A computer-implemented method , comprising: receiving a request to fetch a debug execution plan, the debug execution plan considering different structured query language (SQL) execution optimization levels and including a mapping for a SQL statement containing filters, wherein the debug execution plan is a non-optimized execution plan for a default debug mode and the SQL statement is performed in sequential steps; receiving a request to initialize a debugging process of the SQL statement based on the debug execution plan; verifying received and attached filter criteria, the filter criteria provided using a SQL debug channel , the SQL debug channel being for specific debug interaction, wherein the SQL debug channel supports bi-directional communication, commands which are sent from a client-side SQL debugger to a server-side SQL debugger , and notifications which are sent from the server-side SQL debugger to the client-side SQL debugger ; setting breakpoints associated with the SQL statement; triggering the SQL statement; transmitting a notification that a SQL process associated with the triggered SQL statement is attached to a debugger associated with the debugging process and ready for external execution control; providing state details and an intermediate result upon reaching a particular breakpoint associated with the SQL process executing the triggered SQL statement; providing an ability to change the process state and influence the process by stopping a debug process and terminating a debugging session, wherein connection properties are no longer verified and debugger session's related data is cleaned; and providing a SQL final execution response after reaching the end of the execution of the triggered SQL statement. receiving a request to fetch a debug execution plan, the debug execution plan considering different structured query language (SQL) execution optimization levels and including a mapping for a SQL statement containing filters, wherein the debug execution plan is a non-optimized execution plan for a default debug mode and the SQL statement is performed in sequential steps; receiving a request to initialize a debugging process of the SQL statement based on the debug execution plan; verifying received and attached filter criteria, the filter criteria provided using a SQL debug channel , the SQL debug channel being for specific debug interaction, wherein the SQL debug channel supports bi-directional communication, commands which are sent from a client-side SQL debugger to a server-side SQL debugger , and notifications which are sent from the server-side SQL debugger to the client-side SQL debugger ; setting breakpoints associated with the SQL statement; triggering the SQL statement; transmitting a notification that a SQL process associated with the triggered SQL statement is attached to a debugger associated with the debugging process and ready for external execution control; providing state details and an intermediate result upon reaching a particular breakpoint associated with the SQL process executing the triggered SQL statement; providing an ability to change the process state and influence the process by stopping a debug process and terminating a debugging session, wherein connection properties are no longer verified and debugger session's related data is cleaned; and providing a SQL final execution response after reaching the end of the execution of the triggered SQL statement. <EOS>