Difference between EXEC timeout, SESSION timeout and SSH time-out in CISCO

"Kindly explain the significance of mode under #sh ssh under router."

When you use SSH V2 there is a unique encryption key used for "client to server" traffic and for "server to client" traffic.  So Cisco uses "IN" and "OUT".  So if you are SSH'ing from your computer to the Cisco device, "IN" is the traffic originating from your computer going to the Cisco device.   The "OUT" is the traffic going from your Cisco device to your computer.  SSH V1 uses the same key in both directions, so if you use SSH V1 it will only show one session.


EXEC vs. Session timeouts:

The way I understand it "EXEC" time out is how long a ENABLE session will sit without any input from the user before it drops you out of ENABLE mode.  

SESSION timeout is how long your TCP connection for SSH/TELNET will stay active before the Cisco device will disconnect the TCP connection.

Hi There,

Thanks for your input.
Kindly confirm the need for SSH time out and session timeout  if I have exec time out configured that ensures that the console session times out if there in no activity/input from the user.

When you say "ssh timeout", if you are talk about "ip ssh timeout xx" that is how much time the router  will wait for you to enter a valid user-id/password before it times out the connection.

So basically "ip ssh timeout xx" is a login timeout.

Hi Glitjr,

To summarize

i)
ssh timeout i.e ip ssh time-out x : wait for x amount of time once the session is obtained for use to entire the valid user name and password before kicking him out.

ii)
exec timeout: Wait for x amount of idle time before timing out the user.
'
iii)
session timeout: ???? Exact need for the same if I have both the above configured.

Tx a lot.