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

You can also do it via powershell using SET STATISTICS XML ON to get the actual plan. I've written it so that it merges multi-statement plans into one plan;

    ########## BEGIN : SCRIPT VARIABLES #####################
    [string]$server = '.\MySQLServer'
    [string]$database = 'MyDatabase'
    [string]$sqlCommand = 'EXEC sp_ExampleSproc'
    [string]$XMLOutputFileName = 'sp_ExampleSproc'
    [string]$XMLOutputPath = 'C:\SQLDumps\ActualPlans\'
    ########## END   : SCRIPT VARIABLES #####################

    #Set up connection
    $connectionString = "Persist Security Info=False;Integrated Security=true;Connection Timeout=0;Initial Catalog=$database;Server=$server"
    $connection = new-object system.data.SqlClient.SQLConnection($connectionString)

    #Set up commands
    $command = new-object system.data.sqlclient.sqlcommand($sqlCommand,$connection)
    $command.CommandTimeout = 0
    $commandXMLActPlanOn = new-object system.data.sqlclient.sqlcommand("SET STATISTICS XML ON",$connection)
    $commandXMLActPlanOff = new-object system.data.sqlclient.sqlcommand("SET STATISTICS XML OFF",$connection)

    $connection.Open()

    #Enable session XML plan
    $result = $commandXMLActPlanOn.ExecuteNonQuery()

    #Execute SP and return resultsets into a dataset
    $adapter = New-Object System.Data.sqlclient.sqlDataAdapter $command
    $dataset = New-Object System.Data.DataSet
    $adapter.Fill($dataSet) | Out-Null

    #Set up output file name and path
    [string]$fileNameDateStamp = get-date -f yyyyMMdd_HHmmss
    [string]$XMLOutputFilePath = "$XMLOutputPath$XMLOutputFileName`_$fileNameDateStamp.sqlplan"

    #Pull XML plans out of dataset and merge into one multi-statement plan
    [int]$cntr = 1
    ForEach($table in $dataset.Tables)
    {
            if($table.Columns[0].ColumnName -eq "Microsoft SQL Server 2005 XML Showplan")
            {

                [string]$fullXMLPlan = $Table.rows[0]."Microsoft SQL Server 2005 XML Showplan"

                if($cntr -eq 1)
                    {

                    [regex]$rx = "\"
                    [string]$startXMLPlan = $rx.Match($fullXMLPlan).Value
                    [regex]$rx = "\<\/Statements\>.{1,}\<\/ShowPlanXML\>"
                    [string]$endXMLPlan = $rx.Match($fullXMLPlan).Value

                    $startXMLPlan | out-file -Append -FilePath $XMLOutputFilePath

                    }

                [regex]$rx = "\"
                [string]$bodyXMLPlan = $rx.Match($fullXMLPlan).Value

                $bodyXMLPlan | out-file -Append -FilePath $XMLOutputFilePath

                $cntr += 1
            } 
    }

    $endXMLPlan | out-file -Append -FilePath $XMLOutputFilePath

    #Disable session XML plan
    $result = $commandXMLActPlanOff.ExecuteNonQuery()

    $connection.Close()