When software applications are first built, they may initially meet our requirements. However, it’s not enough for our applications to simply meet the bare minimum. We also want them to be as efficient as possible, but figuring out how or where to improve them can be challenging.

Although this guide focuses on a Python-specific implementation, Middleware supports all major programming languages. You can find instructions for your language of choice in our APM Documentation.

What is Profiling?

Profiling, in the context of software development, refers to the process of analyzing and measuring the performance characteristics of a program or system.

It involves using specialized tools known as application profiling tools to gather metrics like CPU usage, memory allocation, and execution time.

What is Continuous Profiling?

Continuous profiling takes things a step further by enabling real-time monitoring and detection of performance regressions. It allows developers to proactively address any emerging issues before they impact users.

Continuous Profiling can be set up easily using any of our APMs.

Continuous Profiling Support Matrix

The following table shows what Continuous Profiling features are available per each APM:


	Profiling Query Type	Node.js	Go	Java	Ruby	.NET	PHP	Python	Next.js	Vercel	Cloudflare	Scala
Object Allocation	`memory:alloc_objects:count::`	✖️	✅	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️
Memory Allocation	`memory:alloc_space:bytes::`	✖️	✅	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️
Objects in Use	`memory:inuse_objects:count`	✅	✅	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✅	✅	✖️	✖️
Memory in Use	`memory:inuse_space:bytes`	✅	✅	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✅	✅	✖️	✖️
CPU Usage	`process_cpu:cpu:nanoseconds:cpu:nanoseconds`	✖️	✅	✅	✅	✖️	✖️	✅	✅	✅	✖️	✅
Wall-clock time	`wall:wall:nanoseconds:cpu:nanoseconds`	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✅	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️
Blocking Contentions	`block:contentions:count::`	✖️	✖️	✅	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✅
Blocking Delays	`block:delay:nanoseconds::`	✖️	✖️	✅	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✅
Bytes Allocated(TLAB)	`memory:alloc_in_new_tlab_bytes:bytes::`	✖️	✖️	✅	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✅
Objects Allocated(TLAB)	`memory:alloc_in_new_tlab_objects:count::`	✖️	✖️	✅	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✖️	✅

Profiling A Flask Web Application

Prerequisites

MW Agent Installed

The MW Host Agent must already be installed

VPS or Cloud Computer

Access to a VPS or a cloud computer service instance like EC2, Azure VM, or Digital Ocean Droplet

Create Your Flask App

calculations.py contains a set of functions that allows us to simulate a bottleneck, along with other functions that perform some mathematical calculations:

calc1 - a function with a quadratic time complexity.

calc2 - a function with a quadratic time complexity. It’s a bit different from calc 1 because it does not have the extra square root added to the value. Both calc1 and calc2 simply serve to demonstrate calc3 as a bottleneck.

calc3 - a function with a factorial time complexity.

efficient - a function that calls calc1 and calc2 and returns a sum of those functions.

with_bottlneck - a function that calls calc1 calc2 and calc3 and returns a sum of those functions. calc3 will be our bottleneck function in this example.

Python

    import math

    def calc1(n: int) -> int:
        value = 0
        for i in range(0, n):
            for j in range(0, n):
                value += math.sqrt(j)
                value += math.sqrt(i)
        return value

    def calc2(n: int) -> float:
        value = 0
        for i in range(0, n):
            for j in range(0, n):
                value += math.sqrt(j)
        return value

    def calc3(n: int) -> float:
        elements = list(range(1, n + 1))
        num_permutations = math.factorial(n)
        value = 0
        for i in range(num_permutations):
            value += sum(elements)
            j = n - 2
            while j >= 0 and elements[j] > elements[j + 1]:
                j -= 1

            if j == -1:
                break

            k = n - 1
            while elements[j] > elements[k]:
                k -= 1

            elements[j], elements[k] = elements[k], elements[j]

            left = j + 1
            right = n - 1
            while left < right:
                elements[left], elements[right] = elements[right], elements[left]
                left += 1
                right -= 1

        return value

    def efficient(n: int) -> float:
        value = 0
        value += calc1(n)
        value += calc2(n)
        return value

    def with_bottleneck(n: int) -> float:
        value = 0
        value += calc1(n)
        value += calc2(n)
        value += calc3(n)
        return value

app.py contains our Flask application with two endpoints.

/calculate1 - an endpoint designed to be faster than calculate2 and calls calculations.efficient()

/calculate2 - calls the calculations.with_bottleneck() function and is comparatively slower than the /calculate1 endpoint.

Python

    import calculations
    from flask import Flask
    import os

    # Required middleware import 
    from middleware import MwTracker
    tracker = MwTracker()

    app = Flask(__name__)
    app.secret_key = os.environ.get("FLASK_SECRET_KEY", default="Da!8j97ZZq^6Fe3y!D@U")

    @app.errorhandler(404)
    def not_found(e):
        return "<h1> 404 Not found </h1>"

    @app.route("/calculate1/<int:number>")
    def calculate1(number):
        value = calculations.efficient(number)
        return {"value": value}

    @app.route("/calculate2/<int:number>")
    def calculate2(number):
        value = calculations.with_bottleneck(number)
        return {"value": value}

Finding a Bottleneck

After creating the application and deploying it to the platform of your choice, follow the steps from Python APM, login to middleware.io, and head to APM > Continuous Profiling.

To identify individual functions/methods that consume a significant amount of CPU time, click on the Table and Flamegraph section.

Within the table, sort the functions/methods by the amount of time they consume in descending order by clicking on the “Self” header.

In this example, it’s clear that the calc3 function is causing a notable bottleneck in our application.

By clicking on the function name calc3 in the table, the function will also be highlighted in the flame graph. This will show the call stack with caller functions at the top and callee functions going toward the bottom.

Middleware Docs

Continuous Profiling with Middleware

What is Profiling?

What is Continuous Profiling?

Continuous Profiling Support Matrix

Profiling A Flask Web Application

Prerequisites

Create Your Flask App

Finding a Bottleneck

Middleware Docs

​What is Profiling?

​What is Continuous Profiling?

​Continuous Profiling Support Matrix

​Profiling A Flask Web Application

​Prerequisites

​Create Your Flask App

​Finding a Bottleneck

What is Profiling?

What is Continuous Profiling?

Continuous Profiling Support Matrix

Profiling A Flask Web Application

Prerequisites

Create Your Flask App

Finding a Bottleneck