Viewing an xml plan as a graphical plan

  • I am having trouble viewing the query plan as a graphical plan. I am running 2008 r2 sp1 on the servers and i am using ssms version 10.50.2550.0 on my laptop

    I have a query which returns the plans in the cache and it outputs a link such as:

    <ShowPlanXML xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.........>

    which i click on and i should get a graphical representation in management studio right ? I was about to post that all i get is the raw xml code when i click on these links, however i have just clicked on one of them and it has returned me the graphical execution plan as expected ?

    The query has returned 500 rows ( i had to stop it running as it was taking a long time) and up to now 99% of the links just return the raw xml and not the graphical one. Why are they not all returning me the graphical version of the plan ?

    Can somebody explain why this is ?

  • http://sqlblog.com/blogs/aaron_bertrand/archive/2011/10/28/getting-graphical-showplan-back-in-sql-server-2008-r2.aspx

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • Thanks for sharing that link Gail.

    I copied the showplanxml.xsd from an sql2012 version and copied into into my sql2008 version as the article mentioned - All links now return the graphical execution plan.

    Thank you

    🙂

  • Another option would have been SQL Sentry's Plan Explorer. It is one of my go-to utilities, and even the free version will help your analysis of execution plans a great deal.

    (I do not get any $$ from them just a great tool.)

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