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I am trying to identify what is causing high CPU usage on a azure web role. So, I RDPed on to my azure web role instance and created a memory dump during prolonged period of high CPU, like shown below

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Is there a way to download the memory dump file to my host machine? Or Can anyone suggest a better way to diagnose high CPU usage on azure web role.

Ant Radha
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  • the dmp file is created in the temp folder of the user under AppData->local. To analyze CPU usage, always use xperf/WPA: http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Defrag-Tools/Defrag-Tools-42-WPT-CPU-Analysis – magicandre1981 Mar 10 '15 at 17:10
  • Yes, I know where is stores the dump file, I was looking for a way to get it to my host machine. I was not able to install debugdiag tool on azure web role to analyse the dump file. i ll look into this video, cheers. – Ant Radha Mar 10 '15 at 17:18
  • use xperf and analyze it remotely . I never used Azure, so I can't really help how to get the data on your local system. You could send it to OneDrive and download it so on your host. – magicandre1981 Mar 11 '15 at 05:42
  • I was finally able to copy the dmp files. Just zipped them and copied them over. – Ant Radha Mar 11 '15 at 12:28
  • ok, but again, use xperf/WPA for perf analysis. a dmp is only snapshot, so you don't know what happens before or after the snapshot. – magicandre1981 Mar 11 '15 at 17:09

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There are a couple primary options:

  1. Debug the dump directly on the Azure VM. You can easily get the most common tools onto the Azure VM by using AzureTools - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/kwill/archive/2013/08/26/azuretools-the-diagnostic-utility-used-by-the-windows-azure-developer-support-team.aspx
  2. You can copy files between the Azure VM and your local machine a few ways - copy/paste, \tsclient\c, or an intermediary such as a storage account. Note that using copy/paste or \tsclient\c with a very large file may take too long, in which case uploading to a storage account and downloading from storage to your local machine is the best option. AzureTools can also do this for you, or you can use any storage explorer tool of your choice.
kwill
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  • I am using an Azure webrole, not a VM. – Ant Radha Mar 10 '15 at 19:20
  • Are you sure? last time I checked, web roles (part of cloud services) are not VMs http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/fundamentals-introduction-to-azure/ – Ant Radha Mar 11 '15 at 09:36
  • Yes, I am positive :). Web Roles run on virtual machines, as you demonstrated when you RDP to the VM and captured a dump. They are not the same as the IaaS Virtual Machines offering in Azure, but they are virtual machines, and the two options from my answer are accurate. – kwill Mar 11 '15 at 15:32
  • Ok, maybe i have go back and do little bit more reading. But anyways, i was not able to install any windows performance tools. Managed to get dump file down to my host machine. – Ant Radha Mar 12 '15 at 10:03