs "false"

Question

I've been having some issues with an external WFE. Built "NewServer", installed MOSS, edited the site's web.config to be similar to "OldServer"'s version (membership provider string pointing to our ISA login server).

Site is up and running, but I'm getting some errors. Compared web.configs from the two servers and found that

• OldServer web.config: <pages enableSessionState="true" ...>
• NewServer web.config <pages enableSessionState="false" ...>

Can anyone tell me what difference that might make? Is there something in CA that determines this setting, or is changed through stsadm or only in the web.config itself?

Much thanks!

Scott

Answer 1

If you are getting any error related with sessionstate or if using session variables you need to change the value to True.

Bydefault 'enableSessionState' is not enabled and you need enable it manually by changing in web.config file. (Do not forget to take a copy of web.config before making any change in it.) 

Thanks.

Answer 2

I appreciate the reply, Manhar, but I'm trying to get a better idea of what this does and what in the UI might have changed its setting?

Answer 3

All you ever wanted to know about session: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178581.aspx

In regards to what changed it from the UI, refer to this: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263527(v=office.12).aspx

Enable or disable session state across the entire farm

1. On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration.

2. In the top navigation bar, click the Application Management tab.

3. On the Application Management page, in the Office SharePoint Servers Shared Services section, click Configure session state.

4. On the Configure Session State page, in the Enable Session State section, select the Enable Session State check box to enable session state for the farm.

5. To specify the duration of sessions, in the Timeout section, enter a number (in minutes) in the Session should be timed out after (minutes) box. The default is 60 minutes.

6. Click OK to save the session state configuration.

Answer 4

The setting allows the use of the SharePoint session state management capability and will use the session state service application and it's associated database to save the state of a user session before it is committed by the user. A good example of this is when a user is filling in a long form with many attachments. Whilst the user gradually adds attachments to the form, it saves the session in the session state database. There is no specific setting in CA that will cause the enableSessionState to change. However, if any third party products or even Microsoft ForeFront is installed on the server then this setting could be updated.