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How to: Instrument a Stand-Alone .NET Framework Component and Collect Timing Data with the Profiler from the Command Line

This topic describes how to use Visual Studio Team System Developer Edition Profiling Tools command-line tools to instrument a .NET Framework component such as a .exe or .dll file, and to collect detailed timing data.

To collect detailed timing data from a .NET Framework component by using the instrumentation method, you use the VSInstr.exe tool to generate an instrumented version of the component and the VSPerfCLREnv.cmd tool to initialize profiling environment variables. You then start the profiler.

When the instrumented component is executed, timing data is automatically collected to a data file. You can pause and resume data collection during the profiling session.

To end a profiling session, you close the target application and explicitly shut down the profiler. In most cases, we recommend clearing the profiling environment variables at the end of a session.

Starting the Profiling Session

To start profiling by using the instrumentation method

  1. Open a command prompt window. If necessary, add the profiler tools directory to your PATH environment variable. The path is not added at installation.

    32 bit computers

    On 32 bit computers, the default profiler tools directory is

    \Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Team Tools\Performance Tools.

    64 bit computers

    On 64 bit computers, specify the path according to the target platform of the application to be profiled.

    To profile 32 bit applications, the default profiler tools directory is

    \Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Team Tools\Performance Tools

    To profile 64 bit applications, the default profiler tools directory is

    \Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Team Tools\Performance Tools\x64

    For example, to add the profiler directory to PATH on a 32 bit computer, type

    set path=%path%;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Team Tools\Performance Tools

  2. Use the VSInstr tool to generate an instrumented version of the target application.

  3. Initialize the .NET Framework profiling environment variables. Type:

    VSPerfClrEnv /traceon

  4. Start the profiler. Type:

    **VSPerfCmd /start:trace /output:**OutputFile[Options]

    • The /start:trace option initializes the profiler.

    • The /output**:**OutputFile option is required with /start. OutputFile specifies the name and location of the profiling data (.vsp) file.

    You can use any one of the following options with the /start:trace option.

    • /user:[Domain**\**]UserName
      Specifies the domain and user name of the account that owns the profiled process. This option is required only if the process is running as a user other than the logged on user. The process owner is listed in the User Name column on the Processes tab of Windows Task Manager.

    • /crosssession
      Enables profiling of processes in other sessions. This option is required if the ASP.NET application is running in a different session. The session id is listed in the Session ID column on the the Processes tab of Windows Task Manager. /CS can be specified as an abbreviation for /crosssession.

    • /globaloff
      Starts the profiler with data collection paused. Use /globalon to resume profiling.

    • /counter**:**Config
      Collects information from the processor performance counter specified in Config. Counter information is added to the data collected at each profiling event.

    • /wincounter**:**WinCounterPath
      Specifies a Windows performance counter to be collected during profiling.

    • /automark**:**Interval
      Use with /wincounter only. Specifies the number of milliseconds between Windows performance counter collection events. Default is 500 ms.

    • /events**:**Config
      Specifies an Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) event to be collected during profiling. ETW events are collected in a separate (.etl) file.

  5. Start the target application from the command prompt window.

Controlling Data Collection

While the target application is running, you can control data collection by starting and stopping the writing of data to the profiler data file by using VSPerfCmd.exe options. Controlling data collection enables you to collect data for a specific part of program execution, such as starting or shutting down the application.

To start and stop data collection

  • The following pairs of options start and stop data collection. Specify each option on a separate command line. You can turn data collection on and off multiple times.

    • /globalon /globaloff
      Starts (/globalon) or stops (/globaloff) data collection for all processes.

    • /processon:PIDprocessoff:PID
      Starts (
      /processon
      ) or stops (/processoff) data collection for the process specified by the process ID (PID).

    • /threadon:TID/threadoff:TID
      Starts (
      /threadon
      ) or stops (/threadoff) data collection for the thread specified by the thread ID (TID).

  • You can also use the VSPerfCmd.exe/mark option to insert a profiling mark into the data file. The /mark command adds an identifier, a timestamp, and an optional user-defined text string. Marks can be used to filter the data in profiler reports and data views.

Ending the Profiling Session

To end a profiling session, close the application that is running the instrumented component. Call the VSPerfCmd /shutdown option to turn the profiler off and close the profiling data file. The VSPerfClrEnv /off command clears the profiling environment variables.

To end a profiling session

  1. Close the target application.

  2. Shut down the profiler. Type:

    VSPerfCmd /shutdown

  3. (Optional) Clear the profiling environment variables. Type:

    VSPerfClrEnv /off

See Also

Other Resources

Command-Line Profiling of Stand-Alone Applications

Profiler Instrumentation Method Data Views