Azure Service Fabric activation error

I usually connect via RDP to the affected node and do the following things in such a case:

• Check Console-Out / Console-Error logs: Service Fabric stores console output (if enabled via <ConsoleRedirection> in your ServiceManifest.xml) and errors in a log folder. On your DEV cluster, this should be C:\SfDevCluster\Data\_App\Node.x\<ApplicationTypeFolder>\log. On a default installation in Azure, it should be D:\SvcFab\_App\<ApplicationTypeFolder>\log

• EventLog: .NET exceptions sometimes show up in the "Application" log, but Service Fabric also has its own subfolder which might contain helpful events.

• PerfView: PerfView is a very powerful tool to monitor ETW events (Event Tracing for Windows). Since .NET exceptions are logged as ETW events, PerfView might show you helpful exceptions. Here's a quick tutorial:

  • Download and run PerfView
  • Go to "Collect -> Collect". De-Select "Merge".
  • Click "Start Collection".
  • Now kill your Service Fabric Service through Process Explorer, in case it is running. Moments later, Service Fabric will start it again.
  • If your service is not running, re-deploy your service.
  • After the service failed, press "Stop collection" in PerfView.
  • Now double-click on "Events" in the left tree - this will open all recorded ETW events.
  • Search for "Microsoft-Windows-DotNETRuntime/Exception/Start" and double click on it.
  • You should now see all .NET exceptions that occurred, ordered by time.