Halting a Session

Elastic Access also allows temporarily halting a session. This can be useful in scenarios where a client application wants to stop using an item temporarily and then pick it up and continue using it within the same session at a later point in time.

To halt a session, the client application sends an empty list of items in a session-based access request. Elastic Access refunds any charges for the remainder of the current session and changes the session state to IDLE. No automatic charges are made while the session is IDLE. When the client application is ready to continue its use of the same item, or different items, it needs to send a new access request. This returns the session state to ACTIVE. The session continues and the client application can request and use items until it ends.

Halting a session is useful for tracking the end-to-end use of an application, because it avoids the fragmentation of usage data. In addition, it helps customers maintain costing allocation to a single business activity or accounting event.

Sessions can be halted—that is, remain in an IDLE state—for a maximum of 30 days. After that, the session is terminated and can no longer be used. Once the session has been terminated, an error is returned to a client application if it tries to use that session.

Key points

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Sending an empty list of items halts a session.

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Halted sessions are in an IDLE state.

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Halting a session triggers a refund (if applicable) of the remainder of the current charging hour.

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No automated charges are made while the session is IDLE.

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No heartbeat is required while the session is IDLE.

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Sending a non-empty access request returns the session to ACTIVE.

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Sessions can be halted for 30 days maximum.