Investigate two cached plans with plan_attributes, decode differing SET options, and match application settings before diagnosing skew.
Sharing an Execution Plan Without Exposing Sensitive Data
Protect sensitive data when sharing an execution plan by inspecting XML values, redacting names and literals, and checking the file again.
Trigger Overhead: Measuring the Hidden Cost of DML Triggers
Measure trigger overhead with controlled inserts, execution plans, and cached trigger statistics before moving slow work into a queue.
Filtering on Dates Without Losing the Index
Filtering on dates without losing an index means using searchable ranges; learn half-open boundaries, date and datetime differences, and plan checks.
Reading the Warnings in an Execution Plan
Warnings in an execution plan can reveal conversions, missing statistics, and spills; read each warning in workload context.
Explaining a Query Plan to a Developer
Explaining a query plan starts with the costly work, checks estimates against actual rows, and turns findings into a clear code decision.
SQL SERVER – Actual Execution Plan vs. Estimated Execution Plan
Actual Execution Plan or Estimated Execution Plan? I always use the actual plan because it is accurate. Shortcuts: CTRL+M for actual, CTRL+L for estimated.