documentation:2.0:browseablesessionbackend
Keywords: documentation,2.0,browseablesessionbackend

# Browseable session backend

## Presentation

Browseable session backend (Apache::Session::Browseable) works exactly like Apache::Session::* corresponding module but add index that increase session explorer and session restrictions performances.

If you use features like SAML (authentication and issuer), CAS (issuer) and password reset self-service, you also need to index some fields.

Without index, LL::NG will have to retrieve all sessions stored in backend and parse them to find the needed sessions. With index, LL::NG wil be able to get only wanted sessions from the backend.

The following table list fields to index depending on the feature you want to increase performance:

Feature | Fields to index
--- | ---
Database cleaup (cron) | _session_kind _utime
Session explorer | _session_kind ipAddr WHATTOTRACE
Session explorer (persistent sessions) | _session_kind _session_uid
Session restrictions | _session_kind ipAddr WHATTOTRACE

See Apache::Session::Browseable::* man page to see how use indexes.

WHATTOTRACE must be replaced by the attribute or macro configured in the What To Trace parameter (REMOTE_USER). By default: _whatToTrace
It is advised to use separate session backends for standard sessions, SAML sessions and CAS sessions, in order to manage index separately.
Documentation below explains how set index on ipAddr and _whatToTrace. Adapt it to configure the index you need.

## Browseable NoSQL

You can use Redis and set up the database like explained in Redis session backend.

You then just have to add the `Index` parameter in `General parameters` » `Sessions` » `Session storage` » `Apache::Session module` :

Required parameters
Name | Comment | Example
--- | --- | ---
server | Redis server | 127.0.0.1:6379
Index | Index | _whatToTrace ipAddr

## Browseable SQL

This documentation concerns PostgreSQL. Some adaptations are needed with other databases.

### Prepare database

Database must be prepared exactly like in SQL session backend except that a field must be added for each data to index.

Data written to UNLOGGED tables is not written to the WAL, which makes them considerably faster than ordinary tables. However, they are not crash-safe: an unlogged table is automatically truncated after a crash or unclean shutdown. The contents of an unlogged table are also not replicated to standby servers. Any indexes created on an unlogged table are automatically unlogged as well.

Apache::Session::Browseable::Postgres example:

    CREATE UNLOGGED TABLE sessions (
        id varchar(64) not null primary key,
        a_session text,
        _whatToTrace text,
        _session_kind text,
        _utime bigint,
        user text,
        ipAddr text
    );
    CREATE INDEX uid1 ON sessions USING BTREE (_whatToTrace);
    CREATE INDEX s1   ON sessions (_session_kind);
    CREATE INDEX u1   ON sessions (_utime);
    CREATE INDEX ip1  ON sessions USING BTREE (ipAddr);

For Session Explorer and one-off sessions, it is recommended to use BTREE or any index method that indexes partial content.

“id” fieds is set to `varchar(64)` (instead of char(32)) to use the now recommended SHA256 hash algorithm. See Sessions for more details.

With new Apache::Session::Browseable::PgHstore and PgJSON, you don't need to declare indexes in `CREATE TABLE` since “json” and “hstore” type are browseable. You should anyway add some indexes (see manpage).

### Manager

Go in the Manager and set the session module (Apache::Session::Browseable::MySQL for MySQL) in `General parameters` » `Sessions` » `Session storage` » `Apache::Session module` and add the following parameters (case sensitive):

Required parameters
Name | Comment | Example
--- | --- | ---
DataSource | The DBI string | dbi:Pg:database=sessions
UserName | The database username | lemonldapng
Password | The database password | mysuperpassword
Index | Index | _whatToTrace ipAddr _session_kind _utime

Apache::Session::Browseable::MySQL doesn't use locks so performances are keeped.

For databases like PostgreSQL, don't forget to add “Commit” with a value of 1

## Browseable LDAP

Go in the Manager and set the session module to `Apache::Session::Browseable::LDAP`. Then configure the options like in LDAP session backend.

You need to add the `Index` field and can also configure the `ldapAttributeIndex` field to set the attribute name where index values will be stored.

Required parameters
Name | Comment | Example
--- | --- | ---
ldapServer | URI of the server | ldap://localhost
ldapConfBase | DN of sessions branch | ou=sessions,dc=example,dc=com
ldapBindDN | Connection login | cn=admin,dc=example,dc=password
ldapBindPassword | Connection password | secret
Index | Index list | _whatToTrace ipAddr
Optional parameters
Name | Comment | Default value
ldapObjectClass | Objectclass of the entry | applicationProcess
ldapAttributeId | Attribute storing session ID | cn
ldapAttributeContent | Attribute storing session content | description
ldapAttributeIndex | Attribute storing index | ou

## Security

Restrict network access to the backend.

You can also use different user/password for your servers by overriding parameters `globalStorage` and `globalStorageOptions` in lemonldap-ng.ini file.

## Performances

Here are some recommended configurations:

Browseable::Postgres:

    CREATE UNLOGGED TABLE sessions (
        id varchar(64) not null primary key,
        a_session text,
        _whatToTrace text,
        _session_kind text,
        _utime bigint,
        user text,
        ipAddr varchar(64)
    );
    CREATE INDEX uid1 ON sessions USING BTREE (_whatToTrace text_pattern_ops);
    CREATE INDEX _s1 ON sessions (_session_kind);
    CREATE INDEX _u1 ON sessions (_utime);
    CREATE INDEX ip1 ON sessions USING BTREE (ipAddr)

Browseable::MySQL:

    CREATE TABLE sessions (
        id varchar(64) not null primary key,
        a_session text,
        _whatToTrace varchar(64),
        _session_kind varchar(15),
        user text,
        _utime bigint
    );
    CREATE INDEX uid1 ON sessions (_whatToTrace) USING BTREE;
    CREATE INDEX _s1 ON sessions (_session_kind);
    CREATE INDEX _u1 ON sessions (_utime);
    CREATE INDEX ip1 ON sessions (ipAddr) USING BTREE;