Useful tools to help troubleshoot performance based issues

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This purpose of this article is to provide a list of useful tools help troubleshoot site, server, and database performance based issues.

 

Monitoring Template and Code Based Performance

 

Performance profiling with Visual Studio

Visual Studio is equipped with profiling tools that can be used to analyze performance issues in regards to template and code based issues. For more information on how to use Visual Studio to troubleshoot performance issues:

 

Performance Monitoring with Red Gate's ANTS Performance Profiler

ANTs Performance Profiler is an application profiler that can be used for ASP.Net and MVC Applications. The profiler can be used to locate performance bottlenecks that occur in .Net code. For more information on ANTs Profiler:

 

Using Web Browsers to Profile UI Performance

Some browsers offer tools to monitor UI performance where one can view lists functions by how much they are affecting performance. For more information on how to monitor JavaScript Performance:

         

Monitoring Performance with Internet Information Services

IIS is equipped with the capability to monitor site and app pool performance. One has the ability to see the details of the web server allowing for troubleshoot before it affects end-users.

In addition there are some third party applications that can be used to monitor IIS performance such as New Relic and AppDynamics

 

Monitoring Server Performance

Windows Server offers some to monitor for monitoring the performance of a server. One may want to monitor the server to improve disk I/O performance, reducing CPU usage, and reducing network traffic load. For more information on how to monitor server performance with system tools:

 

Using PerfMon to diagnose server performance problems

PerfMon is a useful tool for troubleshooting server performance issues. One can use it to examine how programs  are affecting the computer's performance, both in real time and by collecting log data for later analysis. For more information on PerfMon:

                     

Monitoring Database Performance

If the dreaded performance degradation has made its way to the data layer there are some helpful tools out there to assist in monitoring database performance.

Using SQL Server to monitor performance

SQL Server has some of the best tools to help troubleshoot performance based issues.

Activity Monitor - provides information about SQL Server processes and how the processes affect the current instance of SQL Server, for more information on Activity Monitor:

Data Collection - is a tool that allows a user to obtain and save data that is gathered from data collection containers where the scope and frequency can be adjusted for the server that is running SQL. For more information on Data Collection:

Execution Plan - or query plan is an ordered set of steps used to access data in a SQL relational database management system. SQL Management Studio offers away to collect data from ad hoc queries or stored procedures and provide a detailed analysis on duration or “cost” in a graphical format. For more information on execution plans:

SQL Profiler - is a graphical tool that allows a user to monitor events in SQL Server One can capture and save data on every event to a file or SQL Server table to be analyzed. For more information on SQL Profiler:

 

Using Red Gate's SQL Monitor to monitor performance

Like Performance Profiler, Red Gate offers a SQL Monitor to help troubleshoot database performance issues. SQL Monitor is an application that monitors SQL Servers. The tool will display real-time data about the performance of SQL Server instances, host machines, and databases. In addition the tool will raise alerts when problems occur. For more information on Red Gate's SQL Monitor:

 

* For additional tools database performance monitoring tools provided by Microsoft click here