Distributed functionality …

SpeedTrace Pro 3.4.8 adds a special new feature to test automation and remote tracing: Previously, you had to start several SpeedTrace clients or instances, one for each machine you wanted to trace remotely. Now, you can activate    s e v e r a l   projects from within    o n e  and the  s a m e  UI to do so. This not only enables Remote but full-fledged Distributed Tracing. So you can not only trace and profile processes on any number of target machines belonging to customers or clients anywhere on the globe, but you can now do this simultaneously within one single user interface (UI).

… enables easier management …

For example, Machine A communicates with mit Machine B which communicates with Machine B … etc. Now, with distributed functionality, the SpeedTrace Client can record all three machines within one and the same UI at the same time. Whether you trace all 3 clients of a single customer or you trace 3 customers with their clients simultaneously from one UI, makes no difference.

… and a more structured analysis of distributed systems

Accordingly, an interface has been designed which provides a single point of reference to deal with logs and traces produced by various components of a distributed system. By recording and correlating the events throughout a distributed system of customer application, and thus being able to address the interactive relationships of its system components, SpeedTrace Pro prepares the ground for even more systematic and profound analyses of distributed application problems.

Download and request a trial license of the the new SpeedTrace (CTP) Version 3.4.8 Build from here:

http://www.ipcas.com/trace-and-profile/download.html#pro_ctp

Two separate setup installations

To enable the free distribution of recorders (trace agents) and independent tracing for advanced test automation, the program has been divided into two separate setups that run independently from one another.

The installation consists of 2 setups and 1 sample program
1st setup:       Just the recorder
2nd setup:      Recorder + SpeedTrace client

Both setups can be dowloaded directly from here:

http://dotnet-profiler.com/get-net-profiler-and-tracer-now/#pro_ctp

Test automation interface …

SpeedTrace Pro First Preview 3.4 Upgrade thus adds the following new features:

1. TraceAgentService (1st setup) runs independently without SpeedTrace license. So you now have a setup without the graphic configuration and analyzing component.

2. You now also have a test automation interface (2nd setup)!
a) Via Library (Tracing API)
- Recording API
- Analysis API
b) Via Command Line Interface (command files control the recorder)

… enables regular sanity check monitoring

This is only the first part of the features Version 3.4 will eventually have. But the features should come in useful to perform the sanity checks you might want to carry out regularly on your own or your clients’ apps:

(A) Command Line Interface

• The command line interface tool ipcas.SpeedTrace.SpeedTraceTool.exe is located in the folder <SpeedTraceAppDir>\etc.
• A sample command line file  (TestJob.txt) is located in the folder <SpeedTraceAppDir>\Samples\Testautomation\viaCLI

(B) Tracing API (Recording & Analysis)

• sample AutomationRecorderTester.csproj can be found in the folder <SpeedTraceAppDir>\Samples\viaAPI\AutomationRecorderTester

We welcome your evaluation feedback …

Since these features are still in the initial stages of testing, we would warmly welcome any suggestions you may have and ask you to report any difficulties the moment they crop up so that we can set things right as soon as possible. Should you have any questions, comments, or wishes, please do not hesitate to contact us at holger.heinrich@ipcas.de or bruce.roberts@ipcas.de

… and offer our fullest support

Of course, you will on request receive our ample support for best practices to profile and trace your app to your best advantage. We’d also be delighted to be able to demonstrate the full scope of SpeedTrace Pro to you and your colleagues and answer any further questions you may have in a cost-free Webinar.

You may also download the SpeedTrace Pro pre-release Version 3.4 from our SpeedTrace download section.

New major cutting-edge features

New features of the 3.4 Version (CTP to be released next week) include:

• Test automation interface
• Remote machine tracing
• Performance counters, e.g. CPU usage, I/O, Memory linked to the SpeedTrace outputs

So far the test automation interface and remote tracing have been implemented.

The test automation environment …

By separating the trace and analysis (profiling) components even further, you are now able to treat an almost unlimited array of clients (projects, applications, components, etc.) simultaneously in a distributed parallel fashion within your own test environment. All you have to do now is have each client download a “Redistributable Recorder Package” free of charge to install an independent (“distributed”) trace agent that traces the respective applications and records the entire operation process automatically similar to the “black box” in the field of aviation.

… and remote tracing capabilities …

Supported by this new test environment and remote tracing potential  (also for distributed apps) added to the SpeedTrace Pro software, you now have – at the server end – direct remote access to all your clients’ trace scenarios. Remote tracing of distributed apps is also enabled. At regular intervals or in emergency situations you can from there immediately view and interpret these trace recordings with our licensed software, perform the respective performance analyses, and evaluate for quick remedial action and expedient quality improvements.

… help you integrate QA into your development cycle!

Test automation and remote tracing is geared to streamline the organization of your performance analysis, testing routine, and problem-solving to the high level of systematic monitoring and quality control. It thereby thoroughly integrates QA into your development lifecycle management.

More specifics and the respective links for download will be submitted in our next entry in a couple of days …

In contrast to other profilers, SpeedTrace Pro takes a
two-pronged approach separating the highly specialized
tasks of both tracer and profiler.

SpeedTrace Pro: Ultra fast trace engine and accuracy Profiler

Minimum overhead!
The tracer traces all and only time stamps of function calls / return values and records them to data carrier for later reference.

Traceability right down to the root!
The profiler runs performance analysis, displays all performance issues (bugs, deadlocks, hotspots, etc.) by linking them to individual time stamps of function calls / return values in trace result.

More about SpeedTrace >>
Download Now (free evaluation) >>

.Net Profiler news – 2009 summer events

Summer is the time of events – also for SpeedTrace Pro:

1. SpeedTrace has been endowed with new amazing functionality!

2. As of the release we have revised our evaluation procedure.

SpeedTrace Pro 3.3 Final Release

We are proud to present the new SpeedTrace Pro 3.3 version featuring a whole new range of added functionality:

• New kernel features: New blackbox filter, multiple processes – one click, integrated 64-and 32-bit trace … and more …
• New user interface features: Visual Studio integration, new Trace Session Manager, Save Progress option, improved source linkage, … and more …
• New TraceAnalyzer features: Compare option, hotspot filtering, net time display, improved drill-down functionality, call contribution, filter optimization, … and more …

A more detailed entry on the new SpeedTrace functionality is to follow up soon!

New evaluation procedure

We have also revised our evaluation procedure to improve communication between evaluators and our support team, so that we get sufficient feedback and you get adequate support.  Since the new SpeedTrace 3.3 version has been released, no more CTP and RC versions are available for automatic download for some time to come.

And here comes the good news: We are happy to announce that you can still acquire a cost-free test license for a given trial period on request. All you have to do is click the link below:

Request Test License now!

and go through two very simple steps:

1. To get the software, click Download and complete and submit the Dowload application form in the Download section of our website (as usual).

2. To get a test license, simply install SpeedTRace Pro, click “Get evaluation license”, then correctly complete and submit License request form.

Upon validating your data, we will forward a new fully-fledged SpeedTrace 3.3 version to you for testing as fast as we can.

Enjoy the incredible mileage you get with SpeedTRace Pro!

Request Test License now!

More than just a tool!

As mentioned earlier SpeedTrace Pro is more than the customary software profiling tool, which also places higher demands on user expertise. It is a whole toolkit of versatile modular functionality. It stands for an interactive evaluative process using the whole range of functions and filters to delve layer by layer through the depths of your problematic code.

SpeedTrace provides you with a powerful concept!

Above all SpeedTrace Pro provides a concept with the aim to lay bare and transparent poorly or imperfectly designed software components and thereby empower and systematically guide the developer, tester, or administrator towards the right kinds of solutions.

Getting started

When you start profiling your application with SpeedTrace Pro, for example in a trial period, we recommend you in any case to make use of our extensive support. The advantage for you is to get expedient online help in the case of issues or problems encountered while evaluating, and for us to get sufficient feedback how we can best help you to suit your requirements.

To familiarize yourself …

Depending on the environment and the size, complexity or special nature of your application, you might at some point run into hurdles in the process of getting acquainted with SpeedTrace Pro. Usually, these can be overcome with a few changes to the default settings or by applying filters in the right places …

… we offer cost-free webinars!

For this purpose we have arranged to conduct cost-free user-specific webinars (online tutorials) for you and your staff

• to get you started (introductory sessions)

• to work on a special problem you might have (supervised sessions over the phone while you’re working with SpeedTrace Pro)

• and/or to familiarize you with the wide range of SpeedTrace’s most salient features (online sessions with examples highlighting specific features).

For more advanced forms of support to develop your profiling skills or, for example, to help you supervise your profiling processes, we also offer SpeedTRace Pro Workshops and Consulting.

Apply for a cost-free webinar now!

Common trace problems in virtual environments

In the wake of our consulting activities we encountered a minor hurdle while running SpeedTrace in a large-application virtual machine environment. Since some of our customers also came across similar problems I thought it might be useful to let you in on the discourse.

Unexpectedly high overhead behavior …

While running SpeedTrace in such an environment we were suddenly confronted with an unusual overhead of 4-6 times the application’s normal speed – quite atypical of SpeedTrace’s reliably unintrusive behavior. It was as if there was some kind of echoing or reverberating effect that was interfering with the tracing procedure.

… is often caused by the VMware

Our developers found the VMware architecture to be at the root of the problem. VMware happens to be the software commonly used in virtual machine environments. Besides, it looks like we are going to have to cope with VMware overhead for some time to come … In any case, the VM overhead would invariably occur with any other profiler even as good as SpeedTRace which has been repeatedly acclaimed for its unusual unintrusiveness, accuracy and speed.

SpeedTrace solution to VM yields excellent results!

We are happy to announce, however, that our SpeedTrace development team has devised a rather simple and elegant solution to the problem. We tried it out and it works perfectly down to the usual couple of nanoseconds SpeedTrace normally generates in terms of its extremely low overhead rates.

SpeedTrace provides 100% accurate
readouts with zero overhead!

In fact, with SpeedTrace you can even objectively calculate and thus eliminate the already minute overhead delays to yield maximum accuracy! The new 3.3.34 version about to go online (but can be sent immediately on request) even takes a step further to show these net results automatically.

Don’t forget to use blackboxing, triggers and filters!

SpeedTrace’s overwhelming accuracy, however, should not distract your attention from the variety of time- and resource-saving blackboxing, trigger, and filtering functions that Speedtrace offers to speed up your whole trace and profiling process. To profile efficiently, third-party software components, for example, can and should be isolated through blackboxing even before you make your first trace. SpeedTrace is not only incredibly accurate, it is also stunningly fast!

For best results with virtual machines please consult our SpeedTrace support team.

SpeedTrace exhibited again

We are exhibiting SpeedTrace again at the OOP 2009 in Munich from January 27 to 29! Come and visit us in Hall 4, Stand 4.4. Since last year’s OOP software trade fair SpeedTrace has been enhanced with many new features and shaped to yet further perfection (see previous blog entries). We are also seizing the occasion to present our Software Performance Consulting concept in connection with SpeedTrace.

OOP 2009 soft skill focus

The OOP software trade fair has always had a knack for combining software technology with the often underestimated managerial skills required to implement software-based solutions. Since the importance of these social aspects including improved communication skills, trust building, team motivation, etc. has been gaining increasing attention in recent years, the OOP has adopted "soft skills" as its main thematic focus for 2009.

IT performance consulting with SpeedTrace

Within this context SpeedTrace is going to be introduced in the new light of its general concept of IT performance consulting. In previous entries I have tried to point out that SpeedTrace is much more than just a tool. Due to its highly modular structure (complex filtering system, scaled viewing, multiple functionality, etc.) it is more like a highly sophisticated toolkit that calls for a more experienced interactive approach to problem solving based on the principle of elimination.

SpeedTrace consulting experience

We have also had a lot of good experience doing consulting for major companies over the last couple of years. Large-scale projects involving whole departments or even whole companies often require a lot of support with a highly systematic consulting approach. Accordingly, a variety of measures including introductory seminars, guided and systematized diagnostic sessions, and supervised development of rigorous and consistent measurement methodologies have to be orchestrated and fine-tuned to meet the individual requirements and purposes of the organizations concerned.

The Transparence Empowers Principle (TEP)

In the light of this new dimension, our SpeedTrace team is launching its consulting concept under our newly created precept:

As shown in our last entry " …Get to the root" SpeedTrace’s unique nonintrusive architecture is best apt to deliver the valid facts of a problem enabling you to penetrate deep down into your code to expose the root causes of a problem and render them clear and transparent. In doing so it empowers software developers by providing them with the linchpin for creating effective solutions.

TEP-based marketing and consulting

Analogously, our marketing approach of offering CTP versions to potential customers to try out and apply SpeedTrace is also open and transparent and geared to encourage users to solve their problems on their own with a little support and guidance.

Our consulting approach is also aimed in a joint effort to render an organization’s software absolutely transparent and susceptible to effective diagnostics as quickly as possible in order to empower companies to self-reliantly develop their own long-lasting expedient solutions.

Crucial precautions

When purchasing a software profiler/tracer you’ll be well advised to test the various tools on the market with the utmost care. This applies especially when the software you are developing is going to be used in sensitive areas where there is a lot at stake or where reliable software can even be a matter of life or death.

Misleading methodologies

A lot of conventional profilers tend to poke around the symptoms instead of drilling down to the root cause of a problem. Or worse, they might let you drill down in the wrong places just giving you the impression that you’re getting there when you’re actually not. Besides, they tend to intrude upon the application in the act of evaluation to the point of distortion. All this is liable to yield misleading results, lead your diagnostics astray, and induce the wrong kinds of treatment – perhaps the cure that kills the patient.

First get the facts!

To prevent distortion by intrusion (overhead) SpeedTrace takes a more systematic approach. Akin to a doctor’s anamnesis, SpeedTrace initiates its diagnosis by first recording without evaluating the overall picture, thus presenting you with an overview of the software product’s general "constitution". By thus gaining a bird’s eye view of the matter you are able to transparently map out all the problem areas of a version for the subsequent tracing analysis.

Intuitiveness vs. reliability

It is often said that other profilers may be more "intuitive", but that does not in the least make them just as sound and objective. Life is often not as simple as we’d like it to be, and complex situations usually require more intricate procedures and greater routine. In my view, this applies particularly to profiling and tracing software issues.

More than just a tool!

SpeedTrace’s more sophisticated architecture offers the user maximum flexibility, reliability and accuracy:

• SpeadTrace’s holistic diagnostics procedure provides you with a clear, pre-evaluative "roadmap" for your analysis!
• SpeadTrace’s thoroughly systematic methodology (modular filtering system, blackboxing function, scalable viewing, versatile aggregations, etc.) helps you to optimize your search and in effect drill down deep into the problematic lines of your code!
• SpeadTrace’s guaranteed nonintrusiveness (due to minimized overhead) obviates a major source of misleading information and distortion of the facts. SpeedTrace’s architecture even allows you to read out results without overhead!

Your choice can make a difference!

It can really make a difference whether you prioritize intuitive quick fixes and hazard the consequences or opt for a really reliable and accurate tool that has its complexities and requires some initial familiarizing. We therefore encourage our customers to benefit from our extensive support system and individual consulting to get started.

In conclusion, wherever safety and security is at stake and absolute reliability is required, SpeedTrace is most probably your best choice.

SpeedTrace Pro 3.3 is about to replace Version 3.2.
The final version is already on its way and will be released very soon. Since yesterday, the first release candidate (RC1) is available.

SpeedTrace Pro 3.3 RC1

SpeedTrace Pro 3.3, the fast profiler and tracer for .NET applications, comes with many new enhancements:

Here is a brief list of important new features:

Greater parallelism:
You get minimized profiler overheads, especially when working with multi-threaded server applications.

Increased accuracy:
When applying the blackbox filters, the overhead is now taken into account, so that you get even more accurate measured time results.

Enhanced usability: It has now been made even easier to operate self-optimized recording filter settings.

Get a cost-free foretaste of the SpeedTrace Pro 3.3 Final Version. Test the current 3.3.29 RC1 Version! Download this version and try it out until the end of the year – your Christmas bonus!