Developing High Performance and Scalable Web Applications using ASP.NET 1.1 and ADO.NET 1.1

Target Audience
This workshop will provide the student with a focused, hands-on environment learn how to identify and resolve performance and scalability bottlenecks in existing data-driven ASP.NET Web applications.

Pre-Requisites
Before attending this course, students must have the following prerequisites:A minimum of one year's experience using Visual Studio .NET 2003 (.NET Framework 1.1) and additional experience with Visual Studio 2002 and previous development environments.A minimum of one year's ASP.NET and ADO.NET application development.Experience in developing Web applications for an intranet or the Internet.Successful completion of Course 2310, Developing Microsoft ASP.NET Web Applications Using Visual Studio .NETOR Course 2640 Upgrading Web Development Skills from ASP to Microsoft ASP .NET or equivalent knowledge.Successful completion of Course 2389, Programming with Microsoft ADO.NET.

Purpose
At the end of the course, students will be able to measure Web Application Performance; improve Data Access Performance and Scalability; improve ASP.NET Performance and Scalability; improve Managed Code Performance and Scalability.

Course outline

1. Measuring Web Application Performance
2. Improving Data Access Performance and Scalability
3. Improving ASP.NET Performance and Scalability
4. Improving Managed Code Performance and Scalability

Module 1:Measuring Web Application Performance

• This unit highlights the main performance and scalability issues found in ASP.NET Web applications and introduces the various tools and techniques that can be used to measure application performance in order to establish baseline metrics or identify bottlenecks. In addition to introducing the tools, students will learn when to use each of the available tools. They will learn what each tool is specifically designed to do and what performance problems each tool can help diagnose. This unit also presents a performance testing process designed to assist with this discipline and to provide a framework for bottleneck identification.
• Lab: Measuring Web Application Performance.

• Explain the top ASP.NET application performance and scalability issues.
  
• Apply a repeatable performance testing process.
  
• Select the appropriate performance measuring and monitoring tools based on application characteristics.
  
• Create and configure ACT scripts.
  
• Monitor the ASP.NET thread pool by using custom performance counters.
  
• Create a Web application performance baseline.
  
• Describe the best practices for measuring Web application performance.
  

Module 2:Improving Data Access Performance and Scalability

• This unit teaches students how to use Visual Studio 2005 to create managed code that runs inside SQL Server 2005. Students learn how to identify and resolve data access related problem areas in an ASP.NET Web application. This includes problems relating to database configuration specifics and also to poor data access (ADO.NET) code design and implementation. While certain items associated with database configuration such as the use of appropriate indexes and index and query tuning is covered, the focus for this module is on ADO.NET data access code. Pointers to suitable resources for database tuning will be provided in the lab toolkit resources.
• Lab: Improving Data Access Performance and Scalability.

• Explain common data access performance and scalability issues.
  
• Describe the methods of identifying database and data access bottlenecks.
  
• Monitor database and data access activity.
  
• Identify and optimize slow running queries.
  
• Improve index performance by using the Index Tuning Wizard.
  
• Identify ADO.NET bottlenecks by measuring data access performance.
  
• Improve transaction performance.
  
• Optimize connection usage.
  
• Optimize ADO.NET data retrieval.
  
• Select and implement an efficient data paging mechanism.
  
• Describe the best practices for improving data access performance.
  

Module 3:Improving ASP.NET Performance and Scalability

• This unit focuses on ASP.NET specific performance and scalability issues. Students will learn how to measure performance and identify ASP.NET specific bottlenecks and how to resolve these issues.
• Lab: Improving ASP.NET Performance and Scalability.

• Explain common ASP.NET performance and scalability issues.
  
• Describe the methods of identifying ASP.NET bottlenecks.
  
• Identify ASP.NET bottlenecks.
  
• Tune an ASP.NET application.
  
• Implement caching techniques to improve performance.
  
• Improve COM interop performance.
  
• Optimize state management.
  
• Handle long running calls efficiently.
  
• Describe the best practices for improving ASP.NET Performance.
  

Module 4:Improving Managed Code Performance and Scalability

• This unit focuses on managed code performance. It examines common areas where poor managed code design and implementation techniques can impact the generally very efficient operation of the common language runtime, which can lead to performance and scalability problems. Students will learn how to identify managed code bottlenecks by using a combination of white box and black box analysis techniques.
• Lab: Improving Managed Code Performance and Scalability.

• Explain common managed code performance and scalability issues.
  
• Describe the methods of identifying managed code issues.
  
• Diagnose memory issues by using CLRProfiler.
  
• Improve serialization efficiency.
  
• Improve string handling performance.
  
• Write efficient exception handling code.
  
• Write efficient collection management code.
  
• Describe the best practices for improving managed code performance.