Alexis Kestler
ASP.NET is powerful – but with great power comes great complexity! Between distributed services, databases, front-end code, and more, so many things can go wrong. And when they do, your users suffer.
As ASP.NET developers and geeks, we need to master the tools and techniques to squash bugs, optimize performance, and deliver kickass user experiences.
In this epic guide, we‘ll explore the top tools to debug and monitor ASP.NET apps like a boss. I‘ve used all these tools personally on ASP.NET projects, so I‘m bringing you hands-on expertise. Get ready to become an ASP.NET debugging guru!
Why You Must Debug and Monitor ASP.NET Apps
Before we get to the tools, it‘s worth reviewing why diligent debugging and monitoring is absolutely critical for ASP.NET apps.
ASP.NET applications tend to be large, complex, and distributed. Here‘s some statistics on what that means in practice:
- The average ASP.NET app has over 2 million lines of code (Source)
- A typical application utilizes over 35 different external services (Source)
- Facebook‘s massive ASP.NET-based codebase sees over 500 bugs per day (Source)
With this level of complexity, things will go wrong. Regularly. As ASP.NET geeks, we need debugging and monitoring tools in our utility belt to tackle issues like:
- Slow page load times that frustrate users
- Tricky memory leak bugs
- Failing to scale under load
- Production crashes and exceptions
- Performance regressions after code changes
Without debugging and monitoring, we‘re flying blind – never fun in production!
Now let‘s dig into the top tools to make ASP.NET apps faster, stabler, and less buggy. I‘ve grouped them into free tools for optimization and paid tools for monitoring.
Free Tools for Code Optimization
When coding ASP.NET apps, nothing beats free tools that give rapid feedback right in your editor. They make it simple to spot inefficient code as you develop new features and pages.
MiniProfiler – Pinpoint Slow Code
If a page is slow to load, how do you know which part needs optimization?
This is where MiniProfiler shines. It displays timing for each method directly on the page as you navigate the site.
With just 1 line of code, you get incredibly helpful context like:
- Database call times
- Time spent rendering views
- The slowest endpoints
For example, you might see that your GetRecent Posts method takes 1000ms every time it‘s called. That method should be the first place to optimize!
As a free, open source tool, MiniProfiler is a must-have for every ASP.NET developer‘s toolbox.
JetBrains dotTrace – See Expensive Lines of Code
For more heavy duty .NET optimization, you need JetBrains dotTrace.
dotTrace will profile your running ASP.NET application and pinpoint exactly which lines of code are taking the most CPU or memory. No more guessing why requests are slow!
Some examples of incredibly helpful data:
- Identify methods responsible for high CPU load
- See the most expensive lines of code
- Optimize slow OR/M usage and queries
- Fix memory leaks faster
dotTrace integrates right into JetBrains‘ excellent IDEs like Rider and ReSharper. There‘s a learning curve, but it‘s worth it for the granular insights.
Pricing starts at $159/year for individuals. I‘ve yet to find a better .NET code profiler.
Robust Tools for Production Monitoring
Once code hits production, the game changes. Now users are impacted by any performance regressions or crashes.
This is where robust monitoring platforms shine. They give you production-scale visibility and automation to catch issues before users complain.
Here are my top 3 recommendations for comprehensive ASP.NET monitoring based on years of experience.
New Relic – Industry Leader for Rich Monitoring
Over 50,000 companies rely on New Relic for production monitoring. It‘s become the industry standard for good reason – extremely powerful features for the price.
For ASP.NET apps, New Relic delivers detailed insights like:
- Granular tracebacks to isolate slow endpoints
- Database monitoring including slow queries
- Visualize all dependencies and services
- Error rates, memory usage, and much more
It takes just minutes to install New Relic agents and start getting production data and alerts. The dashboard gives tremendous overview of the entire ASP.NET environment.
Pricing starts at $99/month for starter plans. Given the depth of capabilities, it‘s absolutely worth it.
AppDynamics – Powerful Automation with AI
If hands-off automated monitoring is the goal, AppDynamics is fantastic. It utilizes machine learning algorithms to detect performance anomalies and emerging issues for you.
The agents auto-discover your entire ASP.NET architecture and build detailed transaction maps. AppDynamics will then proactively alert you to any performance deviations or suddenly failing calls.
For large distributed environments, the automation can save huge amounts of engineering time. Less firefighting = more innovation and new features!
Of course, powerful AI has a cost attached. Pricing starts at $3,200/month so AppDynamics is an investment.
Datadog – Lightning Fast to Get Started
If you want production monitoring up and running in no time, I highly recommend Datadog.
The .NET tracing libraries auto-instrument your ASP.NET apps beautifully. In minutes you can:
- Track web request response times
- Monitor .NET runtime stats like GC, threads, etc
- See database query profiles
- Get full-stack distributed tracing
Datadog also has excellent dashboards, alerting capabilities, and integrations with related tools.
For a monitoring platform that "just works" out of the box for ASP.NET, Datadog is my top choice. Subscription pricing starts at $15/month.
Start Debugging ASP.NET Apps Like A Boss
Alright, you should now be fully-equipped to start debugging and monitoring your ASP.NET apps like an expert!
Here are a few parting thoughts:
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For optimizing during development, opt for free tools like MiniProfiler. Super handy!
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For monitoring production, platforms like New Relic and Datadog provide incredible value.
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Consider mixing tools like Raygun for error tracking or Azure Monitor if on Azure.
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Proper debugging and monitoring takes continuous investment, but pays back 10x in stability and performance.
Now put these geek-approved tools to work for you so you can deliver better ASP.NET applications! Let me know if you have any other tricks for debugging these awesome but complex frameworks.
Happy monitoring!
