Profiling Remote Silverlight Applications

Applies to AQTime 8.81, last modified on January 18, 2022

AQTime can profile in-browser and out-of-browser Silverlight applications. This topic explains how to profile in-browser Silverlight applications that are hosted on a remote server.

For information on how to profile Silverlight applications running on a local machine, see Profiling Local Silverlight Applications.

Preparing an Application for Profiling

To profile a remote Silverlight application with AQTime, there is no need to prepare the application in a special way.

Preparing an AQTime Project

  1. Launch AQTime and create a new empty AQTime project.

  2. Click the Add URL button on the Modules pane or select Add URL form the panel’s context menu. In the ensuing Add URL to Project dialog, specify the application’s web page address and click OK.

  3. AQTime will display a message box asking you if you want to override run parameters to start the web browser with the specified URL. Click Yes in the dialog.

  4. Choose the elements to be profiled by adding them to routine-level areas or select Entire .NET Code (Routines only) or All Project Modules (Routines only) to profile all the routines.

    Remote Silverlight applications cannot be profiled at the line level, they can be profiled only at the routine level.
  5. Select the Normal profiling mode on AQTime’s Standard toolbar.

    Select the Normal profiling mode on Visual Studio’s AQTime toolbar.

    Select the Normal profiling mode on RAD Studio’s AQTime Profiling Modes toolbar.

  6. Choose Run > Parameters from AQTime’s main menu.Choose AQTime > Parameters from Visual Studio’s main menu.Choose AQTime > Parameters from RAD Studio’s menu. This will invoke the Run Parameters dialog.

  7. The dialog will have the two fields filled - Select generic host application and Parameters. AQTime automatically specifies these parameters if you command AQTime to override run parameters when adding the URL to the project. If you do not command AQTime to override the run parameters, you will need to specify the parameters manually:

    • Either select the needed web browser from the Select generic host application drop-down list, or enter the path to the web browser’s executable in the Specify custom host application edit box.

      Note: Remember that Silverlight applications do not work in 64-bit browsers.
    • In the Parameters edit box, specify the URL of the web site that hosts the profiled Silverlight application. This is the same URL you have added to the Modules pane.
  8. Click OK to save the changes and close the dialog.

  9. Select the needed profiler from the Profilers drop-down list on the Standard toolbar. For a list of available profilers, see Supported Profilers.

Now, the project is ready for profiling.

Profiling Procedure

  1. Start the profiling in AQTime. AQTime will launch your web browser, which, in its turn, will open your application.

    Profiling Silverlight applications by attaching a profiler to a running Silverlight application is currently not supported.
  2. Perform the needed actions over the application. AQTime will profile it.

  3. To generate results, either close the application, or use the Get Results command. AQTime will display the profiling results in its panels.

    If you profile your application with the Entire .NET Code (Routines only) area enabled, AQTime reports the results of Silverlight code profiling along with the profiling results of other CLR routines that were called from your application. To distinguish the Silverlight application’s routines among other .NET routines in the Report panel, use the Module Name column. Grouping the results by this column lets you quickly find the routines of your application.

See Also

Profiling Silverlight Applications - Overview
Profiling Remote Silverlight Applications
Profiling Out-of-Browser Silverlight Applications

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