Execution Plan Visualization
Beacon’s Execution Plan Visualization module transforms how a database intends to run a query into an interactive, visual representation. Instead of reading through dense, indented text output, users see the plan as a structured flow — with each step’s cost, row estimates, and relationships made immediately clear.
This module answers the question: “How is this query actually being executed, and where is the time going?”
Capabilities
Section titled “Capabilities”1. Plan Capture & Access
Section titled “1. Plan Capture & Access”Beacon makes execution plans readily available without requiring users to run diagnostic commands manually.
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| On-Demand Plan Capture | Request the execution plan for any query directly from the interface. |
| Historical Plans | Access plans captured during past query executions. |
| Plan Comparison | View plans captured at different points in time. |
| Plan for Tracked Queries | Plans attached to queries in the performance analysis view. |
Operational value: Removes the friction of manually generating plans, making them a routine part of diagnosis rather than a specialized task.
2. Graphical Plan Representation
Section titled “2. Graphical Plan Representation”Beacon renders execution plans as an interactive node-based diagram rather than flat text.
| Visual Element | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nodes | Individual operations in the execution plan (scans, joins, sorts, aggregations). |
| Edges | Data flow between operations, showing which steps feed others. |
| Node Icons | Visual identification of operation type. |
| Flow Direction | Indicates how data moves from leaf operations toward the final result. |
Operational value: Makes complex plans understandable at a glance, even for users unfamiliar with traditional plan output formats.
3. Cost & Resource Annotations
Section titled “3. Cost & Resource Annotations”Each node in the visual plan is annotated with the metrics that matter for diagnosis.
| Annotation | Description |
|---|---|
| Estimated Cost | The planner’s relative cost estimate for the operation. |
| Actual Time | Real execution time when actual metrics are available. |
| Row Estimates | The planner’s predicted number of rows produced. |
| Actual Rows | The real number of rows produced during execution. |
| Cost Distribution | Share of total query cost attributed to each node. |
| Execution Count | How many times each node was executed. |
Operational value: Immediately surfaces the most expensive steps and exposes discrepancies between estimated and actual behavior.
4. Estimated vs. Actual Comparison
Section titled “4. Estimated vs. Actual Comparison”When both estimated and actual values are available, Beacon highlights differences visually.
| Comparison | Diagnostic Value |
|---|---|
| Row Estimate vs. Actual Rows | Large discrepancies indicate poor statistics or misestimated selectivity. |
| Estimated Cost vs. Actual Time | Identifies where the planner’s expectations diverge from reality. |
| Node Hotspots | Highlights operations consuming disproportionate time or resources. |
Operational value: Misestimates are among the most common causes of poor query plans; making them visible accelerates root-cause identification.
5. Operation Type Identification
Section titled “5. Operation Type Identification”Beacon identifies and labels the distinct operation types appearing in a plan.
| Operation Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Scans | Sequential scans, index scans, index-only scans. |
| Joins | Nested loop, hash join, merge join. |
| Aggregations | Group, hash aggregate, sort-based aggregation. |
| Sorting | Explicit sorts, merge steps. |
| Filtering | Predicate evaluation, row filtering. |
| Data Movement | Materialization, spilling, temp file use. |
Operational value: Helps users quickly recognize which execution strategies are in use and whether they are appropriate.
6. Bottleneck Highlighting
Section titled “6. Bottleneck Highlighting”Beacon visually emphasizes the nodes most responsible for query cost.
| Highlight Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cost Hotspot | Node consuming the largest share of total query cost. |
| Time Hotspot | Node consuming the most actual execution time. |
| Row Explosion | Node producing far more rows than its input. |
| Spill Indicator | Node using temporary storage due to memory limits. |
| Inefficient Scan | Large scans that may benefit from indexing. |
Operational value: Guides attention directly to the parts of the plan worth investigating, skipping irrelevant detail.
7. Plan Interpretation Aids
Section titled “7. Plan Interpretation Aids”Beacon includes contextual explanations to help users understand what they are seeing.
| Aid | Description |
|---|---|
| Node Descriptions | Plain-language explanation of what each operation does. |
| Why-This-Matters Notes | Context on why a given operation may be a concern. |
| Common Causes | Typical reasons a node behaves unexpectedly. |
| Suggested Actions | Possible next steps tied to a specific node. |
Operational value: Lowers the expertise barrier, allowing more team members to meaningfully interpret execution plans.
8. Plan Comparison
Section titled “8. Plan Comparison”Beacon allows side-by-side comparison of multiple plans for the same query.
| Comparison View | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Before vs. After | Validate that an optimization changed the plan as intended. |
| Instance vs. Instance | Compare plan choices across environments with different data or configuration. |
| Time vs. Time | Understand how a plan evolved as data grew. |
Operational value: Turns plan analysis into a tool for verifying change, not just diagnosing problems.
Visualization Views
Section titled “Visualization Views”Interactive Plan Diagram
Section titled “Interactive Plan Diagram”The primary view — a navigable node graph with annotations and drill-down.
Text Plan View
Section titled “Text Plan View”A structured, readable textual representation for users who prefer it.
Comparison View
Section titled “Comparison View”Two or more plans displayed side by side with differences highlighted.
Node Detail Panel
Section titled “Node Detail Panel”Focused view of a single operation with full metrics and explanations.
Configuration Options
Section titled “Configuration Options”| Option | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Capture Actual Metrics | Whether real execution metrics are collected or only estimates. |
| Visual Detail Level | Toggle between simplified and fully annotated views. |
| Auto-Expand Hotspots | Automatically open the most costly nodes. |
| Plan Retention | How long captured plans are stored. |
| Highlight Sensitivity | Threshold for what counts as a “hotspot.” |
Operational Scenarios
Section titled “Operational Scenarios”Scenario 1 — Diagnosing a slow join A query has become slow after data growth. The visual plan shows a nested loop join on a node processing far more rows than estimated. Beacon flags the node as a hotspot and notes the row-estimate discrepancy, pointing to stale statistics or a missing index.
Scenario 2 — Confirming an optimization After rewriting a query, the user compares the new plan against the old one. The comparison view shows the costly sequential scan replaced by an index scan, with total estimated cost reduced significantly.
Scenario 3 — Teaching and onboarding A new team member unfamiliar with execution plans uses the interpretation aids to understand each node, building intuition without needing to consult external references.
Summary
Section titled “Summary”Beacon’s Execution Plan Visualization module converts opaque query plans into clear, annotated, interactive diagrams. By highlighting cost, time, and estimation discrepancies — and pairing visuals with plain-language guidance — it makes execution plan analysis accessible, fast, and actionable.