Refinitiv Data Library for Python

About the Session Layer

This part of the documentation covers the session layer of the library.

Accessing the Refinitiv Data Platform to retrieve content requires your application to authenticate and manage connection semantics to keep the user session live. Refinitiv Data Libraries provide this managed access through an interface called a session. The session is the interface to the data platform and is responsible for defining authentication details, managing connection resources, and implementing the necessary protocol to communicate with the data platform. Depending on the access point your application uses to connect to the platform, it can choose from one of the session implementations to initiate the connection. For the creation phase, all session implementations expose the same API and behave in the same way.

Once the session is created and opened, the application can use it in conjunction with objects of the other layers (access layer, content layer or delivery layer) to get access to the breadth and depth of content and services available on the Refinitiv Data Platform.

Depending on the access point your application uses to connect to Refinitiv Data Platform, you can create and open one of the following session types:

• DesktopSession. This type of session is used to connect to the Refinitiv Data Platform through Refinitiv Eikon or Refinitiv Workspace. It requires Refinitiv Eikon or Refinitiv Workspace to be running alongside your application. This type of session does not work with Refinitiv Eikon Web or Refinitiv Workspace for Web.
• PlatformSession. This type of session is used to connect directly to the Refinitiv Data Platform or through a Real-Time Distribution System. If you would like to connect directly to RDP, you require a Refinitiv Data account (either a user account or a machine account). In both instances, you need to provide Refinitiv data credentials to create the session. If you would like to work through a Real-Time Distribution System, you need the IP of the local platform and a username (in other words, a DACS user name).

Platform session types require an app key that uniquely identifies your application. See tutorials of the Refinitiv Developer Community to learn how to create an app key for your application. With desktop session types, the app key is optional.