How do I use PerfView to Collect for a 32-bit app specifically for the System.Data.1 provider

[mdell-seradex]

I ran the following command to register the providers into the WMI registry, but I am unable to get any events. I suspect it is because I am attempting to profile a 32-bit process.
mofcomp.exe C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\adonetdiag.mof

I have tried to manually perform tracing using logman and managed to get it to work for a while last week, but I cannot get it to work anymore. Logman will only generate the basic 8kb file.
I am unsure what I am doing wrong.

I feel like using Perfmon would be an easier way to gather the required data, but it is not recording any events from the selected additional provider.

I appreciate any help or feedback that can be provided.

[mdell-seradex]

I discovered the issue being that the registry entry need to tell the apps which should enable tracing is

1. Still needed, and
2. Does not support environment variables, unlike what the documentation at Data Access Tracing in SQL Server 2008 - Creating the Trace DLL Registry Entry (ADO.NET 2.0) demonstrates.

Other than that it seems to be able to successfully trace 32-bit apps.

I don't know if you could provide some info on that in the app, even if just to say that others may require additional setup. Something more specific for this would be great, but I can understand if you don't/can't.

[mdell-seradex]

I just figured since PerfView can use those providers, I thought some mention by it about the potential for additional steps for the additional providers may be a good idea.

Thank you for the response & interest in my discussion post.

[brianrob]

I see. I think if we were going to put a note somewhere in PerfView, it would be in the Users Guide. Does this provider get turned on by any of PerfView's existing configurations? I did a quick search, but I don't see it. If we don't, then I'm not sure where we'd put it. If we do, then we could potentially put something with the command line argument.

[mdell-seradex]

This is how I added the System.Data.1 Provider. I had already run that mofcomp.exe command on my PC. I suspect that it won't show on yours until you run it.
My understanding it that both the mofcomp.exe and the adonetdiag.mof are deployed with Windows. I was able to run that command on a client's PC and I didn't have to install anything extra to do it. Nor, as far as I am aware, did they have any development tools installed.

[brianrob]

I see. In that case, we shouldn't add anything specific in PerfView. This data comes from the operating system, so any registered provider can show up here. I think the best course of action here would be to modify the existing documentation for the provider itself, rather than to put something specific into PerfView.

[mdell-seradex]

I understand not adding anything specific, which is why I suggested as well the possiblity of a general note to say that others may require additional setup.
Perhaps something like "Providers added via the 'ProviderBrowser' may require additional setup such as registry keys. Please refer to their documentation for more information."

[brianrob]

Ah, gotcha. What do you think about putting a line in the users guide here: https://github.com/microsoft/perfview/blob/main/src/PerfView/SupportFiles/UsersGuide.htm#L4458

If that sounds reasonable, would you be up for submitting a PR?

[mdell-seradex]

I've only done that a couple of times on Github, but I can give it a shot. Both times my changes were re-written 😶.