Execution Plans is one of the most interesting subjects and I often get a question about it. Many people want to know how to get started.
Spatial Indexes: Speeding Up Distance Searches
Use spatial indexes for geography distance searches, compare actual plans and reads, and inspect tessellation with built-in diagnostics.
OPTIMIZE FOR and RECOMPILE Hints Compared
OPTIMIZE FOR and RECOMPILE address parameter-sensitive plans differently; compare stable representative values with per-run compilation cost.
Row Goals: Why TOP and EXISTS Change the Plan
Inspect row goals from TOP and EXISTS, read EstimateRowsWithoutRowGoal, and compare a targeted optimizer hint using actual plans.
SQL SERVER – View XML Query Plans in SSMS as Graphical Execution Plan
Want to share a graphical execution plan? Save it as a .sqlplan file and send it. Anyone can open it in SSMS without the tables or indexes behind it.
Estimated and Actual Execution Plans
Estimated and actual execution plans answer different questions; compare compiled choices with runtime rows, warnings, and resource use.
Correlated Columns and Multi-Column Statistics in SQL Server
Investigate multi-column statistics with correlated city and state values, density vectors, and plans before expecting better estimates.