Website Performance Analysis with neXpert

Posted by Al Tenhundfeld on Mar 11, 2009

Sections

Architecture & Design,

Development

Topics

ASP.NET ,

.NET ,

Debugging ,

Programming ,

Performance & Scalability

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neXpert is a Microsoft-sponsored add-on to the popular Fiddler web debugging proxy. neXpert extends Fiddler's performance testing capabilities and simplifies the process of finding performance issues in web applications. Version 1.0 was recently released and is available for download through Microsoft.

neXpert adds the following features:

• Ability to add markers while capturing traffic to create steps, allowing more granular grouping and clearer analysis of isolated actions.
• More convenient buttons to clear cache, clear cookies, and enable Fiddler Streaming Mode
• Ability to calculate latency by pinging each host in a capture session
• Ability to create "rudimentary response time predictions" among varying browsers and latencies -- currently beta functionality

neXpert can also create an HTML report with checks for common ASP.NET peformance issues. This report is useful as a diagnostic tool and can also serve as a deliverable artifact of development effort put towards optimization. The performance report checks for issues in the following areas:

• HTTP Response Code
• ASP.NET View State
• Static Files
• Large Images
• Compression
• Authentication
• ETags
• Cache Headers
• Connection Header
• Vary Header
• Cookies

For a quick tutorial on neXpert 1.0 and Fiddler in general, see MSDN Webcast: Web Performance Testing with Fiddler and neXpert (Level 200).