build-perf-baseline

To establish a .NET build performance baseline, run the dotnet build command with the /bl flag to generate a binary log. This captures cold, warm, and no-op build times to identify potential performance regressions before applying optimization techniques.

The best way to diagnose slow dotnet build times is to capture baseline measurements across cold, warm, and no-op builds. Generating a binary log with the /bl flag allows you to analyze the MSBuild execution timeline and pinpoint specific targets or dependencies causing the delay.

You can optimize MSBuild performance by applying systematic techniques like enabling static graph builds, configuring artifacts output, and trimming the dependency graph. These strategies reduce unnecessary project evaluations and parallelize build targets to improve overall .NET build speed.

Yes, MSBuild Server reduces dotnet build startup overhead by keeping the build process resident between invocations. This optimization technique avoids repeated process initialization and MSBuild node teardown, significantly improving warm build performance for iterative .NET development.

You should establish a build performance baseline before starting a major refactor or optimization effort. Re-measure the dotnet build times afterward to quantify the performance impact of changes like dependency graph trimming or static graph builds and ensure no regressions were introduced.

No-op build times measure the overhead of the MSBuild evaluation phase when no actual compilation is needed. While useful for tracking baseline regressions in dependency graph traversal, they do not reflect the performance of actual code generation or static graph build execution.