View Execution Plans

  • Anyone have a good way to view and compare execution plans? The display in SSMS is small and I can't view them side by side. Is there a free tool for displaying the ones saved as XML?

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  • Stefan Krzywicki (11/22/2011)


    Anyone have a good way to view and compare execution plans? The display in SSMS is small and I can't view them side by side. Is there a free tool for displaying the ones saved as XML?

    Nope. EDIT: Not that I knew of. Thanks Lowell[/EDIT] You can save/reload the plan in a new window though full-sized but that doesn't deal with the side-by-side review unless you fire up a couple of SSMS instances (which is what I usually do).


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  • Stefan Krzywicki (11/22/2011)


    Anyone have a good way to view and compare execution plans? The display in SSMS is small and I can't view them side by side. Is there a free tool for displaying the ones saved as XML?

    I've been using SQL Sentry Plan Explorer, which has a has a free lite version, as well as a free SSMS plug in so you can right click...View plan in SQL Sentry

    it has a nicer more compact format than SSMS's plans, so it's alittle easier to read.

    the freebie part is to encourage you to buy the full version, which has a lot more tools.

    Lowell


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  • Stefan Krzywicki (11/22/2011)


    Anyone have a good way to view and compare execution plans? The display in SSMS is small and I can't view them side by side. Is there a free tool for displaying the ones saved as XML?

    You can use SSMS to open the saved ones. When I compare I use the tab groups functionality in SSMS to compare execution plans. You right-click on the tab and do a new vertical/horizontal tab group.

  • I'll either open two windows & bounce between them, or I'll open two instances of SSMS.

    SQL Sentry's Plan Explorer is worth checking out.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
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    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • I haven't played with 2012 yet, but do the tabs float like in VS 2010 so you can have each tab on a separate monitor? That might be reason enough to upgrade to the 2012 tools.

  • Jack Corbett (11/22/2011)


    I haven't played with 2012 yet, but do the tabs float like in VS 2010 so you can have each tab on a separate monitor? That might be reason enough to upgrade to the 2012 tools.

    I don't have multiple monitors set up, but yeah, the tabs tear right off like in VS 2010. In theory you'll be able to set it up how you like when we finally get to SQL SErver 2012.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

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