Analyzing Process Heap Data

  • Article

Windows Performance Analyzer provides three powerful tools to assist in interpreting and analyzing process heap events.

  • Graphs are data visualization tools that present process heap data in graphic format.

  • Summary Tables provide call stack and frame data in customizable formats. Using summary tables and the "-stackwalk" options, analysts can drill down to the individual stack frame where allocation calls are made.

  • Actions are components that process traces and produce text reports. Actions are designed to produce summaries that are specific to specific set of events. These summaries can be produced in a number of formats including .txt, .csv and .xml.

In the following analysis example, the trace file generated in the Quick Start section of this document will be the basis for the analysis. If you have not yet completed the QuickStart exercise, please see Quick Start - Capturing Process Heap Information.

For general help on starting and stopping WPA trace sessions please see Starting a Trace and Stopping a Trace.

This section includes the following topics:

Process Heap Graphs
Process Heap Summary Tables
Process Heap Actions
Allocations and Data Structures