Microsoft Ignite returns to San Francisco and online from November 17 to 20, 2026, and PostgreSQL is all over the agenda. Postgres has become the database of choice for modern application development, and more organizations are now relying on it to modernize the systems they already run and to power the AI apps and agents they are building next.
Whether you are a technology leader shaping your data strategy, an architect weighing your options, or a developer who wants to see what's possible, we've done the decision making for you just this once. Below are 20 sessions planned for Ignite with PostgreSQL at their core that you can add to your schedule. Plus, we’ve highlighted a few activations and surprises you should plan to check out if you want to learn more about Postgres, engage with the experts, and potentially win an Xbox.
One more thing: we have some exciting news to share for PostgreSQL at Microsoft. Tune in on Day 1, Tuesday, November 17, and keep an eye on this blog.
Before you build your schedule
Ignite has several session formats, and not all of them are streamed. Breakouts are 45 minutes, streamed live for the digital audience and available on demand. Theater sessions (25 minutes) are in person only but recorded for on-demand viewing. Lightning talks (15 minutes), table talks (45 minutes) and hands-on labs (75 minutes) are in-person experiences and are not recorded, so plan to be in the room. Labs require an RSVP.
All times below are Pacific Time. Use the session scheduler in the Ignite catalog to save your favorites:
Start with the big picture then find the right fit
If you're new to PostgreSQL on Azure, or you're deciding where your next workload should land, start here.
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BRK362 | Data Foundations for Modern Apps, AI, and Agents Wednesday, Nov 18, 9:00 AM |
Join Microsoft engineering leaders to see how the database portfolio across Azure and Microsoft Fabric helps organizations modernize mission-critical applications while building a new generation of intelligent experiences. |
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BRK366 | Database SOS: Choosing the right engine for your job Thursday, Nov 19, 1:30 PM |
Experts from across the Azure databases team compare database engines and share how to pick the right one for your next project. |
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THR923 | What's new for open source data on Azure? Thursday, Nov 19, 1:30 PM |
Catch the most important open-source data updates on Azure in one technical briefing, including enhancements to Azure HorizonDB and Azure Database for PostgreSQL, and learn which capabilities matter most for your next modernization decision. |
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THR884 | Two PostgreSQL services, one confident architecture decision Wednesday, Nov 18, 2:15 PM |
Which PostgreSQL on Azure service is the right fit for your workload? See how Azure Database for PostgreSQL compares to Azure HorizonDB across scale, availability, AI integration, operations and modernization needs. |
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TT1865 | Bring your workload, leave with the best Postgres fit Tuesday, Nov 17, 2:00 PM |
Bring a real workload and pressure-test your architecture with peers and PostgreSQL experts. Compare requirements for scale, availability, migration, AI, operations and cost, and leave with a clearer decision framework, not a generic product pitch. |
Build AI apps and agents on PostgreSQL
For teams turning operational data into AI experiences, these sessions show how to keep the stack simple and the data trusted.
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BRK370 | Build integrated AI apps with Azure HorizonDB Tuesday, Nov 17, 4:30 PM |
See how Azure HorizonDB brings PostgreSQL data together with AI functions, durable AI pipelines, vector and hybrid search, semantic ranking and knowledge graphs, through a technical walkthrough and live demo. |
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BRK359 | Build intelligent PostgreSQL apps with Microsoft Fabric HorizonDB Tuesday, Nov 17, 3:15 PM |
Discover a Fabric-native PostgreSQL experience that lets applications query operational and analytical data through a single PostgreSQL experience, reducing data movement and ETL complexity while delivering real-time insights with built-in governance. |
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THR881 | Microsoft Fabric HorizonDB: One PostgreSQL endpoint for AI apps Thursday, Nov 19, 11:05 AM |
Build intelligent applications without stitching together databases, analytics platforms and AI services. See how one PostgreSQL endpoint can unify transactional and analytical workloads so you can query live operational data and large-scale analytics together. |
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LTG1254 | 5 ways to simplify your Postgres AI data pipelines on Azure Tuesday, Nov 17, 2:00 PM |
You can't ship AI features if pipelines break, drift or need constant glue code. Learn five PostgreSQL patterns to keep content fresh, generate embeddings and serve context to your applications. |
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LTG1251 | Do you really need a separate vector database? Wednesday, Nov 18, 9:50 AM |
Choose a retrieval architecture based on the problem, not the label. In 15 minutes, learn when PostgreSQL-native vector, keyword and hybrid search can support an AI application, when graph context adds value, and which signals truly justify a separate service. |
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LTG1252 | See Azure HorizonDB come alive in VS Code Wednesday, Nov 18, 1:20 PM |
Watch the PostgreSQL developer experience get faster right inside VS Code. This live demo shows schema exploration, querying and AI-assisted development for Azure HorizonDB without leaving your editor. |
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LAB692 | Build a grounded AI agent with Azure HorizonDB for PostgreSQL Tuesday, Nov 17, 6:15 PM; Wednesday, Nov 18, 12:00 PM; Thursday, Nov 19, 2:45 PM; Friday, Nov 20, 9:00 AM |
Your agent is only as good as the data behind it. Build a working agent that retrieves trusted context from operational PostgreSQL data: create an AI pipeline, generate embeddings, combine vector and keyword retrieval, and connect the results to an agent workflow. |
Modernize and migrate with confidence
Moving off a legacy database or running a large Postgres fleet? These sessions focus on lowering risk and moving faster.
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BRK451 | Accelerate Your Move to PostgreSQL with AI-Assisted Migration Thursday, Nov 19, 9:00 AM |
Modernizing databases doesn't have to be complex. Learn how AI-assisted and built-in tools simplify assessment, schema and code conversion, and data migration, and see a live demo of how to identify blockers early and build a repeatable modernization path. |
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BRK368 | Postgres in Production on Azure: Lessons in Fleet Modernization Thursday, Nov 19, 11:30 AM |
Running PostgreSQL at scale requires performance, security, resilience and cost efficiency. Explore the latest innovations in Azure Database for PostgreSQL, including fleet management, elastic clusters, next-generation compute and storage, and immutable backups, and leave with proven patterns and real-world insights |
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TT1702 | Eliminate your biggest Oracle migration blocker Thursday, Nov 19, 2:25 PM |
Bring your hardest Oracle migration question. Discuss assessment gaps, unsupported objects, conversion, validation, downtime and cutover with Microsoft experts and peers, and leave with practical next steps for moving to PostgreSQL on Azure. |
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LTG1257 | Upgrade smarter with next-gen Postgres on Azure Thursday, Nov 19, 3:00 PM |
Upgrades stall when compatibility and rollback risk aren't proven early. See how to turn your next major-version upgrade on Azure Database for PostgreSQL into a repeatable test plan that checks extensions, performance, operations and rollback. |
Run PostgreSQL securely and reliably at scale
For leaders and operators responsible for uptime, compliance and performance.
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BRK361 | Azure HorizonDB: Deep Dive into Architecture and Internals Wednesday, Nov 18, 4:15 PM |
Join the engineering and product leaders behind Azure HorizonDB for a look under the hood of a cloud-native PostgreSQL service: the storage engine, disaggregated compute and storage, replication, recovery design, and the elasticity that delivers predictable performance and resilience at scale. |
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THR882 | Stop tuning databases, start optimizing with AI Thursday, Nov 19, 10:10 AM |
Most organizations don't have a database performance problem; they have an expertise bottleneck. See a new approach that combines observability, diagnosis, optimization recommendations and controlled remediation in a single AI-powered experience, while you keep governance and control. |
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LTG1258 | Break your Postgres before production causes a breakdown Tuesday, Nov 17, 4:00 PM |
Validate recovery before an outage becomes the test. Watch a controlled PostgreSQL failure exercise and trace how backup, restore, immutability, geo-redundancy and retention choices affect your recovery objectives. |
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TT1866 | Lock it down: Running PostgreSQL in regulated environments Tuesday, Nov 17, 4:00 PM |
Compare practical approaches for operating PostgreSQL under security, compliance and recovery requirements, covering identity, FIPS mode, immutable backups, long-term retention and confidential virtual machines. Bring your constraints and hear how peers turn policy into architecture. |
Play Decision Point: A game for Postgres
Between sessions, come put your instincts to the test. Decision Point: A game for Postgresis a browser-based game that puts you in the role of a lead engineer racing to get an AI application launch-ready using Azure HorizonDB in VS Code. You don't need to be a database expert to play. Every round is a real-world decision, and every decision counts.
In the "Ship the AI Agent" scenario, you're the lead engineer for Basket IQ, an AI shopping agent that is about to launch. You'll work through three engineering incidents and make the architecture and optimization calls that shape your Launch Readiness score.
You'll find Decision Point in The Hub at various spots:
- Azure Community
- AMD booth #6044
- Azure HorizonDB booth #AZ-11
See you at Ignite
Whether you join us in San Francisco or virtually, we can't wait to connect. Register and explore the full catalog, stop by the Azure HorizonDB booth in the Expert Meet-Up area to meet the PostgreSQL team, and follow Microsoft for PostgreSQL on LinkedIn and X for live updates from the event. And don't forget to play Decision Point.
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