How do I obtain a Query Execution Plan in SQL Server?

Question

In Microsoft SQL Server how can I get a query execution plan for a query / stored procedure?

Answer 1

In addition to the comprehensive answer already posted sometimes it is useful to be able to access the execution plan programatically to extract information. Example code for this is below.

DECLARE @TraceID INT
EXEC StartCapture @@SPID, @TraceID OUTPUT
EXEC sp_help 'sys.objects' /*<-- Call your stored proc of interest here.*/
EXEC StopCapture @TraceID

Example StartCapture Definition

CREATE PROCEDURE StartCapture
@Spid INT,
@TraceID INT OUTPUT
AS
DECLARE @maxfilesize BIGINT = 5
DECLARE @filepath NVARCHAR(200) = N'C:\trace_' + LEFT(NEWID(),36)

EXEC sp_trace_create @TraceID OUTPUT, 0, @filepath, @maxfilesize, NULL 

exec sp_trace_setevent @TraceID, 122, 1, 1
exec sp_trace_setevent @TraceID, 122, 22, 1
exec sp_trace_setevent @TraceID, 122, 34, 1
exec sp_trace_setevent @TraceID, 122, 51, 1
exec sp_trace_setevent @TraceID, 122, 12, 1
-- filter for spid
EXEC sp_trace_setfilter @TraceID, 12, 0, 0, @Spid
-- start the trace
EXEC sp_trace_setstatus @TraceID, 1

Example StopCapture Definition

CREATE  PROCEDURE StopCapture
@TraceID INT
AS
WITH  XMLNAMESPACES ('http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2004/07/showplan' as sql), 
      CTE
     as (SELECT CAST(TextData AS VARCHAR(MAX)) AS TextData,
                ObjectID,
                ObjectName,
                EventSequence,
                /*costs accumulate up the tree so the MAX should be the root*/
                MAX(EstimatedTotalSubtreeCost) AS EstimatedTotalSubtreeCost
         FROM   fn_trace_getinfo(@TraceID) fn
                CROSS APPLY fn_trace_gettable(CAST(value AS NVARCHAR(200)), 1)
                CROSS APPLY (SELECT CAST(TextData AS XML) AS xPlan) x
                CROSS APPLY (SELECT T.relop.value('@EstimatedTotalSubtreeCost',
                                            'float') AS EstimatedTotalSubtreeCost
                             FROM   xPlan.nodes('//sql:RelOp') T(relop)) ca
         WHERE  property = 2
                AND TextData IS NOT NULL
                AND ObjectName not in ( 'StopCapture', 'fn_trace_getinfo' )
         GROUP  BY CAST(TextData AS VARCHAR(MAX)),
                   ObjectID,
                   ObjectName,
                   EventSequence)
SELECT ObjectName,
       SUM(EstimatedTotalSubtreeCost) AS EstimatedTotalSubtreeCost
FROM   CTE
GROUP  BY ObjectID,
          ObjectName  

-- Stop the trace
EXEC sp_trace_setstatus @TraceID, 0
-- Close and delete the trace
EXEC sp_trace_setstatus @TraceID, 2
GO