a third way...?

[BrianNardone]

I can save session variables in server memory or I can leave them stored in the database and get them there. Is there a third place to store them while the user is online, like browser memory?

I'm asking because I want to know how many concurrent sessions can be handled by my web host and thus how many servers we should consider. They want to know if sticky sessions are required, evidently if they are required that would increase server demand and reduce the number of possible concurrent sessions.

Correct me please if I'm (probably) wrong but there is evidently a trade off between using the database and server memory to store session variables. If I use the database to store them, then that increases server usage in spitting stuff out, but would increase the number of concurrent users since the session wouldn't have to be sticky.

So, as I'm debating all this, I ran across 'browser memory'. Is that real, can it be used to store session variables and thus decrease demand on the server and increase the number of users that could be served from a single server, or am I dreaming?

Thanks!

Brian

[DwFAQ · Accepted solution]

Did somebody say cookie? (cookie monster voice)

[BrianNardone]

You know Faq, by this point I don't even mind embarassing myself, but it would have been useful had I included that I'm trying to avoid cookies due to a the challenge posed by more than one student in the household studying different subjects.

But I'll reconsider that in light of my webhosts info. Thanks for the knock on the back of the head.

Brian

[Lawrence_Cramer]

If you are using a dynamic language, PHP or ColdFusion, you could consider using Session variables. Sessions may work better because they don't live as long as cookies and usually expire once the user has left the site, where a cookies remains in the browser cache until it is refreshed.

Lawrence   *Adobe Community Expert*
www.Cartweaver.com
Complete Shopping Cart Application for
Dreamweaver, available in ASP, PHP and CF