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description: Microsoft is introducing WPA MCP, an early preview feature that integrates GitHub Copilot CLI into Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA) to assist with ETW trace...
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# Introducing WPA MCP: Early Preview of AI-assisted trace analysis in Windows Performance Analyzer

**[DevBlogs](https://daily.dev/sources/devblogs)** · 6 min read · 0 upvotes · 1 comments

## Summary

Microsoft is introducing WPA MCP, an early preview feature that integrates GitHub Copilot CLI into Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA) to assist with ETW trace analysis. Users can ask natural-language questions about a loaded trace, and Copilot will identify relevant tables, signals, and findings to guide the investigation. The feature targets both new and experienced WPA users to reduce the expert knowledge barrier in performance diagnostics. It currently requires an active GitHub Copilot subscription and supports only GitHub Copilot in this preview. LLM-generated results should be treated as a starting point and validated against actual trace data before acting on them.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://devblogs.microsoft.com/performance-diagnostics/introducing-wpa-mcp-early-preview-of-ai-assisted-trace-analysis-in-windows-performance-analyzer>

## Questions this post answers

### What is WPA MCP and how does it use GitHub Copilot in Windows Performance Analyzer?

WPA MCP is an early preview feature that integrates GitHub Copilot CLI into Windows Performance Analyzer, letting engineers ask natural-language questions about ETW trace data instead of manually navigating tables and graphs. Copilot inspects available trace data, identifies relevant tables and signals, summarizes findings, and supports follow-up questions to narrow an investigation. It requires an active GitHub Copilot subscription and currently supports no other AI assistants or MCP clients.

_Engineers tracking new AI-assisted diagnostics tooling can follow WPA MCP coverage on daily.dev._

### Do I need a GitHub Copilot subscription to use WPA MCP in Windows Performance Analyzer?

Yes, the current Early Preview release of WPA MCP supports GitHub Copilot only, and an active GitHub Copilot subscription is required to use it. Other AI assistants, model providers, and MCP clients are not supported in this preview, and the setup requirements and behavior may still change before general availability.

_daily.dev helps developers weighing Copilot subscription requirements stay current on tooling changes._

### How do I enable or start the WPA MCP server manually in Windows Performance Analyzer?

WPA MCP starts automatically when GitHub Copilot CLI launches inside Windows Performance Analyzer, controlled by the 'Start with WPA' setting which is on by default. If disabled, the server can be started manually by entering /MCP and selecting WPA-MCP from the list of available MCP servers, accessible via the File Menu or startup launcher settings.

_Those configuring MCP servers for trace analysis can track setup details like this on daily.dev._

## Community discussion

Top comments from developers on daily.dev.

**@trevorsuna** · 0 upvotes

> Natural-language guidance could make ETW traces much less intimidating, especially when it points people to the right tables and signals. The important guardrail is the one Microsoft mentions: treat the answer as a hypothesis, then validate it against the actual trace before changing code.

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---

Tags: [#github](https://daily.dev/tags/github), [#mcp](https://daily.dev/tags/mcp)

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