Command show users versus show sessions

[dominique.rossignol]

Hi,

(sorry i'm french)

I read this

- show user --> display incoming connections to vty

- show session --> display outgoing connection from your router to another router or switch

But I wanted to test these commands (on a lab) [i cannot test these commands in the infrastructure of my company]

But in my lab (GNS3) "show session" doesnot work as it was expected (for me); so this is why i try to understand

In contrast, "show users" works as i expected

So thanks very mutch for your reply, but at this point it doesnot help me very well

Regards

Hi,

I am working for the ccna exam (and my native language is French)

Today, my goal is to test the command show users versus show sessions

To do that, I create a little lab in GNS3 with 3 routers

[see lab-telnet-ssh.jpg]

I set up R2 and R1 to accepts SSH connections

I do SSH connection from R2 to R1 and the command “show users” on R1 show this connection (OK)

[see ssh-from-R2-to-R1.jpg]

At this point, I do a SSH connection from R1 to R2

[see ssh-from-R1-to-R2.jpg]

Here is my first question:

at this point, I cannot start a command “show sessions” on R1, because the prompt is from R2. Is there a solution to have at the same time the shell of a SSH session from R1 and the shell from the console ?

So, I decided to start a SSH session from R3 to R1 to have a prompt on R1 and test the command “show sessions”

In this new session (with a prompt on R1) I test show users and show sessions

[see ssh-from-R3-to-R1.jpg]

Show users is OK but show sessions answer “No connections open” (from R1)

But there is a SSH connection open from R1 to R2

So can you help me to understand the situation ?

Regards

[Francesco Molino]

Hi

The quick answer is:

- show user --> display incoming connections to vty

- show session --> display outgoing connection from your router to another router or switch

Thanks

PS: Please don't forget to rate and mark as correct answer if this answered your question 

[Julio E. Moisa]

Hi

Totally agree, show sessions command is commonly seen on terminal server devices. 

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/dial-access/asynchronous-connections/5466-comm-server.html

:-)

[dk3874]

The problem is, Dominique's question was not answered.

He says that he went from one router to another and show user shows output, but show sessions does not (except "% No connections open"). 

I have this same problem. I have actual routers and I telnet into R1 and do a show user and I see output, show sessions shows no output (% No connections open). I then telnet from R1 to R2 and on R2 I do show users and I see output, but show sessions shows no output. I then leave these connections open and I open a new telnet session into R1 and I still see the same thing, show users has output, show sessions shows no output (except % No connections open - in every case).

If show sessions shows outbound telnet sessions from a router or switch to another router or switch, why are we not seeing any info when issuing this command?

I tested in both directions and using both ssh and telnet, but no output for show sessions.

I'm using a cisco 3550 layer 3 switch ("flash:c3550-ipservicesk9-mz.122-44.SE6.bin") and a cisco 2811 router (C2800NM-ADVENTERPRISEK9-M), Version 15.1(4)M10) 

[barfi.persian8]

I have the same problem!!! sh sessions doent work !

[bmpreyer]

I am experiencing the same problem. I wanted to test out the 'show session' and 'show user' commands to see it work properly. However, after starting a Telnet session from one switch (SW1) through the default gateway and to another switch (SW0) in a different subnet I was unable to see what I wanted to see (the output from a 'show sessions" command). On the switch that I was Telnetting to (SW0), I could execute the 'show user' command and I could see the output. I then connected a PC to the switch (SW1) that was had a current Telnet session open to the other switch (SW2) in the second subnet. From this PC I started a Telnet session to the connected switch (SW1), and executed the 'show sessions' command in attempts to see the outbound Telnet session information. However, I kept getting a 'no open connections' message. I then tried to Telnet from the default gateway into SW1, which had an open Telnet session to SW2. I was under the impression that I would be able to see the current outbound sessions by using the 'show sessions' command on the device that had an open Telnet session into another device, but I've yet to see this command work. What am I doing incorrectly?