Eliminate Session Running Warning - Correct Linking to the IRM

Article ID: KI0059   Revised 11/7/2006

Under some conditions when a guest attempts to start the IRM from a link on your marketing website they may receive a "Session Running" warning and not be able to start the IRM.   This issue can be resolved by  updating the IRM to Version IRM2-332 or higher and changing all links from your marketing site to the IRM to always start a new browser that does not have the "back" and "forward" buttons.  The procedures are explained in detail below:

Warning:  Updating the IRM alone will not completely solve this problem.   You must also change all links from your marketing site to the IRM to always start a new browser that does not have the "back" and "forward" buttons as described below

Start a New Browser for the IRM from your Marketing Website

It is critical that all links from the marketing web site to any start page in the IRM always launch a new browser window.  This provides the guest two browser windows, one with your marketing site, and the other with the IRM.  If the guest closes the IRM, your marketing site is still on the screen which allows the guest to easily go back and forth between your marketing site and the IRM.  The following link starts RDP's demonstration IRM in a new window AND removes the back/forward buttons in the browser and should be used as a model by your website designers for all links to the IRM: 

Sample link using new browser without back and forward buttons: Make a new Reservation in RDP's IRM Demonstration System.

Please also review Linking Options from Your Marketing Website to the IRM.

Warning:  Do not put the IRM into an HTML Frame.  It will not work.  Always link to a completely new browser window that only has the IRM.

Eliminate the Back button and Toolbar on Browser

The "Back" and "Forward" buttons on browsers were designed many years ago for "static" websites.  Static sites do not change.  These buttons redisplay the pages based on the information stored on the user's computer; not the current information on the website.  As a result, these buttons do not work with the IRM, or any other "dynamic" web application, because they attempt to display "old data".  To understand this concept, lets look at an example:

1. A guest uses the IRM to display available rooms or room types for a date range.  
2. The IRM connects to your data server and finds the available rooms at that instant and displays them on the guest's browser.
3. The guest selects an available room or room type, which causes the IRM to move on to the detail screen for that room or room type showing pictures, descriptions, etc.  
4. The user is distracted and waits 15 minutes on the room detail page, and then clicks the "back" button on the browser. 
5. The browser attempts to redisplay the previous page showing availability from the information stored on the guest's computer, which is now 15 minutes old.  Unfortunately, this data may no longer be accurate.  Other internal workstations or Internet users may have made reservations.  
6. Instead of using the browser "Back" button, if the user selects the button inside the IRM for "Select a different room", then the IRM redisplays the available rooms based on the current system data which is up to date.

The solution to this problem is:

1. Eliminate the back and forward buttons from the guest browser using the procedures below.
2. Always start a new browser when linking to the IRM from your marketing website.  This allows the guest to go "Back" to the marketing website by closing the IRM browser.

The combination of these two steps provides the guest two browser windows, one with your marketing site and one for the IRM, without the "back and forward" buttons.  If the guest closes the IRM, your marketing site is still on the screen.  This allows the guest to easily go back and forth between the marketing site and the IRM.

The following link starts RDP's demonstration IRM in a new window AND removes the back/forward buttons in the browser and should be used as a model by your website designers for all links to the IRM:

Sample Link from Marketing site to IRM with a new browser without back & Forward buttons:   Make a new Reservation in RDP's IRM Demonstration System" 

Please also review Linking Options from Your Marketing Website to the IRM.

IRM Troubleshooting Links