Explain and cost

Explain output shows the work that a call completed. The example executes the names query with an explain record and reads its completed stages.

Example

Explain a query

query_text holds this document:

edn66 B
{:find    [?name]
 :where   [[?e "name" ?name]]
 :orderBy [?name]}
python197 B
explain = stardust.QueryExplain()
async with (await stardust.parse(query_text, "edn")) as definition, (await db.query(definition)) as query, (await query.run(explain=explain)):
    result = explain
Result / 1.1 kB
{:value {:load_definition   {:cpu         2050
                             :wall        2050
                             :arena_bytes 1680}
         :parameters        {:cpu         10
                             :wall        10
                             :arena_bytes 0}
         :run               {:cpu         10510
                             :wall        10870
                             :arena_bytes 7424}
         :total             {:cpu         12600
                             :wall        12970
                             :arena_bytes 9104}
         :arena_capacity    4194304
         :work              7120
         :rows              3
         :compile           480
         :plan              610
         :execute           0
         :group             0
         :order             0
         :memory_bytes      5995
         :memory_refusals   0
         :budget_bytes      10489856512
         :budget_used_bytes 10194
         :budget_peak_bytes 12116
         :budget_refusals   0
         :retry             0
         :stages_completed  3
         :retries           0}}

Failure output

A failed call can still supply explain output for the stages that completed.

  1. Read stages_completed.
  2. Then read the fields of the stages that completed.

The record tables below give the fields, absent values, and time units of each operation.

Stored plan decisions

A call's cost record describes that execution. It does not load stored plan history. Use the plan operation in Definitions with the explain action to read accepted plans and their history. Each revision reports its version, source and reason. Trial decisions include candidate proposals and measured verdicts.

Set page_size and max_bytes to bound one diagnostic response. The response includes the current accepted transaction, the complete plan state and a history page from one snapshot. Pass a nonzero next_after as the next page's argument.

The adaptive query planner can retry a capped plan with the statistics plan. Query explain reports those attempts in retry and retries.

cost

This record measures one explain stage. The cpu and wall fields are durations. The ABI gives 100-ns ticks. Thus, a time less than one tick is zero.

FieldTypeUnitRangeAbsentMeaning
cputimedelta | NoneHost duration (100 ns ticks at the ABI)Tick rangeNoneThread CPU time. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
walltimedeltaHost duration (100 ns ticks at the ABI)Tick range—Wall time. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
arena_bytesintBytesHost type range—Bytes the stage allocated from the scratch arena of the call. Heap-owned outputs and the LuaJIT heap are not included. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.

build_explain

This record contains explain output for build.

FieldTypeUnitMeaning
prepare_expressionCostNone—
compileCostNone—
totalCostNoneThe cost of all stages. arena_bytes records the peak scratch-arena allocation.
arena_capacityintBytesBytes the scratch arena reserved. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
stages_completedintCountStages that ran.
cache_hitboolNoneThe leased runtime holds a compiled copy of the expression. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.

eval_explain

This record contains explain output for evaluate.

FieldTypeUnitMeaning
prepare_variablesCostNone—
evaluateCostNone—
adopt_documentCostNone—
totalCostNoneThe cost of all stages. arena_bytes records the peak scratch-arena allocation.
arena_capacityintBytesBytes the scratch arena reserved. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
document_bytesintBytesUsed bytes of the native value, string and source buffers of the result. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
stages_completedintCountStages that ran.

query_explain

This record contains explain output for query run. The compile, plan, execute, group and order fields divide the wall time of run into stages.

FieldTypeUnitRangeMeaning
load_definitionCostNoneHost type range—
parametersCostNoneHost type range—
runCostNoneHost type rangePlanning, execution and aggregation. Pages render later, in next.
totalCostNoneHost type rangeThe cost of all stages. arena_bytes records the peak scratch-arena allocation.
arena_capacityintBytesHost type rangeBytes the scratch arena reserved. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
worktimedeltaHost duration (100 ns ticks at the ABI)Tick rangeThread CPU duration consumed by the query. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
rowsintCountHost type rangeResult rows.
compiletimedeltaHost duration (100 ns ticks at the ABI)Tick rangeThe call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
plantimedeltaHost duration (100 ns ticks at the ABI)Tick rangeThe call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
executetimedeltaHost duration (100 ns ticks at the ABI)Tick rangeProduction of solutions. A streamed result produces solutions while pages render. Thus, execute measures only the solutions that run reads. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
grouptimedeltaHost duration (100 ns ticks at the ABI)Tick rangeAggregates, windows and computed columns. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
ordertimedeltaHost duration (100 ns ticks at the ABI)Tick rangeThe call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
memory_bytesintBytesHost type rangeThe most working memory the run held reserved in the database's memory budget at once. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
memory_refusalsintCountHost type rangeReservations of the run that the memory budget granted less than asked. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
budget_bytesintBytesHost type rangeThe database's memory budget (memory_budget_bytes).
budget_used_bytesintBytesHost type rangeBytes every query of the database held reserved when run returned. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
budget_peak_bytesintBytesHost type rangeThe most bytes the database's queries held reserved at once since it opened. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
budget_refusalsintCountHost type rangeReservations the database's budget granted less than asked since it opened. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
retrytimedeltaHost duration (100 ns ticks at the ABI)Tick rangeThread CPU duration of the attempts given up because the planner's plan passed its cap. work includes it. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
stages_completedintCountHost type rangeStages that ran.
retriesintCountHost type rangeAttempts given up because the planner's plan passed its cap; the query then ran the statistics' plan within the rest of its budget.

mutation_explain

This record contains explain output for mutation run.

FieldTypeUnitMeaning
load_definitionCostNone—
parametersCostNone—
runCostNone—
totalCostNoneThe cost of all stages. arena_bytes records the peak scratch-arena allocation.
arena_capacityintBytesBytes the scratch arena reserved. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
stages_completedintCountStages that ran.
attemptsintCountEvaluations. More than one when a concurrent write forced a retry.

patch_explain

This record contains explain output for merge_patch.

FieldTypeUnitMeaning
copy_patchCostNone—
commitCostNoneValidation and the commit.
totalCostNoneThe cost of all stages. arena_bytes records the peak scratch-arena allocation.
arena_capacityintBytesBytes the scratch arena reserved. The call measures this value. Independent calls can differ.
stages_completedintCountStages that ran.

Explain examples

The generator captured each result from the native library.

Inspect one measured cost stage

expression_text holds this document:

edn10 B
["+" ?x 1]
python178 B
explain = stardust.BuildExplain()
async with (await stardust.parse(expression_text, "edn")) as expression, (await stardust.build(expression, explain)):
    result = explain.total
Result / 75 B
{:value {:cpu         40
         :wall        50
         :arena_bytes 0}}

Explain expression compilation

expression_text holds this document:

edn10 B
["+" ?x 1]
python172 B
explain = stardust.BuildExplain()
async with (await stardust.parse(expression_text, "edn")) as expression, (await stardust.build(expression, explain)):
    result = explain
Result / 514 B
{:value {:prepare_expression {:cpu         0
                              :wall        10
                              :arena_bytes 0}
         :compile            {:cpu         50
                              :wall        50
                              :arena_bytes 0}
         :total              {:cpu         60
                              :wall        70
                              :arena_bytes 0}
         :arena_capacity     65536
         :stages_completed   2
         :cache_hit          true}}

Explain patch validation and commit

seed_text holds this document:

edn287 B
{:#_ada {:name "Ada"
         :role "engineer"
         :age  36}
 :#_bob {:name   "Bob"
         :role   "engineer"
         :age    41
         :mentor {:#link "#_ada"}}
 :#_cy  {:name "Cy"
         :role "designer"
         :age  29}
 :#_tx  {:author "smoke"
         :reason "seed"}}
python153 B
explain = stardust.PatchExplain()
async with (await stardust.parse(seed_text, "edn")) as seed:
    (await db.merge_patch(seed, explain))
result = explain
Result / 482 B
{:value {:copy_patch       {:cpu         320
                            :wall        330
                            :arena_bytes 3096}
         :commit           {:cpu         550
                            :wall        53050
                            :arena_bytes 8008}
         :total            {:cpu         1020
                            :wall        53540
                            :arena_bytes 11118}
         :arena_capacity   4194304
         :stages_completed 2}}

Explain mutation execution

birthday_text holds this document:

edn82 B
{:query {:find  [?e]
         :where [[?e "name" "Ada"]]}
 :patch {:?e {:age 37}}}
python207 B
explain = stardust.MutationExplain()
async with (await stardust.parse(birthday_text, "edn")) as birthday, (await db.mutation(birthday)) as mutation:
    (await mutation.run(explain=explain))
result = explain
Result / 649 B
{:value {:load_definition  {:cpu         9720
                            :wall        9750
                            :arena_bytes 2320}
         :parameters       {:cpu         10
                            :wall        10
                            :arena_bytes 0}
         :run              {:cpu         10960
                            :wall        36350
                            :arena_bytes 43856}
         :total            {:cpu         20830
                            :wall        46260
                            :arena_bytes 46176}
         :arena_capacity   4194304
         :stages_completed 3
         :attempts         1}}

Explain expression evaluation

expression_text holds this document:

edn10 B
["+" ?x 1]

input_text holds this document:

edn7 B
{:x 41}
python277 B
explain = stardust.EvalExplain()
async with (await stardust.parse(expression_text, "edn")) as expression, (await stardust.build(expression)) as program, \
        (await stardust.parse(input_text, "edn")) as input, (await program.evaluate(input, explain)):
    result = explain
Result / 637 B
{:value {:prepare_variables {:cpu         0
                             :wall        10
                             :arena_bytes 0}
         :evaluate          {:cpu         230
                             :wall        230
                             :arena_bytes 0}
         :adopt_document    {:cpu         0
                             :wall        0
                             :arena_bytes 0}
         :total             {:cpu         250
                             :wall        250
                             :arena_bytes 0}
         :arena_capacity    65536
         :document_bytes    42
         :stages_completed  3}}

Explain query execution

query_text holds this document:

edn66 B
{:find    [?name]
 :where   [[?e "name" ?name]]
 :orderBy [?name]}
python197 B
explain = stardust.QueryExplain()
async with (await stardust.parse(query_text, "edn")) as definition, (await db.query(definition)) as query, (await query.run(explain=explain)):
    result = explain
Result / 1.1 kB
{:value {:load_definition   {:cpu         3530
                             :wall        3560
                             :arena_bytes 1680}
         :parameters        {:cpu         0
                             :wall        10
                             :arena_bytes 0}
         :run               {:cpu         8000
                             :wall        8020
                             :arena_bytes 7424}
         :total             {:cpu         11560
                             :wall        11630
                             :arena_bytes 9104}
         :arena_capacity    4194304
         :work              5200
         :rows              3
         :compile           300
         :plan              430
         :execute           0
         :group             0
         :order             0
         :memory_bytes      5995
         :memory_refusals   0
         :budget_bytes      10489856512
         :budget_used_bytes 10194
         :budget_peak_bytes 14267
         :budget_refusals   0
         :retry             0
         :stages_completed  3
         :retries           0}}