Tooltips in Execution Plans

If you're using the graphical view of query plans (and we recommend it) you'll find the tooltips are a very useful way of quickly understanding more about how and why your query is performing. Noted author and blogger Grant Fritchey does a basic walk through of the information shown via query plan tool tips.

I'm currently working for FM Global, an industry leading engineering & insurance company, as a DBA. I've done development of large scale applications in languages such as VB, C# and Java. I've worked in SQL Server from the hoary days of 6.0. My nickname at work is the "The Scary DBA." I even have an official name plate with it. I wear it proudly. I was awarded a Microsoft MVP in April of '09.

vinod singh on 4/2/2009

How do I download this video?

Grant Fritchey on 4/3/2009

Clicking on the picture just above the title "Tooltips in Execution Plans" seems to work.

Brian Kajutti on 4/7/2009

useful, I was always skipping over info when I looked at query plans; now I'll know how to interpret it

Virendra on 4/14/2009

good

Denise Tsubota on 6/24/2010

Answered several questions I had about execution plan information.

Eric on 5/24/2011

A much cleaner explanation than those presented in books.

Divya B S on 8/26/2011

very basic

Scott Schommer on 8/26/2011

Great review and it went deeper on parts of the tooltips that I typically glaze over because I'm in a rush!

961031AE24 on 8/26/2011

I was looking for what the items in the tool tip actually mean to performance

Amar0009 on 8/26/2011

Some advanced info was there otherwise most of the info provided in the video is already there in the tool tips and clearly comprehensible.

William Driebusch on 8/26/2011

would like more on execution plans

Dan on 8/26/2011

Very, very useful info for getting a sense of what the dbms is doing -- how in/efficient it is. Need a follow-up (please) for applying db hints or adding indexes if full table scan and other common issues. Could segue into recommended db maintenance, etc.

Omair on 8/26/2011

The videos by grant always end a little abruptly for some reason. I wanted him to explain the output & output list as well here.

Steve Ingham on 8/26/2011

Learned a little today.

Gonen on 8/26/2011

you need to tell how to use this info to write better query

Daniel Taylor on 8/26/2011

Very nice my friend

John O'Sullivan on 8/26/2011

an excellent video on Execution Plans

Carlos B. Vasquez on 8/28/2011

Good job..

Mohsin on 8/29/2011

Need some more videos having more explanation on query execution plan's each or most preferred nodes and items

Mick on 8/29/2011

Would prefer more details about specific measures, queries, and how to optimize

Jason Scott on 8/29/2011

Need another video to explain how to interpret the data and improve the select statement to improve the execution.

1F05990EE7 on 9/1/2011

Thanks. It was great article.

Maurice Ivory on 2/7/2012

Great video gave out some good information.