A execution, or query plan, is the breakdown of steps the database engine uses to get a result.
A execution, or query plan, is the breakdown of steps the database engine uses to get a result. Specifically it is the plan that the optimizer determines is the best, most efficient, way to get the data.
The execution plan can be analyzed to determine what is happening and how to improve efficiency. Including finding if an index is being scanned or missing an index altogether. There is also many points of analytic data that can be acquired via the plan including things such as estimated and actual number of rows.
