Setting Inactivity Timeout Intervals

This section explains how to set up PeopleTools security to help satisfy the following WCAG 2.0 standard:

2.2.1 - Timing Adjustable: For each time limit that is set by the content, at least one of the following is true: Turn off, Adjust, Extend, Real-time Exception, Essential Exception, or 20 Hour Exception.

PeopleTools security enables you to specify the timeout intervals for users who are signed in to the PeopleSoft system. A timeout interval specifies how long the user’s machine can remain idle—no keystrokes, no SQL—before the PeopleSoft system automatically signs the user out of the application. You assign the timeout intervals to permission lists using PeopleTools Security. The default value is to never time out.

If you do set a timeout interval, users who approach the timeout interval receive a message that enables them to extend the timeout interval or allow the timeout to occur.

To change the timeout interval:

  1. Select PeopleTools > Security > Permissions & Roles > Permission Lists.

    Select the General tab.

  2. Select one of the following timeout options:

    Field or Control

    Definition

    Never Time-out

    Select this option to eliminate a timeout interval. This value is the default.

    Specific Time-out (minutes)

    Select this option to assign a timeout interval and enter the appropriate value in minutes. The value:

    • Must be a positive integer.

    • Cannot contain edit characters, such as commas or a $.

    • Must be a SMALLINT in the valid range allowed for this field (0–32767).

    Entering a value of zero is equivalent to selecting Never Time-Out.

    Note: If you generally provide users with shorter timeout intervals, such as 20 minutes, you might want to create a special accessibility permission list with a longer timeout interval, such as 60 minutes.

    Note: Because timeout intervals are also controlled at the web server level, you need to change the web server timeout values.

Important! Other timeout intervals that are unrelated to security are controlled by your web server and by PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture components.