Dynatrace launches Live Debugger to simplify cloud debugging

Dynatrace has announced the general availability of its Live Debugger tool, designed to enable developers to debug thousands of live services in production environments without disrupting application performance.

Live Debugger is developed to address the increasing complexity of modern cloud and AI-native environments, offering real-time insights and self-service capabilities for developers.

The tool aims to reduce debugging times significantly, with early adopters such as Canadian telecommunications company TELUS reporting reductions of up to 95%.

The new offering introduces several key features, including non-breaking breakpoints, which allow engineers to inspect the full state of an application - such as variables and stack traces - without halting its execution. Instant data access from production environments also eliminates the need for redeployment or insertion of additional log lines, streamlining the troubleshooting process.

Supporting thousands of concurrent workload instances at enterprise scale, Live Debugger is positioned to meet the requirements of organisations operating across platforms including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and RedHat OpenShift.

Dynatrace states that as enterprise cloud and AI environments become more dynamic, legacy debugging practices are increasingly insufficient. Live Debugger is intended to deliver real-time, non-intrusive insights that facilitate faster problem solving and performance monitoring.

The company describes the tool as suitable for both cloud-native deployments and AI workloads. By reducing the time, cost, and operational complexity typically associated with debugging, Dynatrace aims to help businesses maintain efficiency and speed.

Among the capabilities provided by Live Debugger, instant data access allows the retrieval of production-level code data on demand, without the need to modify existing code or redeploy the application.

This feature is supported by the Dynatrace platform's privacy and security controls for production access. Non-breaking breakpoints give developers the ability to inspect application states without interrupting performance, moving away from legacy methods that risk system slowdowns.

Enterprise-scale support ensures that organisations can use Live Debugger to analyse thousands of workload instances in real time. According to Dynatrace, the technology operates with minimal impact on performance, permitting background operations and comprehensive coverage.

IDC analyst Adam Resnick commented, "Developers want modern tools that minimise the time they spend on debugging."

"Using traditional debugging is arduous, particularly when dealing with production problems. Dynatrace Live Debugger simplifies this process, making debugging and addressing critical application issues easier."

Dana Harrison, Principal Site Reliability Engineer at TELUS, described the impact on their development process: "Before using Dynatrace Live Debugger, getting any information about a bug would involve adding log lines, going through deployment, and waiting for rollout."

"With Live Debugger, what used to take us 45 minutes now takes just 2 minutes - a 95% reduction in debugging time. This tool has helped redefine how we approach and resolve complex application bugs."

Steve Tack, Chief Product Officer at Dynatrace, added, "Dynatrace Live Debugger delivers game-changing productivity and insights for businesses managing increasingly complex cloud and AI workloads."

"By enabling real-time debugging with non-breaking breakpoints, we provide developers with the data they need to succeed while protecting application performance. We're addressing a tremendous market opportunity, empowering developers with an experience built for the complex agentic AI environments of the future."

Dynatrace recently included Live Debugger as part of its Observability for Developers offering, a suite designed to give the developer community access to runtime insights and troubleshooting capabilities in real time.

The launch of Live Debugger is intended to facilitate more efficient development cycles for enterprises and developer teams working within the constraints and demands of dynamic, cloud-centred, and AI-driven software environments.