The Tool Desk
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Before relying on either, confirm that it was enabled and collecting the evidence you need. Query Store cannot show a period it did not retain, and an Extended Events session captures only the events, filters, and context configured for it.
How Query Store and Extended Events differ
| What you need to know | Query Store | Extended Events |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence collected | Query text, execution plans, and runtime statistics; wait statistics are available on supported versions. Microsoft Learn | Selected database-engine event data collected by configured sessions and targets. Microsoft Learn |
| Best troubleshooting question | Which queries or plans regressed during this time window, and how did their recorded metrics change? | Did a selected event occur, and what details did the session capture? |
| Time orientation | Retrospective analysis of retained data organized into time windows. | Capture while the configured session is running; the target determines how data is stored or viewed. |
| Main setup concerns | Enablement, capture mode, retention and cleanup, storage limits, and enough collection time to represent the workload. | Event selection, filters, session state, target, permissions, and the scope of the collection. |
When to use Query Store
Start with Query Store when the problem is about how query performance changed over time. It retains query, plan, and runtime-statistics history, making it useful for comparing behavior across time windows and investigating plan regressions. On supported versions, it can also record wait statistics. Microsoft Learn: Monitor performance by using the Query Store
It is a good fit for questions such as:
- Which query became slower after a deployment or plan change?
- Which queries regressed overnight?
- How did a query’s runtime or wait pattern change during the period Query Store retained?
Query Store can help identify a plan associated with degraded performance. If an earlier plan was better, SQL Server supports forcing a plan where appropriate; forcing is a mitigation to evaluate, not a substitute for understanding the cause. Microsoft also documents an Extended Event, query_store_plan_forcing_failed, for tracking plan-forcing failures. Query Store monitoring · Query Store best practices
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Check that the history exists
Do not assume Query Store is active. Microsoft documents that it is not enabled by default on SQL Server 2016, 2017, and 2019, while new SQL Server 2022 databases have it enabled by default in read-write mode. Defaults vary by release and service, so inspect the specific database’s state and configuration. Query Store applies to SQL Server 2016 and later and specified Azure services; wait-stat dimensions are documented starting with SQL Server 2017 and Azure SQL Database. Microsoft Learn · Microsoft Learn: Query Store wait statistics
Check the requested and actual operation mode, capture configuration, storage limit, and cleanup policy. Data that was never collected, or was removed by cleanup, cannot answer a retrospective question. Microsoft recommends keeping relevant history and allowing enough collection time for the data to represent the workload; data can be examined as it arrives. Best Practices for Monitoring Workloads with Query Store · Best practices for managing the Query Store
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When to use Extended Events
Choose Extended Events when you need event-level evidence rather than a historical comparison of query plans and aggregate runtime behavior. You create a session, select events, optionally filter them, and choose a target for the captured data. This makes it possible to focus on a particular engine event or scenario. Microsoft Learn: Quickstart: Extended Events
Plan the event selection, filters, target, permissions, and session state before starting collection. A session only records what its configuration captures. Keep the selection focused: Microsoft warns that active traces can contribute CPU overhead depending on the events selected, but the cited guidance does not establish a universal overhead percentage. Microsoft Learn: Performance Monitoring and Tuning Tools · Microsoft Learn: Troubleshoot an apparently slow SQL Server or database application
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Check permissions and target requirements
For creating sessions, Microsoft’s quickstart lists CREATE ANY EVENT SESSION for SQL Server 2022 and later, or ALTER ANY EVENT SESSION. It describes VIEW SERVER PERFORMANCE STATE for viewing sessions through SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). For Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and Fabric SQL database, the quickstart says event files are stored in Azure Storage and an Azure storage account is needed. Confirm the instructions for your specific service because setup and permissions differ. Microsoft Learn: Quickstart: Extended Events
Can you use both?
Yes. Query Store can point to a query or plan whose performance changed; a targeted Extended Events session can then capture a relevant event if the next question is about a specific occurrence. One documented example is using query_store_plan_forcing_failed to track Query Store plan-forcing failures. Neither feature is a complete record by default: Query Store depends on its enabled state and retained history, while Extended Events depends on its session configuration. Microsoft Learn: Query Store best practices · Microsoft Learn: Quickstart: Extended Events
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A practical decision path
- Ask whether the problem is historical query performance. If a query used to be faster, plans changed, or several queries regressed in a time window, check Query Store and verify that it retained that period.
- Ask whether you need a particular event. If the investigation requires event details from a scenario, configure a focused Extended Events session with suitable filters and a target.
- Combine them when the questions change. Use Query Store to locate a plan or performance change, then Extended Events to capture a selected event associated with the follow-up investigation.
- Validate the environment before drawing conclusions. Check SQL Server version or Azure service, feature state, permissions, collection settings, and the available time range.
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