We are thrilled to announce the Public Preview of Virtual Canary Maintenance for Azure Database for MySQL. This innovative feature provides you with early access to maintenance updates, allowing you to validate workload compatibility with upcoming Azure Database for MySQL enhancements and contribute to the continuous improvement of the service.

Why Virtual Canary Maintenance?

Azure Database for MySQL is designed to deliver stability, performance, and innovation through regular maintenance cycles. However, we recognize that many of you prefer to proactively test updates to ensure seamless compatibility with your workloads. Virtual Canary Maintenance addresses this need by offering early access to updates, empowering you to:

• Proactively validate workloads against upcoming Azure Database for MySQL features.
• Identify and address potential compatibility issues before updates are broadly deployed.
• Provide feedback to shape future releases.

Who benefits from Virtual Canary?

Virtual Canary Maintenance is particularly valuable for non-production environments, such as those running on Burstable tier servers (e.g., B1MS/B1S). These servers are often used for testing and staging, making them ideal candidates for early maintenance cycles.

How does Virtual Canary work?

Servers enrolled in Virtual Canary Maintenance will:

• Receive maintenance updates earlier than other servers.
• Experience maintenance schedules that may not adhere to the standard 30-day gap or 7-day advance notification period.
• Have updates applied in a phased and measured way, ensuring minimal disruption while delivering value to those who want to stay ahead.

Managing your Virtual Canary enrollment

Participation in Virtual Canary is flexible and easy to manage. You can check your enrollment status, join, or exit the program using the Azure CLI. For a step-by-step guide, you can either watch the following demo video or continue reading this section.

Check enrollment status:

az mysql flexible-server show --resource-group {resourcegroupname} --name {servername} --query "maintenancePolicy"

Enroll in Virtual Canary:

az mysql flexible-server update --resource-group {resourcegroupname} --name {servername} --maintenance-policy-patch-strategy VirtualCanary

Opt-out of Virtual Canary:

az mysql flexible-server update --resource-group {resourcegroupname} --name {servername} --maintenance-policy-patch-strategy Regular

What’s next?

In the future, all newly created Burstable tier servers will be automatically enrolled in Virtual Canary by default to streamline the process. You can opt out at any time if you prefer to remain on the standard maintenance track.

Additionally, we are working on integrating Virtual Canary management directly into the "Maintenance" blade of Azure Database for MySQL on Azure portal. This update will include a major UI enhancement for the "Maintenance" blade, designed to provide you with a clearer understanding of the entire maintenance cycle. The new interface will make it easier for you to plan and manage maintenance activities, offering an improved and more intuitive user experience.

Stay tuned for these exciting updates, which will further streamline the maintenance process and enhance transparency for all Azure Database for MySQL users.

Get started with Virtual Canary today!

Virtual Canary offers a unique opportunity for you to stay ahead of updates, optimize your workloads, and influence the evolution of Azure Database for MySQL. By enrolling in Virtual Canary Maintenance, you can proactively test early maintenance updates and ensure seamless compatibility with your workloads. 

Ready to explore the benefits? Enroll in Virtual Canary Maintenance and experience a proactive approach to staying ahead with Azure Database for MySQL. Learn more about Virtual Canary Maintenance here.

We encourage all Azure stakeholders to spread the word about this feature, especially to those managing staging or testing environments. 

Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, we’re here to support you on your Azure journey!