What is the correct sequence to identify the slowest DAX query and compare DAX engine vs storage engine timings?

• A. View the Server Timings tab; From Performance Analyzer, capture a recording; Sort by Duration; Copy to DAX Studio; Enable Query Timings and Server Timings.
• B. From Performance Analyzer, capture a recording; Sort the Duration (ms) column by DAX query time; Copy the first query to DAX Studio; Enable Query Timings and Server Timings; Run the query; View the Server Timings tab
• C. Copy the first query to DAX Studio; Enable Query Timings and Server Timings; Run the query; View the Server Timings tab; Sort by DAX query time
• D. Enable Query Timings and Server Timings; Run the query; Sort by DAX query time; View the Server Timings tab; From Performance Analyzer, capture a recording

Answer: (B)

To identify the slowest DAX query and compare engine timings you start by capturing a performance recording in Performance Analyzer. This gives you a data set of queries executed during a session. Then sorting by the DAX query duration shows which query took the longest, so you know exactly which one to investigate. Copy that specific query into DAX Studio and turn on both Query Timings and Server Timings before running it. With both timing options enabled, DAX Studio provides a detailed breakdown of how long the query spent in the DAX engine versus the storage engine, accessible in the Server Timings view. This order ensures you first pinpoint the actual slow query, then obtain precise timing data for a meaningful comparison. Other sequences fail because they don’t first identify the slowest query from a recording, or they enable timing only after running (which doesn’t capture the intended breakdown), or they omit viewing the Server Timings data needed for the comparison.