Performance Issue with IsWindowsService due to Repeated Process Lookups

[JKamsker]

Description

The WindowsServiceHelpers.IsWindowsService method in the Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices package has a performance issue. It retrieves its parent process each time it is called, which takes approximately 35.93ms. While this may not seem significant, the time accumulates when the method is used multiple times, leading to noticeable delays.

To reproduce this issue, simply call the WindowsServiceHelpers.IsWindowsService method multiple times in a loop.

Configuration

The issue was discovered on .NET 6.0, running on a Windows 11 Pro x64 (build 22621.1555) machine with the Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices package version 6.0.2.
However, it is likely to be present on any system where this package is used. The machine had about 600 processes running at the time of testing. The test was done in release mode.

Regression?

This issue has been present since the introduction of the WindowsServiceHelpers.IsWindowsService method. It is not a regression from a previous build or release.

Data

Each call to WindowsServiceHelpers.IsWindowsService takes approximately 35.93ms due to the method retrieving its parent process each time. When used multiple times, these delays stack up. For example, calling the method 100 times would result in a delay of approximately 3.59 seconds.

Analysis

The issue seems to stem from the method retrieving its parent process each time it is called. A potential solution could be to cache the parent process of the current process when the method is called for the first time, and then use this cached value in subsequent calls. This would prevent the need for repeated, time-consuming lookups.

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Issue Details

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Description

The WindowsServiceHelpers.IsWindowsService method in the Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices package has a performance issue. It retrieves its parent process each time it is called, which takes approximately 35.93ms. While this may not seem significant, the time accumulates when the method is used multiple times, leading to noticeable delays.

To reproduce this issue, simply call the WindowsServiceHelpers.IsWindowsService method multiple times in a loop.

Configuration

The issue was discovered on .NET 6.0, running on a Windows 11 Pro x64 (build 22621.1555) machine with the Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting.WindowsServices package version 6.0.2.
However, it is likely to be present on any system where this package is used. The machine had about 600 processes running at the time of testing. The test was done in release mode.

Regression?

This issue has been present since the introduction of the WindowsServiceHelpers.IsWindowsService method. It is not a regression from a previous build or release.

Data

Each call to WindowsServiceHelpers.IsWindowsService takes approximately 35.93ms due to the method retrieving its parent process each time. When used multiple times, these delays stack up. For example, calling the method 100 times would result in a delay of approximately 3.59 seconds.

Analysis

The issue seems to stem from the method retrieving its parent process each time it is called. A potential solution could be to cache the parent process of the current process when the method is called for the first time, and then use this cached value in subsequent calls. This would prevent the need for repeated, time-consuming lookups.

Author:	JKamsker
Assignees:	-
Labels:	tenet-performance, untriaged, area-Extensions-Hosting
Milestone:	-

[buyaa-n]

We might want to cache the parent process

[danmoseley]

@JKamsker any interest in offering a PR?

[JKamsker]

Whoops, I somehow didn't get the notifications 😅
Seems like @WeihanLi already drafted a PR which looks good to me 👍