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System.Net and WCF diagnostics

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This article introduces how to configure System.Net and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) tracing and delete the trace files.

Original product version:   Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
Original KB number:   2952803

Summary

The Support Diagnostic Package (SDP) for System.Net and WCF is used to configure System.Net and WCF tracing on the machine that is experiencing an issue with the System.Net or WCF technology. The SDP package will collect a System.Net or WCF trace of an application using the WCF or System.Net.HttpWebRequest or System.Net.Sockets.Socket class.

The SDP package will take care of enabling the WCF and System.Net tracing and disabling the tracing, but the trace files will need to be manually deleted.

Configuration before System.Net or WCF package enables trace

Before System.Net or WCF SDP package enables the trace feature, it asks the .NET application type, configuration file, and trace output location.

  1. Select .NET application type:

    Screenshot of the System.Net or WCF package Window to select the application type. In this example, the IIS Web Application option is selected.

    If your application is a web application, select IIS Web Application. If your application is Visual Studio itself, such as Team Foundation Server (TFS) client, select Visual Studio. If the application is a service or .exe, select Your Own Application.

    IIS Web Application option will automatically detect the web.config file location to enable WCF or System.Net trace.

    The System.Net or WCF package window with Default Web Site option selected.

    The System.Net or WCF package window with WebApp:/WCFtest highlighted.

    Visual Studio option will automatically detect and find your Visual Studio version and configuration file location.

    Screenshot of the detected Visual Studio version.

    Your Own Application option will ask you to select the application configuration file, such as web.config or application.exe.config.

    Screenshot to choose the location of your application config file or exe application.

  2. Select trace file type to be enabled. You can select System.Net Trace or WCF Trace or both.

    Select System.Net Trace or WCF Trace Type.

  3. Trace file output folder:

    Screenshot of the trace file output folder.

  4. Select System.Net trace option if you have System.Net trace enabled:

    Screenshot to select the features in System.Net Trace.

    Select WCF trace option if you have WCF trace enabled:

    Screenshot to select tracing configuration.

  5. After you click Next button, the trace(s) will be enabled and the SDP package will be paused waiting for you to reproduce issue.

    If your application is an ASP.NET application, there's no need to restart Internet Information Services (IIS) Application Pool. If your application is a service or .exe application, you'll need to manually restart application to make new configuration file take effect.

    Screenshot asking to restart your application executable and reproduce your issue.

  6. After you reproduce the issue, click Next button and package will automatically disable the tracing feature. If your application is an ASP.NET application, there's no need to restart IIS Application Pool. If your application is a service or .exe application, you'll need to manually restart application to make new configuration file take effect.

    Screenshot shows Finished System.Net or WCF Trace.

For more information, see the following articles:

System.Net or WCF SDP package

SDP package will create a backup of the selected configuration file and the existing configuration content will be combined with the new <system.diagnostic> section. The backup configuration file name will have the original file name appended with the current date, time, and .sdp.backup. For example: CSharpHTTP.exe.config will be backed up as CSharpHTTP.exe.config.6-21-12-17-19.sdp.backup or web.config will be backed up as web.config.6-21-12-17-19.sdp.backup.

To manually disable the System.Net trace feature, you just need to copy the configuration backup file back to the original configuration file name.

The SDP package will create a new .NET application configuration file if it doesn't exist. For this scenario, you can remove the .NET application configuration file to disable the System.Net trace feature.

Once you restore the original configuration file or remove the trace enabled configuration file, you'll have to restart the application process for the changes to be effective.

The trace file will be located in the trace file folder, which you select in SDP dialog box GUI. You'll need to manually delete the trace file after disabling the tracing feature. SDP package won't delete the trace file for you as the file may still be referenced by the .NET application process.

References

Information about Microsoft Automated Troubleshooting Services and Support Diagnostic Platform