An updated version of this post can be found here…

I’m a big fan of using queries based on the dynamic management view sys.dm_exec_query_stats to capture the most resource hungry queries across a SQL instance.

That approach has some drawbacks though. First, it is cleared out every time an instance restarts, and second it only keeps figures for currently cached plans, so when a query recompiles, data is lost.

It was some time ago I blogged about SQL Server Query Store but one of the great features of it is that performance stats are stored in the database, so they aren’t lost in either of the above scenarios.

So I wanted to write a query store equivalent that will produce a ranked list of your most expensive queries.

The only downside is that the DMVs for Query Store are per database whereas dm_exec_query_stats is a view across the whole instance. So I had to use a cursor and a temp table, populating the temp table for each database in turn.

Anyway, enough preamble – here’s the query:

--Gather and report on most resource hungry queries
DECLARE @Reportinginterval int;
DECLARE @Database sysname;
DECLARE @StartDateText varchar(30);
DECLARE @TotalExecutions decimal(20,3);
DECLARE @TotalDuration decimal(20,3);
DECLARE @TotalCPU decimal(20,3);
DECLARE @TotalLogicalReads decimal(20,3);
DECLARE @SQL varchar(MAX);

--Set Reporting interval in days
SET @Reportinginterval = 1;

SET @StartDateText = CAST(DATEADD(DAY, -@Reportinginterval, GETUTCDATE()) AS varchar(30));

--Cursor to step through the databases
DECLARE curDatabases CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT [name]
FROM sys.databases 
WHERE is_query_store_on = 1;

--Temp table to store the results
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #Stats;
CREATE TABLE #Stats (
   DatabaseName sysname,
   SchemaName sysname NULL,
   ObjectName sysname NULL,
   QueryText varchar(1000),
   TotalExecutions bigint,
   TotalDuration decimal(20,3),
   TotalCPU decimal(20,3),
   TotalLogicalReads bigint
);

OPEN curDatabases;
FETCH NEXT FROM curDatabases INTO @Database;

--Loop through the datbases and gather the stats
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
    
    SET @SQL = '
	   USE [' + @Database + ']
	   INSERT intO #Stats
	   SELECT 
		  DB_NAME(),
		  s.name AS SchemaName,
		  o.name AS ObjectName,
		  SUBSTRING(t.query_sql_text,1,1000) AS QueryText,
		  SUM(rs.count_executions) AS TotalExecutions,
		  SUM(rs.avg_duration * rs.count_executions) AS TotalDuration,
		  SUM(rs.avg_cpu_time * rs.count_executions) AS TotalCPU,
		  SUM(rs.avg_logical_io_reads * rs.count_executions) AS TotalLogicalReads
	   FROM sys.query_store_query q
	   INNER JOIN sys.query_store_query_text t
		  ON q.query_text_id = t.query_text_id
	   INNER JOIN sys.query_store_plan p
		  ON q.query_id = p.query_id
	   INNER JOIN sys.query_store_runtime_stats rs
		  ON p.plan_id = rs.plan_id
	   INNER JOIN sys.query_store_runtime_stats_interval rsi
		  ON rs.runtime_stats_interval_id = rsi.runtime_stats_interval_id
	   LEFT JOIN sys.objects o
		  ON q.OBJECT_ID = o.OBJECT_ID
	   LEFT JOIN sys.schemas s
		  ON o.schema_id = s.schema_id     
	   WHERE rsi.start_time > ''' + @StartDateText + '''
	   GROUP BY s.name, o.name, SUBSTRING(t.query_sql_text,1,1000)
	   OPTION(RECOMPILE);';

    EXEC (@SQL);

    FETCH NEXT FROM curDatabases INTO @Database;
END;

CLOSE curDatabases;
DEALLOCATE curDatabases;

--Aggregate some totals
SELECT 
    @TotalExecutions = SUM(TotalExecutions),
    @TotalDuration = SUM (TotalDuration),
    @TotalCPU  = SUM(TotalCPU),
    @TotalLogicalReads = SUM(TotalLogicalReads)
FROM #Stats

--Produce output
SELECT TOP 20
    DatabaseName,
    SchemaName,
    ObjectName,
    QueryText,
    TotalExecutions,
    CAST((TotalExecutions/@TotalExecutions)*100 AS decimal(5,2)) AS [TotalExecutions %],
    CAST(TotalDuration/1000000 AS decimal(19,2)) AS [TotalDuration(s)],
    CAST((TotalDuration/@TotalDuration)*100 AS decimal(5,2)) AS [TotalDuration %],
    CAST((TotalDuration/TotalExecutions)/1000 AS decimal(19,2)) AS [AverageDuration(ms)],
    CAST(TotalCPU/1000000  AS decimal(19,2)) [TotalCPU(s)],
    CAST((TotalCPU/@TotalCPU)*100 AS decimal(5,2)) AS [TotalCPU %],
    CAST((TotalCPU/TotalExecutions)/1000 AS decimal(19,2)) AS [AverageCPU(ms)],   
    TotalLogicalReads,
    CAST((TotalLogicalReads/@TotalLogicalReads)*100 AS decimal(5,2)) AS [TotalLogicalReads %],
  CAST((TotalLogicalReads/TotalExecutions) AS decimal(19,2)) AS [AverageLogicalReads]   
FROM #Stats
--Order by the resource you're most interested in

--ORDER BY TotalExecutions DESC
--ORDER BY TotalDuration DESC
ORDER BY TotalCPU DESC
--ORDER BY TotalLogicalReads DESC

DROP TABLE #Stats;

The script limits itself to looking at databases where query store is enabled.

If you want to bring back more results you can just change the TOP statement, and if you want to look at the results ordered by a different resource (e.g. Reads) then just make sure the relevant ORDER BY clause is uncommented.

I consider this something that will evolve over time, so if you have any suggestions of things you think I should change or add then let me know.