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Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.10.22

What do AuthnInstant and SessionIndex in the authentication statement record, and what is the SessionIndex later used for?

AuthnInstant is the moment the user actually authenticated at the IdP; SessionIndex identifies the IdP session the assertion belongs to, so that a later Single Logout can name exactly which session to end.

The authentication statement deliberately separates three times: the assertion's IssueInstant (when it was written), the AuthnInstant (when the user last proved their identity, here 09:23:50) and the validity window in Conditions. With SSO these can differ a lot: a user who logged in at 08:00 may get a fresh assertion for a new SP at 11:00 with AuthnInstant still 08:00. An SP that demands a recent login can compare AuthnInstant with the current time, or ask for re-authentication with ForceAuthn.

The SessionIndex (here 234122) is the link between SSO and logout: when the session ends, the IdP's <LogoutRequest> to each SP quotes this index, so the SP knows which local session to terminate.

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From Quiz: IAM / SAML 2.0: Assertions, Bindings and Web Browser SSO | Updated: Oct 22, 2026