So now that SQL Server 2016 CTP2 is released to the public we can all finally play with all the new features inside SQL Server 2016. You can download SQL Server 2016 CTP2 here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-sql-server-2016

While I was playing around with all the new features inside SQL Server 2016 (especially Query Store, and some new reports associated with the Query Store, expect a blog post on all that awesomeness), I noticed an extra icon inside the SQL Server 2016 Management Studio.

Include Live Query Statistics…looks like a missed a new feature. It sounded pretty awesome to me so I enabled the option and ran a (simple) query just to check what it does. While the query was running SQL Server Management Studio immediately opened a new tab in the Results window called “Live Query Statistics”.

Now I didn’t notice anything else new except for some extra information underneath the Execution Plan operators and a nice box drawn around the query at the top of the window…That was kind of a disappointment…

The disappointment quickly faded though when I ran a much larger query against an enlarged AdventureWorks database!

Look at that thing going! Through Live Query Statistics you can see how long operators are taking, how far they are in their operations and get some awesome animation.

Off course the thing isn’t perfect. For instance, you can only use it on queries you are executing yourself inside SSMS, and if row estimated are not correct the percentage calculation won’t work on the operators (it will get stuck on 100% while the time keeps ticking away).

I am guessing we will learn more about Live Query Statistics after everyone had some more time to play around with it. So far, I am liking it, not only because your actually watching your query get executed, but also because you can detect expensive operations by just looking at the animation!