Managing data to provide a cloud-based service for a plurality of work sessions, including: receiving a request to create a work session that is represented by a collection of tables; creating a work session table stored on a session server; receiving a request to add a user to the work session; storing user data related to the work session for the user in a record in the user table of the work session table; receiving a request to add an application to the work session; storing application data for the application related to the work session in a record in the application table of the work session table; and creating a session log which preserves information indicating an activity related to the work session including adding, accessing, changing, removing a file, person, application, or resource. Key words include work session and data access.