Microsoft® SQL Server 2012 Unleashed

Saving and Viewing Graphical Execution Plans

SQL Server Management Studio enables you to save an execution plan as an XML file. To save a graphical execution plan in SSMS, right-click anywhere on the graphical execution plan and choose Save Execution Plan As to bring up the Save As dialog (alternatively, you can choose the Save Execution Plan As option from the File menu).

When you save the execution plan to a file, the graphical execution plan is saved as an XML file with the .sqlplan file extension. To view a saved execution plan, click on the File menu; select Open and then File. In the Open File dialog, select Execution Plan files in the file type drop-down to limit the files displayed to just Execution Plan Files (see Figure 32.9). After ...