Profiling and tracing distributed applications

In a distributed system, the distributed system comprising a plurality of modules of a distributed application, each module connected to a common network and at least one message router, and the plurality of modules distributing the execution of the distributed application across a plurality of different computer systems, a method for profiling the distributed application by configuring profile actions that are to be performed at a message recipient, the method comprising the following:

• an act of the message router receiving a first message from a module of the distributed application and intended for receipt by another module of the distributed application, the first message comprising distributed application data for the distributed application running on the distributed system;
• an act of the message router receiving profile controls, the profile controls including control information comprising executable instructions, which, when received by a message recipient, will cause the message recipient to perform profile actions indicated by the profile controls;
• an act of the message router modifying the first message by merging the profile controls including the executable instructions into the first message;
• and
• an act of the message router routing the modified first message to a destination message recipient designated in the first message, causing the destination message recipient to record profile data as indicated by the inserted profile controls.