Users log out very quickly

Question

I am using ASP.NET identity membership. This is the Startup.Auth.cs code:

 app.CreatePerOwinContext(EFDbContext.Create);
        app.CreatePerOwinContext<ApplicationUserManager>(ApplicationUserManager.Create);
        app.CreatePerOwinContext<ApplicationSignInManager>(ApplicationSignInManager.Create);

        // Enable the application to use a cookie to store information for the signed in user
        // and to use a cookie to temporarily store information about a user logging in with a third party login provider
        // Configure the sign in cookie
        app.UseCookieAuthentication(new CookieAuthenticationOptions
        {
            AuthenticationType = DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie,
            LoginPath = new PathString("/Account/Login"),  
            ExpireTimeSpan = TimeSpan.FromHours(3),
            CookieName = "MyLoginCookie",

            Provider = new CookieAuthenticationProvider
            {
                // Enables the application to validate the security stamp when the user logs in.
                // This is a security feature which is used when you change a password or add an external login to your account.  
                OnValidateIdentity = SecurityStampValidator.OnValidateIdentity<ApplicationUserManager, User>(
                    validateInterval: TimeSpan.FromMinutes(30),
                    regenerateIdentity: (manager, user) => user.GenerateUserIdentityAsync(manager))

            }
        });

As you can see I've set expiretimespan to 3 hours, but on the production server it doesn't work; it expires in about ten minutes. When I inspect elements MyLoginCookie still exists. On localhost it works fine. Why does it have problems on the production server? Do I need to set CookieDomain?

Answer 1

The reason for users logging off is because of error in validation of forms-authentication data and view-state data. It could happen for different reasons including using web farm in hosting services.You should check <machineKey> in your project webconfig. Check here for details about that. If you don't have<machineKey>in your webconfig, try adding this piece of code after <system.web> in your webconfig:

    <machineKey 
    validationKey="AutoGenerate,IsolateApps"
    decryptionKey="AutoGenerate,IsolateApps"
    validation="HMACSHA256"
    decryption="Auto"
    />

The other option is using generated ASP.NET Machine Key inside webconfig. There are some online tools which my recommended ones are this and this.