New in Version 4.0.32:

Enhancements:

• supports ReSharper 6.1 integration
• improved trace session manager

Bug fixes:

• fix: improved profiler overhead calculation
• fix: thread assignment

Try the .NET Tracer and Profiler SpeedTrace Pro 4.0.32 today (available as 32-bit and 64-bit version).

Request a 10-day free trial license >>

If you need software test automation, you need SpeedTrace Pro!

This year has been quite a busy one extending the scope of SpeedTrace Pro and preparing the ground for our new website to go public hopefully before the turn of the year.

SpeedTrace Pro 4.0 – highlight of the year!

We would like to pre-announce the final release of SpeedTrace Pro’s new Version 4.0 at the turn of the year. Request your trial license here: http://www.ipcas.com/trace-and-profile/download.html

Amplified tracing scope now includes unmanaged code!

One of SpeedTrace Pro’s Version 4.0 key features this year is a new tracing method especially designed to embrace non-dotNET code. This newly added piece of cutting-edge functionality enables you to trace also non-dotNET platforms such as VBA, JavaScript, unmanaged C++, etc. all in one go. The advantage of this is precious, since a lot of .Net applications consist of mixed code nowadays.

Layer Breakdown – the ideal management reporting tool

The new dashboard ‘Layer Breakdown’ now provides you with a quick bird’s eye overview of the application’s overall time consumption layer by layer, so you can see at one glance where the most time was consumed. It is the ideal management reporting and contolling tool to help testers, consultants, architects and managers to scan the critical areas and to check what still needs to be done …. Besides, the layers can be customized, so that you are able to view your trace output from all kinds of different perspectives.

Powerful new features and extended functionality

• CPU time tracking (tracing, sampling) offers quick CPU usage checks enabling you to zoom from summary views down to specific time frames and even functions within the same scenario
• Splitting and merging multiple TraceFiles allows you to customize your  tracing activity (ideal when working in team and task force constellations on large apps)

Enhancements on all levels

• Easier navigation / IIS tracing with a whole set of new browsers (project, application, website) all adding up to a fabulously comfortable UI feeling
• Even faster tracing due to structural improvements and enhancements to code and implementation

Outlook for 2012

We are already in our starting blocks to tackle next year’s challenges to add further leading-edge functionality and possibly widen our portfolio.

Seasonal greetings

The SpeedTrace Pro Team would like to thank you all for your appreciation, support and valuable feedback.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Your SpeedTrace Pro Team

Version 4.0.23 brings enhancements and some bugfixes.

These are the changes since version 4.0.19:

Enhancements

• Improved stop trace performance
• Using rtf style for call history
• Improved performance for workspace export
• Added warning in case of missing permissions for certain typed
• Callhistory – changed DrillDownTrace. OpenScope – clipped timerange of the shadow stack parents to the selected time range
• Callhistory – added drop down list to select trace session file
• Richformat-Text for trace find results & bookmarks
• Optimized simplify filters performance
• Trace Analyzer UI: Improved User Experience

Fixed Bugs

• fix Activate/Deactivate button dimming
• fix: Multiple Call History – corrected chart legend
• fix: trace engine cyclic trigger when focus on start trigger thread is activated
• fix: improved workspace handling for path too long exceptions
• fix: CallHistory View – keeps selected Time range in case of resize events
• fix: Trace agent engine/trace processing – trigger corrections (stop parent, cyclic)
• fix: Client dashboard – copy & paste shortcuts

Try SpeedTrace Pro now 10-day free trial

SpeedTrace Pro is not just a one night affair. It is really worth getting involved in a long-lasting relationship with all its responsibilities and refreshing surprises. To show this we have created a more elaborate web scenario (below) to demonstrate how SpeedTrace masters the complexities of web-based applications with great ease and elegance.

We are going to examine the client server communication in a WCF RIA Services scenario where the web server is IIS 7 running ASP.Net 4 and the client is Firefox running Silverlight 4.

Trace project setup

In order to analyze the communication between client and server, we need to trace the Silverlight client and the IIS server at the same time. So let’s first create the necessary trace project: We will choose a slightly modified version of an IIS project because we want to trace both the IIS server and the Firefox plugin container. Since we want to perform local tracing, we simply keep the local host as target computer (#1). After having specified the target website (#2) which is going to be traced we add the Firefox plugin container to the w3wp (#3) worker process as another application to be traced and inform SpeedTrace to trace exactly two processes (#4). If we have multiple w3wps running, we can filter the application pool or also trace multiple instances. Finally, we uncheck start recording immediately, because we do not want to trace the application startup.

Trace project activation

After having activated the trace project, the default browser will open the specified website, so that the IIS webserver and the Silverlight application get activated and the SpeedTrace trace agent will attach to the processes.

The trace session manager will display information about the active trace sessions (CPU usage, target process name, target computer, trace state etc.) and can also be used to control the trace state.

Trace scenario

The Silverlight client displays data from the Northwind Database which is hosted by the MS SQL Server:

Our trace scenario is to perform paging within the data grid. Whenever we reach the last page, we re-assort the data and page again until we have executed 32 paging operations. Tracing will be started shortly before the first and stopped after the last paging operation.

Trace Results

As soon as we stop the trace, we will receive the trace output files for the affected trace sessions. In our case, one trace file for the IIS server, and one for the Silverlight client.

Trace Analysis

Now, here comes the interesting part – the trace analysis. Using SpeedTrace it is easy to find the reason for performance bottlenecks, but what about analyzing communication times between two processes?

Let’s first merge the two trace files into one analysis session:

Get the Big Picture – Layer Breakdown over time

The layer breakdown, the bird’s eye view, would look like this for the Silverlight client
(showing high presentation layer consumption):

And like this for the IIS server (showing high DAL consumption):

CPU usage – Timeline

Finally, before we get started with the actual analysis, let’s have a quick look at the CPU time usage of both processes.

For the IIS server:

For the Silverlight client:

Communication Analysis

Let’s first talk about the involved APIs:

Having analyzed the client and server trace, you will see that …

… the Silverlight client …

1) … starts service requests via ServiceChannelProxy.InvokeBeginService()
2) … receives the response via HttpChannelFactory.OnGetResponse()
3) … and ends it via ServiceChannelProxy.InvokeEndService()

… the IIS server will receive and dispatch the request within ChannelHandler.HandleRequest().

So let’s have a look at the timeline regarding the mentioned APIs: We do this by using Call History …

When you look at the times, you will notice that

#1 The request is sent to the server in just 3 ms …
#2 After a server processing time of about 22 ms …
#3.1 … the client is notified in just 3 ms about the response …
#3.2 It takes another 5 ms to get the response … and
#4 … another 16 ms (!) to finalize the query

Why is that (#3.2, #4), why do we lose around 20 ms?

Let’s drill down and open the trace for #3.2

Apparently the time was wasted for thread synchronization. Fine, then let’s analyze #5:

Another deferred call? This time we have lost 16 ms, so 21 ms in total because of deferred calls.

Performance summary:

Conclusion

SpeedTrace Pro is a powerful tool – much more than a simple profiler, it helps you to investigate complicated issues, find their root causes, and design the right solutions. This, of course, could not have been done without the sophisticated functionality it provides.

Due to its power and reliability, SpeedTrace Pro is no tool for just for one night. If you are interested in a long-term relationship being proactively responsible for your Continuous Application Performance Management, please feel free to just fall in love with it.

New in Version 4.0.19:

Enhancements: Enhanced Caller Callee drilldowns to callstacks Find Results use RTF format

Bug fixes:

• fix: Caller Callee take filters into account
• fix: corrected font style problems for clustered information

Try the .NET Tracer and Profiler SpeedTrace Pro 4.0.19 RC today (available as 32bit and 64bit version).

Request a 10-day free trial license >>

If you need more detailed and accurate results, you need SpeedTrace Pro!

Layer Breakdown - Timeline (since 4.0.17)

Since the last version, some bug-fixes and enhancements have been performed:

Enhancements:

• Reduced memory usage for the comm. between client and trace agent
• Improved save performance in case of many projects

Bug fixes:

• bug fix: cyclic trigger, shadow callstacks sporadically incorrect
• bug fix: thread merge/ 4.0.17 trace processing memory optimization resulted in unique threads not to be merged

Try SpeedTrace Pro 10-day free trial

New Enhancements:

• Caller Callee drilldown performance optimized
• Layout settings optimized
• Callhistory charting using average values
• Added module filter for layer definitions
• Optimized Memory Usage
• Improved layer definition rules
• Improved layer break down data presentation
• Improved progress handling

Fixed Bugs:

• Attach to process – corrected wrong default settings (data datatrace)
• Function View – corrected bookmark problems of loaded profiles
• IIS project settings did not be displayed properly – problem fixed
• CPU timeline view – drilldown time range corrected
• Default layout for callstack view corrected
• Load from cache -> waiting times did not get displayed – problem fixed
• Layerbreakdown correction for comparison mode
• Disabled compare to reference when reference is missing
• Corrected copy & past for rtf text

Try SpeedTrace Pro now >>

The latest release of SpeedTrace Pro 4.0.16 came out with a new enhancement which will enable users to easily distinguish namespaces and methods.

A preview of the Trace Analyzer with the feature as shown below::

It shows which layers of the application contribute to the overall performance
in order to get a fast top view on where most of the time was consumed.

The layers can be customized, so that you are able to view your trace output
from different perspectives.

New in SpeedTrace Pro 4.0.15:

New Features:

• Added TraceAnalyzer – new drilldowns

Enhancements:

• improved: Trace Analyzer / Layer Breakdown- default chart type set to barChart
• improved icons

BugFixes:

• Layer Breakdown – corrected calculation problem

Learn more about SpeedTrace Pro >>

We are constantly enhancing and expanding SpeedTrace Pro.
Now SpeedTrace Pro 4.0.14 is available for downloading or via auto update!
( Both for 32-bit and for 64-bit windows operating system. )

These are the changes since version 4.0.12:

New Features:

• Added Layer Breakdown feature

Enhancements:

• improved filters
• improved icons
• TraceAnalyzer – changed layout defaults
• removed FW 4.0 requirement

BugFixes:

• merge profiles mode/call history problems corrected
• added missing preprocessing simplify filter
• cpu usage resize problem in case of zoom
• corrected VS addin for normal windows apps
• corrected callstacks when drilling down to the trace in case of MT apps

Learn more about SpeedTrace Pro >>