Login session explained

In computing, a login session is the period of activity between a user logging in and logging out of a (multi-user) system.

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, login sessions are maintained by the kernel and control of them is within the purview of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSA). [[winlogon]] responds to the secure attention key, it requests the LSA to create login sessions on login, and terminates all of the processes belonging to a login session on logout.

See also

• Booting process of Windows NT
• Architecture of Windows NT
• Booting
• Master boot record
• Power-on self-test
• BootVis

Further reading

• Web site: How Interactive Logon Works . Windows Server 2003 Technical Library . Microsoft . 2006-05-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060507050136/http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/779885d9-e5e9-4f27-9c14-5bbe77b056ba1033.mspx . 2006-05-07 . dead .