How do I obtain a Query Execution Plan?

Question

In Microsoft SQL Server how can I get a query execution plan for a query / stored procedure?

Answer 1

Query plans can be obtained from an Extended Events session via the query_post_execution_showplan event. Here's a sample XEvent session:

/*
    Generated via "Query Detail Tracking" template.
*/
CREATE EVENT SESSION [GetExecutionPlan] ON SERVER 
ADD EVENT sqlserver.query_post_execution_showplan(
    ACTION(package0.event_sequence,sqlserver.plan_handle,sqlserver.query_hash,sqlserver.query_plan_hash,sqlserver.session_id,sqlserver.sql_text,sqlserver.tsql_frame,sqlserver.tsql_stack)),

/* Remove any of the following events (or include additional events) as desired. */
ADD EVENT sqlserver.error_reported(
    ACTION(package0.event_sequence,sqlserver.client_app_name,sqlserver.database_id,sqlserver.plan_handle,sqlserver.query_hash,sqlserver.query_plan_hash,sqlserver.session_id,sqlserver.sql_text,sqlserver.tsql_frame,sqlserver.tsql_stack)
    WHERE ([package0].[greater_than_uint64]([sqlserver].[database_id],(4)) AND [package0].[equal_boolean]([sqlserver].[is_system],(0)))),
ADD EVENT sqlserver.module_end(SET collect_statement=(1)
    ACTION(package0.event_sequence,sqlserver.client_app_name,sqlserver.database_id,sqlserver.plan_handle,sqlserver.query_hash,sqlserver.query_plan_hash,sqlserver.session_id,sqlserver.sql_text,sqlserver.tsql_frame,sqlserver.tsql_stack)
    WHERE ([package0].[greater_than_uint64]([sqlserver].[database_id],(4)) AND [package0].[equal_boolean]([sqlserver].[is_system],(0)))),
ADD EVENT sqlserver.rpc_completed(
    ACTION(package0.event_sequence,sqlserver.client_app_name,sqlserver.database_id,sqlserver.plan_handle,sqlserver.query_hash,sqlserver.query_plan_hash,sqlserver.session_id,sqlserver.sql_text,sqlserver.tsql_frame,sqlserver.tsql_stack)
    WHERE ([package0].[greater_than_uint64]([sqlserver].[database_id],(4)) AND [package0].[equal_boolean]([sqlserver].[is_system],(0)))),
ADD EVENT sqlserver.sp_statement_completed(SET collect_object_name=(1)
    ACTION(package0.event_sequence,sqlserver.client_app_name,sqlserver.database_id,sqlserver.plan_handle,sqlserver.query_hash,sqlserver.query_plan_hash,sqlserver.session_id,sqlserver.sql_text,sqlserver.tsql_frame,sqlserver.tsql_stack)
    WHERE ([package0].[greater_than_uint64]([sqlserver].[database_id],(4)) AND [package0].[equal_boolean]([sqlserver].[is_system],(0)))),
ADD EVENT sqlserver.sql_batch_completed(
    ACTION(package0.event_sequence,sqlserver.client_app_name,sqlserver.database_id,sqlserver.plan_handle,sqlserver.query_hash,sqlserver.query_plan_hash,sqlserver.session_id,sqlserver.sql_text,sqlserver.tsql_frame,sqlserver.tsql_stack)
    WHERE ([package0].[greater_than_uint64]([sqlserver].[database_id],(4)) AND [package0].[equal_boolean]([sqlserver].[is_system],(0)))),
ADD EVENT sqlserver.sql_statement_completed(
    ACTION(package0.event_sequence,sqlserver.client_app_name,sqlserver.database_id,sqlserver.plan_handle,sqlserver.query_hash,sqlserver.query_plan_hash,sqlserver.session_id,sqlserver.sql_text,sqlserver.tsql_frame,sqlserver.tsql_stack)
    WHERE ([package0].[greater_than_uint64]([sqlserver].[database_id],(4)) AND [package0].[equal_boolean]([sqlserver].[is_system],(0)))) 
ADD TARGET package0.ring_buffer
WITH (MAX_MEMORY=4096 KB,EVENT_RETENTION_MODE=ALLOW_SINGLE_EVENT_LOSS,MAX_DISPATCH_LATENCY=30 SECONDS,MAX_EVENT_SIZE=0 KB,MEMORY_PARTITION_MODE=NONE,TRACK_CAUSALITY=ON,STARTUP_STATE=OFF)
GO

After you create the session, (in SSMS) go to the Object Explorer and delve down into Management | Extended Events | Sessions. Right-click the "GetExecutionPlan" session and start it. Right-click it again and select "Watch Live Data".

Next, open a new query window and run one or more queries. Here's one for AdventureWorks:

USE AdventureWorks;
GO

SELECT p.Name AS ProductName, 
    NonDiscountSales = (OrderQty * UnitPrice),
    Discounts = ((OrderQty * UnitPrice) * UnitPriceDiscount)
FROM Production.Product AS p 
INNER JOIN Sales.SalesOrderDetail AS sod
    ON p.ProductID = sod.ProductID 
ORDER BY ProductName DESC;
GO

After a moment or two, you should see some results in the "GetExecutionPlan: Live Data" tab. Click one of the query_post_execution_showplan events in the grid, and then click the "Query Plan" tab below the grid. It should look similar to this:

EDIT: The XEvent code and the screen shot were generated from SQL/SSMS 2012 w/ SP2. If you're using SQL 2008/R2, you might be able to tweak the script to make it run. But that version doesn't have a GUI, so you'd have to extract the showplan XML, save it as a *.sqlplan file and open it in SSMS. That's cumbersome. XEvents didn't exist in SQL 2005 or earlier. So, if you're not on SQL 2012 or later, I'd strongly suggest one of the other answers posted here.

Answer 2

Starting from SQL Server 2016+, Query Store feature was introduced to monitor performance. It provides insight into query plan choice and performance. It’s not a complete replacement of trace or extended events, but as it’s evolving from version to version, we might get a fully functional query store in future releases from SQL Server. The primary flow of Query Store

1. SQL Server existing components interact with query store by utilising Query Store Manager.
2. Query Store Manager determines which Store should be used and then passes execution to that store (Plan or Runtime Stats or Query Wait Stats)
   • Plan Store - Persisting the execution plan information
   • Runtime Stats Store - Persisting the execution statistics information
   • Query Wait Stats Store - Persisting wait statistics information.
3. Plan, Runtime Stats and Wait store uses Query Store as an extension to SQL Server.

1. Enabling the Query Store: Query Store works at the database level on the server.

   • Query Store is not active for new databases by default.
   • You cannot enable the query store for the master or tempdb database.
   • Available DMV

     sys.database_query_store_options (Transact-SQL)

2. Collect Information in the Query Store: We collect all the available information from the three stores using Query Store DMV (Data Management Views).

   • Query Plan Store: Persisting the execution plan information and it is accountable for capturing all information that is related to query compilation.

     sys.query_store_query (Transact-SQL) sys.query_store_plan (Transact-SQL) sys.query_store_query_text (Transact-SQL)

   • Runtime Stats Store: Persisting the execution statistics information and it is probably the most frequently updated store. These statistics represent query execution data.

     sys.query_store_runtime_stats (Transact-SQL)

   • Query Wait Stats Store: Persisting and capturing wait statistics information.

     sys.query_store_wait_stats (Transact-SQL)

NOTE: Query Wait Stats Store is available only in SQL Server 2017+

Answer 3

Like with SQL Server Management Studio (already explained), it is also possible with Datagrip as explained here.

1. Right-click an SQL statement, and select Explain plan.
2. In the Output pane, click Plan.
3. By default, you see the tree representation of the query. To see the query plan, click the Show Visualization icon, or press Ctrl+Shift+Alt+U