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DTrace VS Process Monitor

Compare DTrace VS Process Monitor and see what are their differences

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Contents:
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  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

DTrace logo DTrace

DTrace is a performance analysis and troubleshooting tool for Solaris, Mac OS X and FreeBSD.

Process Monitor logo Process Monitor

Monitor file system, Registry, process, thread and DLL activity in real-time.
  • DTrace Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-04
  • Process Monitor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03

DTrace features and specs

  • Comprehensive Observability
    DTrace provides a comprehensive view of system behavior by observing metrics across various layers, including the operating system, hardware, and applications.
  • Real-time Analysis
    It allows for real-time tracing and diagnosing, which is critical for identifying performance bottlenecks as they occur.
  • Low-Overhead
    DTrace is designed to have minimal impact on system performance, making it suitable for use in production environments.
  • Dynamic Instrumentation
    It can dynamically enable and disable probes in a live system, which allows detailed monitoring without restarting the system or applications.
  • Cross-platform Support
    Originally developed for Solaris, DTrace has been ported to other operating systems like FreeBSD and MacOS, extending its usability.

Possible disadvantages of DTrace

  • Complexity
    DTrace's powerful capabilities can make it complex to learn and use effectively, especially for those unfamiliar with its scripting language.
  • Limited to Supported Platforms
    DTrace is not available on all operating systems, limiting its use to those systems that support it.
  • Security Concerns
    Since DTrace can access many parts of the system, there are potential security implications if not properly managed and secured.
  • Limited GUI Tools
    While DTrace is command-line oriented, it lacks advanced built-in graphical interfaces, which can be a drawback for users who prefer visual data representation.
  • Potential for Misuse
    Improper use of DTrace can lead to system instability or performance problems, particularly if inexperienced users enable extensive probes.

Process Monitor features and specs

  • Comprehensive Monitoring
    Process Monitor provides detailed real-time data on process, file system, registry, and network activity. This allows for in-depth analysis and troubleshooting.
  • Advanced Filtering
    Users can apply complex filters to focus on specific events or processes, which helps in pinpointing issues more efficiently.
  • Event Highlighting
    The tool supports highlighting rules that can be used to visually differentiate events of interest, making it easier to identify key activities.
  • Boot Time Logging
    It can be configured to record events during the boot process, which is invaluable for diagnosing startup issues.
  • Integration with other Sysinternals Tools
    Seamless integration with other Sysinternals tools allows for a more comprehensive diagnostic toolkit.

Possible disadvantages of Process Monitor

  • Resource Intensive
    Process Monitor can consume significant system resources, especially when monitoring extensive activities, which might affect system performance.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its wide range of features and the detailed information it provides, new users might find it challenging to navigate and use effectively.
  • Overwhelming Data
    The volume of data generated can be overwhelming, making it difficult to isolate relevant information without proper filtering.
  • No Native Support for Non-Windows Systems
    As a tool originally designed for Windows, it does not support non-Windows operating systems natively.
  • Potential for Information Overload
    The granular level of detail provided can lead to information overload, particularly for users unfamiliar with interpreting the data.

Analysis of Process Monitor

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Process Monitor is a highly effective tool for those needing deep system-level diagnostics. Its robust feature set and real-time monitoring capabilities make it indispensable for complex troubleshooting tasks.

Why this product is good

  • Process Monitor is widely regarded as a valuable tool for system administrators and developers due to its ability to provide detailed insights into file system, registry, and process/thread activity in real-time. It helps in diagnosing system problems and comprehensively troubleshooting issues. Its ability to filter output and capture intricate details makes it powerful for advanced users who need to understand interactions within the Windows OS.

Recommended for

  • System Administrators
  • Software Developers
  • IT Support Specialists
  • Security Analysts
  • Anyone needing to diagnose complex system or software-level issues on Windows.

DTrace videos

+ Add

Dtrace Review

More videos:

  • Review - Dtrace Review
  • Review - !!Con 2016 - Finding out what's really going on, with DTrace! By Colin Jones

Process Monitor videos

+ Add

Process Monitor, powerful tool to troubleshoot applications and Windows.

More videos:

  • Review - Process Monitor: Basic Operation
  • Review - Malware Analysis - Tools - Process Monitor Basic

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DTrace and Process Monitor)

DTrace

Process Monitor

IDE
100 100%
IDE
0% 0
Monitoring Tools
5 5%
Monitoring Tools
95% 95
Software Development
100 100%
Software Development
0% 0
Command Line Tools
0 0%
Command Line Tools
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using DTrace and Process Monitor. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Process Monitor seems to be a lot more popular than DTrace. While we know about 184 links to Process Monitor, we've tracked only 1 mention of DTrace. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

DTrace mentions (1)

  • Mactop
    I believe that macOS still ships with DTrace; Xcode Instruments was originally built on top of it. https://dtrace.org (Some people find it easier to write a one-line script that reports the timings that they need; I don't know if it helps you.). - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago

Process Monitor mentions (184)

  • TaskExplorer
    Don't agree. It's just as complex (may be a bit more) as ProcessMonitor by Sysinternals https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Why did Windows 95 setup use three operating systems?
    Https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon Windows does a tonne of things in the background, yes. If I run that and let it monitor everything, things will happen even if I do nothing. It is an OS and complex. >It is shown instantly, fully rendered, in the next video frame. There is no delay THIS is true and also crazy to me. I forgot how fast XP was. Especially on modern hardware. I... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • DLLs in Rust🦀
    To be sure that our exe is actually looking for the DLL, fire up the SysInternals' Process Monitor. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • can't get PTAT to run on RPL-U i7-1365URE eval board
    Don't know what PTAT stands for, but whenever I have issues with windows software running properly I pull out Process Monitor to log what that program was doing at the time of the error message. Sometimes there is a clue such as not being able to find a particular file, or registry key, or something else crashing etc. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Software developer looking to experiment with SCCM
    This might be a bit advanced but if it was me I would probably get frustrated and use SysInternals specifically procmon Https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing DTrace and Process Monitor, you can also consider the following products

OllyDbg - OllyDbg is a 32-bit assembler level analysing debugger.

Process Explorer - The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'l…

strace - Trace system calls and signals. A diagnostic, debugging and instructional userspace utility.

htop - htop - an interactive process viewer for Unix. This is htop, an interactive process viewer for Unix systems. It is a text-mode application (for console or X terminals) and requires ncurses. Latest release: htop 2.

X64dbg - X64dbg is a debugging software that can debug x64 and x32 applications.

Windows Task Manager - Need assistance with your Microsoft product? Find helpful articles for Windows, Office, Microsoft Account, Microsoft Store, Xbox, and more.

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