HOW TO: Support Applications That Are Built on the .NET Framework (818013)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes important considerations for supporting applications that are built on the .NET Framework. This is one of a series of articles that provide detailed information for applications that are built on the .NET Framework.

The articles in this series include the following: back to the top

Backup and Restore .NET Framework Configuration and Security Policies

The .NET Framework configuration and security policies are stored in standard XML files. These files do not require a special agent for backup and recovery. However, administrators must know the locations of the various files. They should also understand which files are significant and which files do not require backup.

For descriptions of files that must be included in backup and recovery to enable the .NET Framework configuration to be restored after a storage failure, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:back to the top

Enable ASP.NET Tracing

ASP.NET includes tools that give administrators detailed information about the operation of Web pages. Tracing shows all details of the request and response, including custom error messages that the application may generate. Tracing can be a valuable troubleshooting tool. However, you should only enable tracing when you understand its potential effects on performance and security.

For additional information about how to enable tracing for ASP.NET applications, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top

Monitor ASP.NET Server Applications

One of the best ways to improve application uptime is to reliably and rapidly detect application failures. There are several ways to monitor ASP.NET applications: watch for process failures, monitor dependant services, simulate HTTP requests, and alert on performance counters.

For additional information about how to configure multiple layers of monitoring for ASP.NET applications, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top

Monitor Errors in Applications That Are Built on the .NET Framework

Applications that are built on the .NET Framework typically log errors by using the standard Windows event log. ASP.NET applications can use the Windows event log. However, errors frequently appear only in the HTTP usage logs. ASP.NET applications also expose errors through performance counters. This enables real-time monitoring and alerting.

For additional information about how to monitor errors in applications that are built on the .NET Framework, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top

Troubleshoot ASP.NET Web Applications

ASP.NET applications function very differently from ASP 3.0 applications. Therefore, they require different methods for troubleshooting. Fortunately, ASP.NET provides better troubleshooting tools than did older application environments. Detailed error messages and tracing can isolate most problems if the error messages occur in ASP.NET and not in the Web sever.

For additional information about ASP.NET troubleshooting procedures, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top

Measure Responsiveness of ASP.NET Web Applications

The responsiveness of ASP.NET applications can be measured by using tracing, by using the Performance snap-in, or by using the Web Application Stress (WAS) tool. The WAS tool generates an artificial load on a Web server. You can do this to measure responsiveness, to test scalability, and to tune performance. However, there are four considerations for using the WAS tool to most effectively identify performance issues for an ASP.NET application.

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top

Debug ASP.NET Web Applications

ASP.NET has new features for easily debugging your Web application. In an ASP.NET application, you can set up a breakpoint, use page-level tracing, and write out custom trace messages for debugging. By using the new debugging features in ASP.NET, you can track progress through your Web applications and more easily identify and diagnose problems.

For additional information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
back to the top

Troubleshoot Problems Caused by .NET Security Configuration

The .NET Framework provides administrators with very detailed control over permissions that are granted to managed assemblies. Many applications are built to run in the default .NET Framework environment. These applications may experience problems in customized environments. An important part of isolating these types of issues is to determine whether security configuration is the source of the problem.

For additional information about how to determine whether customized security configuration is the source of an application problem, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top

Troubleshoot Problems That Are Caused by Trust Levels

One of the benefits of managed applications that are built on the .NET Framework is that the common language runtime environment restricts the application's access to only those system resources that are permitted by the application's trust level. The downside of this increased security is that applications may require resources that they do not have access to. Administrators must be able to troubleshoot these issues. The .NET Framework Configuration tool offers several ways to troubleshoot these configuration issues.

For additional information about how to troubleshoot trust-level problems, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top