Monday, February 27, 2017

Sitecore Aligned Azure Cheat sheet

Access KUDU Service 

https://somewebsitename-staging.scm.azureservices.abc.com.au

Access File System- App Service Editor

https://somewebsitename-staging.scm.azureservices.abc.com.au/dev/wwwroot

Azure Key Vault

This required to safe guard important configuration key value pair.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/key-vault-whatis

Azure Resource Explorer

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-au/blog/azure-resource-explorer-a-new-tool-to-discover-the-azure-api/
You can indeed explorer whole lot of stuff in here. This is very handy if you want to troubleshoot api end points or look for any details related to app service for any instance such as microsoft.web where you can lookup instance details.


Sitecore Azure Diagnostics

https://marketplace.sitecore.net/Modules/Sitecore_Azure_Diagnostics.aspx

Sitecore Azure Blob storage logging

Features:
• Append regular, WebDAV, Search, Crawling and Publishing Sitecore diagnostics
• Based on Azure Blob Storage
• Append Blobs are used to store diagnostics as a text data
• Text data is compatible with Sitecore Log Analyzer tool
• Support multiple Web Apps instances
• Clean up out-of-date blobs using Sitecore Agent
• Support Sitecore Log Viewer application to open, download and deleted blobs.

Azure Storage Append Log

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/windowsazurestorage/2015/04/13/introducing-azure-storage-append-blob/

Sitecore Azure Application Insights

https://doc.sitecore.net/sitecore_experience_platform/setting_up_and_maintaining/sitecore_on_azure/analytics/analyze_sitecore_logs_with_application_insights


https://mwenhao.wordpress.com/2017/02/06/ehh-where-is-my-sitecore-azure-log/



Change Logging Timestamp: Azure Timezone Offset setting

To locate your local timezone to overwrite default time.
http://www.louischarlesgagnon.com/post/azure-app-service-set-timezone-for-your-web-application


Advanced Azure Web apps Sitecore debugging and troubleshooting

https://kb.sitecore.net/articles/111669









This article reviews tools and methods to collect information to use for troubleshooting a Sitecore XP application on Azure Web Apps.
The following sections describe ways to gather relevant data for typical performance issues, such as:
  • High CPU usage.
  • Memory leaks.
  • Long response time and other types of slowness.
  • -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • Collecting a memory dump Using Process Explorer (On-Demand) 
  • Collecting a memory dump using Procdump utility 
  • Collecting a memory dump using Diagnostics as a Service (DaaS) 
  • Collecting a performance profiling data

How to get a full memory dump in Azure App Services-Using KUDU

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/jpsanders/2017/02/02/how-to-get-a-full-memory-dump-in-azure-app-services/

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/benjaminperkins/2017/02/01/create-a-memory-dump-for-your-slow-performing-web-app/

About Full vs Mini Dump

Command Line for CMD-
d:\devtools\sysinternals\procdump -accepteula -ma 5484

This one is indeed interesting blog
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/benjaminperkins/2017/02/01/create-a-memory-dump-for-your-slow-performing-web-app/

List down:
1. Method #1Using procdump.exe
2. Method #2 Using Diagnostics as a Service (DAAS)
3. Method #3 Using KUDU process explorer

Azure App Service: Generating memory dumps on first chance exception using Procdump

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/kaushal/2017/05/08/azure-app-service-generating-memory-dumps-on-first-chance-exception-using-procdump/
D:\home\Dumps>procdump.exe -accepteula -ma -e 1 -f "System.UnauthorizedAccessException" 7808
Azure App Service instances include the sysinternals suite in the default image. They can be located here via the KUDU console:D:\devtools\sysinternals



Azure App Service: How to connect to the Kudu site of a specific instance


https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/kaushal/2016/11/21/azure-app-service-how-to-connect-to-the-kudu-site-of-a-specific-instance/


Azure Management Service: NEW ADMIN UI
 

https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Azure-Friday/Azure-API-Management-New-Admin-UI-and-Mocks

You can now mock api data without being backend ready. You can test api without using developer portal.
Swagger definition available as part of code editor.

Sitecore Quick Cheatsheet

Introduction 

Just want to keep log of quick stuff that can act as quick reference. This will be work in progress , I'll keep adding as an when I come across things like this.

Protect Sitecore Item

Hide Sitecore Item


Package Sitecore Roles & Users

You can package sitecore Roles and Users. Refer screenshot. Add roles and users.

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Sitecore.Net Performance Findings & Recommendation 1

WeformView vs RazorView

Glimpse.axd: Performance output. 

Findings: 

Each view rendered with two view engines:Razor & WebForm. 

Type

Redundant + Overhead processing

Recommendations: 

Switch off unnecessary view engine if not required.



References:

http://blog.getglimpse.com/
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5912980/turning-off-the-webformviewengine-when-using-razor






Thursday, February 23, 2017

Preview Transform and Add Transform OOB Issue with other config type

Configuration Transformation: Evironment Configuration


XDT: Transform

In recent times I have been working sitecore configuration config transformation for different environment and I came across the scenario where Add transform and Preview is supported in Visual studio only for web.config files not for other configuration. To fix this I just install Slow Cheetah extension and restarted my visual studio with project solution , everything works fine.

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=WillBuikMSFT.SlowCheetah-XMLTransforms


Sitecore config builder
https://marketplace.sitecore.net/Modules/S/Sitecore_Custom_Config_Builder.aspx?sc_lang=en
https://marketplace.sitecore.net/modules/sitecore_configbuilder.aspx