The auto_explain module provides a means for logging execution plans of slow statements automatically, without having to run EXPLAIN by hand.

The Greenplum Database auto_explain module was runs only on the Greenplum Database master segment host. It is otherwise equivalent in functionality to the PostgreSQL auto_explain module.

Loading the Module

The auto_explain module provides no SQL-accessible functions. To use it, simply load it into the server. You can load it into an individual session by entering this command as a superuser:

LOAD 'auto_explain';

More typical usage is to preload it into some or all sessions by including auto_explain in session_preload_libraries or shared_preload_libraries in postgresql.conf. Then you can track unexpectedly slow queries no matter when they happen. However, this does introduce overhead for all queries.

Module Documentation

See auto_explain in the PostgreSQL documentation for detailed information about the configuration parameters that control this module’s behavior.