Overview of sessions

Sessions are resources that Boundary creates when you connect to a target. The target defines an endpoint and any associated connection information. For example, you can link a target to a credential library, specify a host, or set a default port. When you initiate a connection to the target, Boundary verifies your permissions and creates a session in the target's project scope using the attributes you configured.

When Boundary creates a session, it captures a snapshot of the data used to authorize the session and stores this information in the Boundary data warehouse. Boundary never deletes session data from the data warehouse, even after the session ends. You can use the Admin Console or CLI to view details for any sessions that are active, pending, or in the process of being canceled.

Boundary automatically cancels a session when it reaches the configured time limit or when a resource associated with the session is deleted or removed from the target. You can also manually cancel a session to free resources or prevent unauthorized access.

In a typical workflow, Boundary authorizes a user when the session is established. However, you can also pre-authorize sessions to save time, support automated workflows, or prevent your users from accessing connection details.

More information

• To review the available target types and procedures for how to create targets, refer to the Overview of targets topic.
• For more specific information about how the session resource relates to other Boundary resources, refer to the Sessions domain model topic.
• To view the possible session parameters, refer to the session CLI or API documentation.

Next steps

• View session information including the session ID, user who initiated the session, target name, start date, and session status.
• Cancel a session if you no longer need it or detect unexpected activity.
• Pre-authorize a session by creating an authorization token in advance.