Your eFront license includes a concurrent user limit, which determines how many users can be actively logged in and using the platform at the same time.
This article explains how concurrent users are defined and counted, what happens when the limit is reached, and how the Concurrent Expansion feature works. 

What is a Concurrent User?

In eFront, a concurrent user is defined as someone who:

• Is logged into the platform, and
• Has performed at least one action (such as clicking a link, loading a page, or submitting a form) within a specific time window.

By default, this activity window is set to 2 hours. Any user who has interacted with the platform within the last 2 hours is considered active.
Administrators can adjust this time window to match their organization’s needs.

How Are Concurrent Users Counted?

eFront continuously monitors session data to determine which users are currently active.
A user is considered active if:

• They are logged in, and
• They have interacted with the platform within the configured activity window (default: 2 hours).

If a user remains inactive beyond the defined window, they are automatically excluded from the concurrent user count.

What Happens When the Limit is Reached?

When the number of active users reaches your licensed concurrent user limit:

• Additional users cannot log in.

• Learners attempting to access the platform will see the following message:

  "I'm afraid that it is not possible to sign you in right now. Please try again in a while."

Once a currently active user logs out or becomes inactive, a slot becomes available, allowing new users to log in.

Notifications and Warnings

To help administrators stay informed and avoid disruptions, eFront sends automatic notifications as usage approaches the concurrent user limit:

• At 80% of the limit
• At 90% of the limit
• At 100%, when new logins are blocked

These alerts help administrators monitor usage and take proactive steps if needed.

Temporary Overages with Concurrent Expansion

For temporary spikes in demand, eFront offers a Concurrent Expansion feature that allows your system to temporarily exceed the licensed concurrent user limit.

When Concurrent Expansion is triggered:

• The system permits more active users than your current license allows.
• A temporary higher limit is recorded.
• Administrators and account managers are notified.
• An email is automatically sent to the eFront Sales team to log the event.

This temporary limit usually remains in place for 1 month, after which the system automatically reverts to your original licensed limit.

Branch-Specific Concurrency

If your platform uses branches, you can define concurrent user limits per branch, as described here.

Users in each branch are subject to both:

• The branch-specific limit, and
• The global concurrent user limit.

The system applies the lower of the two limits when determining access availability.