How to prevent a user from having multiple instances of the Same Web application

Question

I\'m wondering if it is possible to determine if a user already has a web browser open to the web application I\'m working on. It seems that they can open several instances

Answer 1

All you have to do is assign a value both to a Hidden Input control's value and to a session variable in the Page Load event and on postback, check the value of the local variable against the value in the session variable. If the values do not match, you can redirect the user to the login page or a page that tells them that the session for that page is no longer valid etc.

Example:

Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
    Try
        If Not IsPostBack Then
            'SET LOCAL VARIABLE AND SESSION VARIABLE TO A UNIQUE VALUE
            'IF THE USER HAS CHANGED TABS THIS WILL CHANGE THE VALUE OF THE SESSION VARIABLE
            Me.HiddenInput.value = New Guid().ToString
            Me.Session.Add("PageGuid", Me.HiddenInput.value)

        Else 
            'ON POSTBACK, CHECK TO SEE IF THE USER HAS OPENED A NEW TAB
            'BY COMPARING THE VALUE OF THE LOCAL VALUE TO THE VALUE OF THE SESSION VARIABLE

            If me.HiddenInput.value <> CType(Session("PageGuid"), String) Then

                'THE VALUES DO NOT MATCH, MEANING THE USER OPENED A NEW TAB.
                'REDIRECT THE USER SOMEWHERE HARMLESS

                Response.Redirect("~/Home.aspx")

            Else

                'THE VALUES MATCH, MEANING THE USER HAS NOT OPENED A NEW TAB
                'PERFORM NORMAL POSTBACK ACTIONS

                ...

            End If
        End If
    Catch ex As Exception
        Me.Session.Add("ErrorMessage", BusinessLogic.GetErrorMessage(ex))
        Me.Response.Redirect("~/ErrorPage.aspx", False)
    End Try
End Sub