How can I view Developer Dashboard from a custom master page or PowerShell?

Question

I need to view Developer Dashboard data to investigate a bottleneck on a SharePoint deployment, but the master page has been customized and the Developer Dashboard is not available (after enabling it from STSADM).

Someone told me that I can retrieve the same data via PowerShell. Is this true? If so, how?

I'm trying to retrieve the call stack info before any attempts to debug the code remotely step by step.

Can you help me?

PS: I cannot install any software to the server (even Visual Studio). Actually, the only software that can help me and its installed on this server is Visual Studio Remote Debugger.

Answer 1

Try enabling it using the next stsadm snippet:

stsadm -o setproperty -pn developer-dashboard -pv on

Or using a Powershell snippet:

$sp2010 = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPWebService]::ContentService.DeveloperDashboardSettings;
$sp2010.DisplayLevel = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPDeveloperDashboardLevel]::On;
$sp2010.RequiredPermissions = 'EmptyMask';
$sp2010.TraceEnabled = $true;
$sp2010.Update(); 

Answer 2

If possible, revert the site you are using to a standard SharePoint Master page and retest with that as that will not only let you have access to the Developer Dashboard but might also point out the issue if it is in the custom master page. Barring that, copy the customized masterpage and modify the copy to include the DevDashboard tags then change the site to use that.

<SharePoint:DeveloperDashboard runat="server" />

Once you have the information you need, you can switch it back to the existing custom master page and then go flog the person who customized it for leaving that control out. You will have the backing of most of the people here on that point.

Answer 3

you can simply open another browser pointing to:

http://YOUR_SERVER/_layouts/15/devdash.aspx

you don't need to change your masterpage at all.