VB.net Windows Service - how to debug a live installation.   

I have a service running fairly well but it still has some bugs in it that I 
can not reproduce in my test environment. It is a multi-threaded application!

My question: is there a way to connect Visual Studio 2005 (sp1) to the 
program to debug the code while it is still running at a remote site? If I 
could just single step the program while it is failing, I am sure I would get 
the answer very quickly.

Thanks,
-- 
SteveS

date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:12:00 -0800   author:   SteveS

Re: VB.net Windows Service - how to debug a live installation.   

Yes, you can debug it remotely.  Recompile the windows service in debug 
mode, install it, run the remote debugging monitor on the remote server 
(http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xf8k2h6a.aspx), start the 
service, and use visual studio to connect to the remote process.

Be aware that it will be difficult at best to debug any code in the 
OnStart method based on how fast you can click to attach to the service 
after you start it so it best that you move any code out of that method.

--
Bryan Phillips
MCT, MCSD, MCDBA, MCSE
Microsoft MVP - Client Application Development
Blog:  http://bphillips76.spaces.live.com
Web Site:  http://www.composablesystems.net



"SteveS"  wrote in message 
news:D0E8EB2C-6990-4FC5-BF9A-0C26C9EE98BC@microsoft.com:

> I have a service running fairly well but it still has some bugs in it that I
> can not reproduce in my test environment. It is a multi-threaded application!
>
> My question: is there a way to connect Visual Studio 2005 (sp1) to the
> program to debug the code while it is still running at a remote site? If I
> could just single step the program while it is failing, I am sure I would get
> the answer very quickly.
>
> Thanks,
> --
> SteveS

date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:51:35 +0000   author:   Bryan Phillips menot

Re: VB.net Windows Service - how to debug a live installation.   

I have successfully attached to the process but there is no code to look at? 
How do I single step if there is no code? How do I load the source code up?

-- 
SteveS


"Bryan Phillips" wrote:

> Yes, you can debug it remotely.  Recompile the windows service in debug 
> mode, install it, run the remote debugging monitor on the remote server 
> (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xf8k2h6a.aspx), start the 
> service, and use visual studio to connect to the remote process.
> 
> Be aware that it will be difficult at best to debug any code in the 
> OnStart method based on how fast you can click to attach to the service 
> after you start it so it best that you move any code out of that method.
> 
> --
> Bryan Phillips
> MCT, MCSD, MCDBA, MCSE
> Microsoft MVP - Client Application Development
> Blog:  http://bphillips76.spaces.live.com
> Web Site:  http://www.composablesystems.net
> 
> 
> 
> "SteveS"  wrote in message 
> news:D0E8EB2C-6990-4FC5-BF9A-0C26C9EE98BC@microsoft.com:
> 
> > I have a service running fairly well but it still has some bugs in it that I
> > can not reproduce in my test environment. It is a multi-threaded application!
> >
> > My question: is there a way to connect Visual Studio 2005 (sp1) to the
> > program to debug the code while it is still running at a remote site? If I
> > could just single step the program while it is failing, I am sure I would get
> > the answer very quickly.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > --
> > SteveS
> 
>

date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:14:00 -0800   author:   SteveS

Re: VB.net Windows Service - how to debug a live installation.   

I compiled in Debug mode (I think) and now I am getting the following message 
after I hit Break All:

No symbols are loaded for any call stack frame. The source code cannot be 
displayed.

OK or Show Disassembly


-- 
SteveS


"Bryan Phillips" wrote:

> Did you compile in Debug mode?  If so, try stepping a few times to see 
> if the debugger stopped just before your code.
> 
> --
> Bryan Phillips
> MCT, MCSD, MCDBA, MCSE
> Microsoft MVP - Client Application Development
> Blog:  http://bphillips76.spaces.live.com
> Web Site:  http://www.composablesystems.net
> 
> 
> 
> "SteveS"  wrote in message 
> news:DCF5D753-1EB1-4830-B16B-A91976FDF00F@microsoft.com:
> 
> > I have successfully attached to the process but there is no code to look at?
> > How do I single step if there is no code? How do I load the source code up?
> >
> > --
> > SteveS
> >
> >
> > "Bryan Phillips" wrote:
> >
> > > Yes, you can debug it remotely.  Recompile the windows service in debug
> > > mode, install it, run the remote debugging monitor on the remote server
> > > (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xf8k2h6a.aspx), start the
> > > service, and use visual studio to connect to the remote process.
> > >
> > > Be aware that it will be difficult at best to debug any code in the
> > > OnStart method based on how fast you can click to attach to the service
> > > after you start it so it best that you move any code out of that method.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Bryan Phillips
> > > MCT, MCSD, MCDBA, MCSE
> > > Microsoft MVP - Client Application Development
> > > Blog:  http://bphillips76.spaces.live.com
> > > Web Site:  http://www.composablesystems.net
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > "SteveS"  wrote in message
> > > news:D0E8EB2C-6990-4FC5-BF9A-0C26C9EE98BC@microsoft.com:
> > >
> > > > I have a service running fairly well but it still has some bugs in it that I
> > > > can not reproduce in my test environment. It is a multi-threaded application!
> > > >
> > > > My question: is there a way to connect Visual Studio 2005 (sp1) to the
> > > > program to debug the code while it is still running at a remote site? If I
> > > > could just single step the program while it is failing, I am sure I would get
> > > > the answer very quickly.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > --
> > > > SteveS
> > >
> > >
> 
>

date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:49:01 -0800   author:   SteveS

Re: VB.net Windows Service - how to debug a live installation.   

In the Modules windows the path show the local installation of the executable 
even though I "Attached to Process" on the remote machine?? So I uninstalled 
the local install in "Add/Remove programs" and it still points to the local 
path (c:\program files...)?

I then did as you suggested and I navigated over the network to the proper 
folder and found the .pdb file, then when I click it says  "The symbol file 
PerfWS.pdb does not match the module"?

Why is this so difficult? What should I do?
-- 
SteveS


"Bryan Phillips" wrote:

> For some reason, it can't find your debug symbols.  Open the modules 
> window, right-click your exe, and select load symbols.  It should prompt 
> you for the location of the symbols.
> 
> --
> Bryan Phillips
> MCT, MCSD, MCDBA, MCSE
> Microsoft MVP - Client Application Development
> Blog:  http://bphillips76.spaces.live.com
> Web Site:  http://www.composablesystems.net
> 
> 
> 
> "SteveS"  wrote in message 
> news:F24A72CD-34A9-4A5B-869A-4DD2AC203AF1@microsoft.com:
> 
> > I compiled in Debug mode (I think) and now I am getting the following message
> > after I hit Break All:
> >
> > No symbols are loaded for any call stack frame. The source code cannot be
> > displayed.
> >
> > OK or Show Disassembly
> >
> >
> > --
> > SteveS
> >
> >
> > "Bryan Phillips" wrote:
> >
> > > Did you compile in Debug mode?  If so, try stepping a few times to see
> > > if the debugger stopped just before your code.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Bryan Phillips
> > > MCT, MCSD, MCDBA, MCSE
> > > Microsoft MVP - Client Application Development
> > > Blog:  http://bphillips76.spaces.live.com
> > > Web Site:  http://www.composablesystems.net
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > "SteveS"  wrote in message
> > > news:DCF5D753-1EB1-4830-B16B-A91976FDF00F@microsoft.com:
> > >
> > > > I have successfully attached to the process but there is no code to look at?
> > > > How do I single step if there is no code? How do I load the source code up?
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > SteveS
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "Bryan Phillips" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Yes, you can debug it remotely.  Recompile the windows service in debug
> > > > > mode, install it, run the remote debugging monitor on the remote server
> > > > > (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xf8k2h6a.aspx), start the
> > > > > service, and use visual studio to connect to the remote process.
> > > > >
> > > > > Be aware that it will be difficult at best to debug any code in the
> > > > > OnStart method based on how fast you can click to attach to the service
> > > > > after you start it so it best that you move any code out of that method.
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Bryan Phillips
> > > > > MCT, MCSD, MCDBA, MCSE
> > > > > Microsoft MVP - Client Application Development
> > > > > Blog:  http://bphillips76.spaces.live.com
> > > > > Web Site:  http://www.composablesystems.net
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > "SteveS"  wrote in message
> > > > > news:D0E8EB2C-6990-4FC5-BF9A-0C26C9EE98BC@microsoft.com:
> > > > >
> > > > > > I have a service running fairly well but it still has some bugs in it that I
> > > > > > can not reproduce in my test environment. It is a multi-threaded application!
> > > > > >
> > > > > > My question: is there a way to connect Visual Studio 2005 (sp1) to the
> > > > > > program to debug the code while it is still running at a remote site? If I
> > > > > > could just single step the program while it is failing, I am sure I would get
> > > > > > the answer very quickly.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > SteveS
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> 
>

date: Sat, 24 Nov 2007 14:39:00 -0800   author:   SteveS