The dynaTrace AJAX Edition has been out there as an Alpha for a couple of weeks. It gave you the first impression what was to come. All the feedback we have received (like that from Steve Souders, and all that has come in via the contact form and the online forum) in that time made it possible to improve the tool from its early versions to its first "official" release version.

In this article I'll discuss why dynaTrace Labs built the AJAX Edition, which problems it solves and how to use it in an example with Google maps.

Why dynaTrace AJAX dition - and why for free?

At dynaTrace, we see the paradigm shift of web applications with our clients as well as in the industry where the browsers and their runtimes (JavaScript, DOM) become application platforms. The rise of frameworks like jQuery, GWT, YUI, DoJo, ... make it easier to build Web 2.0 applications - but it has become harder to identify problems in these applications whether those problems are functional or performance related.

The number one browser is still Internet Explorer - even more so in enterprise environments. Diagnostics tools for IE are rare leaving developers and testers with lots of pain when it comes to problem analysis. The challenges in Web 2.0/AJAX Applications are not only to understand network interactions (how many and when resources get downloaded), but also how this effects performance. The problem field extends to JavaScript, XmlHttpRequests, DOM Manipulations, Frameworks, Layouting and Rendering. dynaTrace AJAX Edition has been built to address all these issues to help understand what is causing performance- and functional-related problems in modern AJAX Applications.

Now - why is it free? It's free because we want to help developers to testers with the challenges that Web 2.0 brings with it. We also want to bring awareness of the dynaTrace APM Solution which in combination with the AJAX Edition brings end-to-end, browser to server transaction-centric Application Performance Management. Read the full explanation on Why are we giving away free software?

Lets analyze Google Maps - a Step-by-Step Guide from Installation to Analysis

I've exported the dynaTrace AJAX Session file that I used for this blog entry. Feel free to download it and use it to follow my individual analysis steps based on the data that I've collected. Extract the zip file and import this session file (.dtas) via the Import button in the Toolbar and skip the first 3 steps.

Step 1: Download and Install dynaTrace AJAX Edition

In the beginning there was - correct - downloading and installation

Open your browser and go to dynaTrace AJAX Edition Web Site and click on Download to download the latest version. You have to register an account which not only allows you to download the tool but also gives you access to the community pages where you can find additional useful information, ask questions and even contribute features to a wish-list.

Step 2: Launch and Explore dynaTrace AJAX Edition

Check your Start Menu for Programs->dynaTrace->dynaTrace AJAX Edition and launch it from there. The client will come up with the Cockpit and the Welcome Screen. Before we start tracing Google Maps lets explore some of the data collection options we have: