XML Execution Plans

In this video you will learn what XML Execution Plans are and why they are useful.

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.

C G on 10/6/2008

How is saving the execution plan in XML any better than saving the plan as a sqlplan originally? You said it has a 'rich' amount of information. What do you get in XML that you wouldn't otherwise get?

mohankalyan on 10/6/2008

good

Leo Njampa on 10/7/2008

Good stuff!

Grant Fritchey on 10/7/2008

To C G: What you get is XML. That means it can be queried. Remember, in 2005 and above, the execution plans are XML, just that in 2005 some of the data is hidden (missing indexes for example), but in 2008 all of the xml data is visible in the graphical plan either right on the plan, through a tooltip or through the properties. But you still can't query against it or browse through it quickly. The information in the XML is rich, but it's not necessarily different (except in 2005).

iskarta on 10/8/2008

Very Interesting, It may be necessary in future.

iskarta on 10/8/2008

Very Interesting, It may be necessary in future.

Marc on 10/26/2008

cool. Very handy tip

Joe on 7/10/2009

very compactly explained.

James Moore on 7/29/2009

Excellent! Thank you for sharing this information. I had no idea this could be done until now. Thanks again!

Razvan Socol on 8/2/2009

needs an update for SQL 2008

Arun on 3/5/2010

Superb!!!!!

Dean Gross on 10/14/2010

very cool, i had no idea you could do this.

Eric on 4/26/2011

I don't have much experience working with XML, so info like this is very helpful. Thank you for creating it. I would be interested in seeing a follow-up video on how to XQUERY the XML plan file.

lorrin on 4/26/2011

would be good to know how to automate collection, and examination of the xml plan - since it can be queried, but the vid does not show how to carry it to the next level which would be more useful for practitioners.

Holck on 5/24/2011

This video covered what they were, but not so sure about "why they are useful" ... maybe that you can save them? But I always enjoy the teaser.

Amar0009 on 8/26/2011

Small plus rich in info video. Just to-the-point. Thanks.

Stephen on 12/2/2011

Nice - ability to convert the XML plan to visual SQL data plan

Steven Robinson on 12/30/2011

Excellent Video, Author had a good grasp of the subject