Query Analysis in SSMS

The main tool for query analysis in SQL Server 2008 is the Query Editor available in SSMS. The SSMS Query Editor can produce a graphical execution plan that provides analysis information in an intuitive and easy-to-view manner. You can display the execution plan in one of two ways: the estimated execution plan or the actual execution plan.

You can display an estimated execution plan for the entire contents of the query window, or for any highlighted SQL code in the query window, by choosing Display Estimated Execution Plan from the Query menu. You can also invoke it by using the Ctrl+L keyboard shortcut. This feature is useful for displaying and analyzing execution plans for long-running queries or queries with large ...

Get Microsoft® SQL Server 2008 R2 Unleashed now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.