How does Lightrun ensure safety and minimal impact when debugging live production systems?
Lightrun connects to live applications safely and indirectly. All instrumentation, such as logs, metrics, and snapshots, is performant, read-only, and does not require code changes or application restarts, ensuring that debugging activities do not introduce new risks or significantly impact the running application's state or performance.
Can Lightrun debug issues that occur only in specific user flows or with particular configuration settings?
Yes, Lightrun allows developers to debug specific user flows, configuration settings, and particular states. It enables adding telemetry in real-time with actual state data, making it possible to pinpoint exact behaviors reliably without needing to mock or reproduce complex scenarios.
What is the process for adding a new log line to a running application using Lightrun?
To add a new log line, developers use the Lightrun plugin within their IDE (e.g., IntelliJ, VS Code). They can select a specific line of code, define the log message and any conditions, and Lightrun will instrument the live application to emit that log without requiring a redeploy or application restart. The logs can then be viewed directly in the IDE or streamed to an existing logging solution.
How does Lightrun help reduce logging costs compared to traditional logging approaches?
Lightrun reduces logging costs by enabling developers to add logs on-demand and at runtime, only when and where they are needed for troubleshooting. This eliminates the practice of over-logging applications during development in anticipation of future issues, as the majority of logs are never emitted, leading to significant cost savings on log storage and processing.
Is it possible to debug third-party libraries or frameworks within an application using Lightrun?
Yes, Lightrun works seamlessly within your supply chain, allowing you to add logs, metrics, and snapshots across popular ORMs, web frameworks, SDKs, and other third-party libraries. This capability requires zero additional configuration, providing deep visibility into external code components.
What kind of AI capabilities does Lightrun offer for debugging?
Lightrun leverages agentic AI to autonomously debug and remediate software issues. It can pinpoint root causes down to the exact line of code, highlight culprit code paths, and deliver real-time debugging suggestions. This allows developers to validate findings against the running instance and receive instant fix suggestions.