FB TraceManager^tm

An Introduction to the Firebird Trace API

Firebird 2.5 offers a new feature to continuously monitor what is executed against a database: The Trace and Services API. This new API allows to trace database and services events continuously. A new Firebird command-line utility fbtracemgr, part of each Firebird 2.5 distribution, allows to use the new tracing capabilities. The feature set of this utility is limited and won't allow you to explore the full capabilities, as it simply outputs the raw trace data as received from the Firebrd server.

What is FB TraceManager

FB TraceManager by Upscene Productions is currently the only specialized tool available on the market, which exposes the Firebird 2.5 Trace API in a very user friendly way. With a modern and easy-to-use graphical user interface armed, it exposes the new Firebird 2.5 tracing capabilities in its full power. Receiving Firebird's default semi-structured trace output is the base functionality for more advanced features like a context-based parser, which translates the raw trace output into an easy understandable structured representation of trace events, optional with the ability to persist trace data into an included Firebird database. Additional modules (reporting, analysis, event processing) in FB TraceManager enables you to get most out of received trace events. Furthermore, starting with FB Tracemanager V2.5, additional per-database monitoring facilities (header page, database statistics, monitoring (MON$) tables integration) combined with the Trace API integrate in a professional toolset to monitor, profile, trace and optimize your Firebird environment.

Introduction Videos

We have created several introduction videos for you so you can see FB TraceManager in action.

Key Features

Unicode-enabled
Multi-threaded for serving multiple server attachments simultaneously
Register Firebird server attachments
Register trace configurations (projects) for starting trace sessions
Receive raw trace data output
Log raw trace data into a Firebird database
Parse raw trace data and transform it into a structured form
Log parsed trace data into a Firebird database
Import raw trace output file generated by e.g. fbtracemgr
Browse logged trace data easily
Reporting on logged trace data with customized reports built with the included report designer
Define OLAP/pivot-like ad-hoc queries visually for advanced trace data analysis
Event processing for customized condition monitoring on trace data
Optional light-weight Windows Service based application for trace data storage without any visualization. Trial version included in the registered installer package only. Must be purchased separately
New in V2.5: Per-database monitoring toolset (database header page, database statistics, Firebird MON$ tables integration) in addition to the Trace API

Available Editions

FB TraceManager comes in three different editions:

Lite Edition
Standard Edition
Enterprise Edition