Execution Plans in Depth
Proposed session for SQLBits 2026TL; DR
Take your understanding of execution plans to the next level. We'll look in-depth at almost every operator, and how they operators with and affect each other.
If you want to learn to get the most out of them, then this pre-con is for you!
Session Details
For troubleshooting slow queries, looking at the execution plan is a good starting point. But sometimes, just looking at the plan does not help. Sometimes you need to dig deeper.
In this full-day pre-con session, you will learn everything you need to be take your understanding of execution plans to the next level. For almost every operator you can encounter in an execution plan, we will look at the inner workings, and look at properties that can affect their performance. We will also look at how operators in a plan interact with and affect each other.
Aside from explaining all of the common operators, we will also touch on several operators that were introduced or modified in the newer versions of SQL Server.
In short: After this pre-con, you will be better prepared to look at execution plans, find the spot where it hurts, and then rewrite your query to get a faster execution plan.
If you have seen some execution plans but feel you need to bring your understanding to the next level, then this pre-con is for you.
In this full-day pre-con session, you will learn everything you need to be take your understanding of execution plans to the next level. For almost every operator you can encounter in an execution plan, we will look at the inner workings, and look at properties that can affect their performance. We will also look at how operators in a plan interact with and affect each other.
Aside from explaining all of the common operators, we will also touch on several operators that were introduced or modified in the newer versions of SQL Server.
In short: After this pre-con, you will be better prepared to look at execution plans, find the spot where it hurts, and then rewrite your query to get a faster execution plan.
If you have seen some execution plans but feel you need to bring your understanding to the next level, then this pre-con is for you.
3 things you'll get out of this session
Learn the task of each operator in an execution plan.
Learn the performance considerations of each operator in an execution plan.
Learn how operators in execution plans interact, and how that affects performance.
Speakers
Hugo Kornelis's other proposed sessions for 2026
Approximate functions: How do they work? - 2026
Execution plans ... where do I start? - 2026
Execution plans explained - 2026
Five stages of grief - internals of a hash spill - 2026
Here’s the execution plan … now what? - 2026
Normalization beyond Third Normal Form - 2026
Normalization beyond Third Normal Form, part 2 - 2026
Performance and execution plan improvements in SQL Server 2025 - 2026
Performance and execution plan improvements in SQL Server 2025 (part 2) - 2026