Cross-Platform Diagnostic Tools for .NET Applications
Tags: aspnet, csharp, monitoring
Published: 2024-02-05 12:24:23

**Introduction**
In the dynamic world of software development, understanding and monitoring the performance of your applications is crucial for delivering a seamless user experience. For .NET developers, having access to effective cross-platform diagnostic tools is invaluable. In this article, we'll take a closer look at three essential tools: dotnet-counters, dotnet-trace, and dotnet-dump.

**dotnet-counters: Overview of Application State**
One of the fundamental diagnostic tools for .NET applications is dotnet-counters. This tool provides developers with a comprehensive overview of the current state of a running application. It covers essential metrics and performance indicators, allowing developers to gauge the health and efficiency of their code in real-time. By utilizing dotnet-counters, developers can identify potential issues and bottlenecks, making it an invaluable tool for both development and production environments.

Installing and using `dotnet-counters` is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to get started:

### Installation:

1. **Ensure .NET SDK is Installed:**
   Before using `dotnet-counters`, make sure you have the .NET SDK installed on your machine. You can download it from the official [Microsoft .NET website](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download).

2. **Verify Installation:**
   Open a terminal or command prompt and run the following command to verify that the .NET SDK is installed:
   ```bash
   dotnet --version
   ```
   If the installation is successful, you should see the installed version of the .NET SDK.

3. **Install the dotnet-counters Tool:**
   Run the following command to install the `dotnet-counters` tool globally on your machine:
   ```bash
   dotnet tool install --global dotnet-counters
   ```

4. **Verify Installation of dotnet-counters:**
   Ensure that `dotnet-counters` is installed correctly by running:
   ```bash
   dotnet-counters --version
   ```
   This should display the installed version of `dotnet-counters`.

### Usage:

1. **Run dotnet-counters:**
   To use `dotnet-counters` to monitor the state of a running application, navigate to the directory containing your .NET application and run:
   ```bash
   dotnet-counters monitor
   ```

2. **Specify Process ID (PID):**
   If you know the Process ID (PID) of the running application, you can directly monitor that process using:
   ```bash
   dotnet-counters monitor --process-id <PID>
   ```

3. **View Available Counters:**
   To see a list of available counters for the monitored process, use:
   ```bash
   dotnet-counters list
   ```

4. **Filter Counters:**
   You can filter counters based on categories. For example, to monitor only CPU-related counters, use:
   ```bash
   dotnet-counters monitor --category cpu
   ```

5. **Stop Monitoring:**
   To stop monitoring, press `Ctrl+C` in the terminal or command prompt.

### Additional Options:
- `--refresh-interval`: Set the refresh interval for counter updates.
- `--format`: Choose the output format (table, json, or csv).

### Example:
```bash
dotnet-counters monitor --process-id 1234 --category cpu --refresh-interval 1s
```

This example monitors the CPU-related counters for the process with ID 1234, refreshing every second.

Keep in mind that `dotnet-counters` is a powerful tool, and you can customize its usage based on your specific monitoring needs. Adjust the parameters and options as necessary to gain insights into the application state effectively.


**dotnet-trace: Detailed Performance and Event Monitoring**
When a more in-depth analysis of performance and event monitoring is needed, dotnet-trace steps in. This diagnostic tool offers a detailed perspective on various aspects of application behavior. Developers can use dotnet-trace to track down specific events, understand the sequence of operations, and identify potential performance bottlenecks. This tool empowers developers to delve deeper into their codebase, making it an excellent choice for optimizing and fine-tuning application performance.

Here's a guide on how to install and use `dotnet-trace` for detailed performance and event monitoring:

### Installation:

1. **Ensure .NET SDK is Installed:**
   Before using `dotnet-trace`, make sure you have the .NET SDK installed on your machine. You can download it from the official [Microsoft .NET website](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download).

2. **Verify Installation:**
   Open a terminal or command prompt and run the following command to verify that the .NET SDK is installed:
   ```bash
   dotnet --version
   ```
   If the installation is successful, you should see the installed version of the .NET SDK.

3. **Install the dotnet-trace Tool:**
   Run the following command to install the `dotnet-trace` tool globally on your machine:
   ```bash
   dotnet tool install --global dotnet-trace
   ```

4. **Verify Installation of dotnet-trace:**
   Ensure that `dotnet-trace` is installed correctly by running:
   ```bash
   dotnet-trace --version
   ```
   This should display the installed version of `dotnet-trace`.

### Usage:

1. **Run dotnet-trace:**
   To use `dotnet-trace` for performance and event monitoring, navigate to the directory containing your .NET application and run:
   ```bash
   dotnet-trace collect
   ```

2. **Specify Process ID (PID):**
   If you know the Process ID (PID) of the running application, you can directly collect traces for that process using:
   ```bash
   dotnet-trace collect --process-id <PID>
   ```

3. **View Available Providers:**
   To see a list of available event providers for tracing, use:
   ```bash
   dotnet-trace list-providers
   ```

4. **Filter Events:**
   You can filter events based on providers and keywords. For example, to trace only events related to garbage collection, use:
   ```bash
   dotnet-trace collect --providers Microsoft-Windows-DotNETRuntime --events GC
   ```

5. **Stop Tracing:**
   To stop collecting traces, press `Ctrl+C` in the terminal or command prompt.

### Additional Options:
- `--duration`: Set the duration for trace collection.
- `--output`: Specify the output file for the collected traces.
- `--format`: Choose the output format (nettrace or speedscope).

### Example:
```bash
dotnet-trace collect --process-id 1234 --providers Microsoft-Windows-DotNETRuntime --events GC --output trace.nettrace
```

This example collects traces related to garbage collection for the process with ID 1234 and saves the output to a file named `trace.nettrace`.

Adjust the parameters and options based on your specific monitoring requirements, and explore the wealth of information that `dotnet-trace` provides for optimizing and fine-tuning your .NET applications.

**dotnet-dump: Memory Insights On Demand**
Memory-related issues are a common challenge in software development. dotnet-dump is a powerful diagnostic tool that allows developers to obtain a memory dump on demand or after a crash. This capability is invaluable for troubleshooting memory leaks, analyzing memory usage patterns, and identifying potential areas for improvement. By providing insights into the application's memory state, dotnet-dump aids developers in optimizing resource utilization and enhancing overall application stability.

Here's a guide on how to install and use `dotnet-dump` to obtain a memory dump on demand or after a crash:

### Installation:

1. **Ensure .NET SDK is Installed:**
   Before using `dotnet-dump`, make sure you have the .NET SDK installed on your machine. You can download it from the official [Microsoft .NET website](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download).

2. **Verify Installation:**
   Open a terminal or command prompt and run the following command to verify that the .NET SDK is installed:
   ```bash
   dotnet --version
   ```
   If the installation is successful, you should see the installed version of the .NET SDK.

3. **Install the dotnet-dump Tool:**
   Run the following command to install the `dotnet-dump` tool globally on your machine:
   ```bash
   dotnet tool install --global dotnet-dump
   ```

4. **Verify Installation of dotnet-dump:**
   Ensure that `dotnet-dump` is installed correctly by running:
   ```bash
   dotnet-dump --version
   ```
   This should display the installed version of `dotnet-dump`.

### Usage:

1. **Capture a Memory Dump:**
   To capture a memory dump of a running .NET process, navigate to the directory containing your .NET application and run:
   ```bash
   dotnet-dump collect --process-id <PID>
   ```

2. **Capture a Memory Dump on Crash:**
   If your application crashes, you can automatically capture a memory dump by using:
   ```bash
   dotnet-dump collect --process-id <PID> --trigger-once
   ```

3. **Analyze a Memory Dump:**
   To analyze a previously captured memory dump, run:
   ```bash
   dotnet-dump analyze <DumpFilePath>
   ```

4. **List Loaded Assemblies:**
   To view the loaded assemblies in a memory dump, use:
   ```bash
   dotnet-dump ps
   ```

5. **Quit dotnet-dump:**
   To exit the dotnet-dump interactive mode, type `q` and press `Enter`.

### Additional Options:
- `--output`: Specify the output directory for the collected memory dump.
- `--timeout`: Set the timeout for capturing a memory dump on crash.

### Example:
```bash
dotnet-dump collect --process-id 1234 --output ./dumps
```

This example captures a memory dump for the process with ID 1234 and saves it to the `./dumps` directory.

Feel free to customize the parameters and options based on your specific requirements. `dotnet-dump` is a powerful tool for diagnosing memory-related issues and gaining insights into the state of your .NET applications.


**Conclusion**
In the realm of .NET development, having access to cross-platform diagnostic tools is a game-changer. The trio of dotnet-counters, dotnet-trace, and dotnet-dump equips developers with the necessary instruments to monitor, analyze, and optimize their applications effectively. Whether it's gaining an overview of application state, delving into detailed performance metrics, or troubleshooting memory-related issues, these tools play a pivotal role in ensuring the robustness and efficiency of .NET applications. Incorporating these diagnostic tools into your development workflow will undoubtedly contribute to a more streamlined and reliable software development process.