PostgreSQL 17 In-Place Upgrade – Now in Public Preview
By Varun Dhawan, Principal PM. PostgreSQL 17 is now supported via in-place upgrades on Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server. Learn how you can upgrade seamlessly from earlier versions without changing your server or migrating data, and take advantage of the latest PostgreSQL version.Hacking the migration service in Azure Database for PostgreSQL
Introduction Azure Database for PostgreSQL offers a powerful and scalable database solution for developers and enterprises. Whether you're looking to change your networking configuration from VNET integration to Private Endpoint or downsizing storage, the Migration Service in Azure Database for PostgreSQL provides options for smooth migrations. Historically, migrating between flexible servers was manual—using pg_dump/pg_restore or third-party tools—which can be time-consuming and error-prone. This guide introduces an alternative workaround: utilizing the Migration Service to facilitate flex-to-flex migrations and outlines known networking scenarios where this workaround has been used. Note: While flex to flex migration isn't officially supported by the Azure Database for PostgreSQL product team, it has been observed to work successfully for many customers. Why migrate from Flex to Flex? There are several reasons common reason to migrate between Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Servers: Change from VNET integration to Private Endpoint networking Downsizing the storage capacity of a server Consolidating databases to optimize costs Regardless of your specific reason, utilizing the Migration Service in supported scenarios simplifies the process and helps maintain data integrity. How the migration workaround works? In brief, select "On-Premise Server" as the migration source in the Migration Service, then provide the details of your existing flexible server. This approach leverages the standard migration tool, sidestepping some limitations. Restrictions & Limitations Keep in mind, the same restrictions outlined by Microsoft in their official documentation apply here: Known issues with the Migration Service Prerequisites for migration Migration of extensions Known Networking Scenarios (Unofficially Supported) PostgreSQL Flex source PostgreSQL Flex target Status Public Access Public Access Works Private Endpoint Private Endpoint Works Vnet Integrated Private Endpoint Works Vnet Integrated Vnet Integrated Not tested How to perform the migration? Step 1: Launch the Migration Service: Step 2: Enter Source Details Select “On-Premise” as the source server type Choose the migration option Choose the migration mode Include the Azure Database for PostgreSQL source server details - this is where we input the flexible server credentials Step 3: Connect to the Target Server Choose your target flexible server and complete the migration wizard Remember to review extension compatibility if you use extensions. Conclusion Migrating between Azure PostgreSQL Flexible Servers using this workaround is a practical option when supported scenarios don't fit your environment. Follow the outlined steps for a smooth, reliable migration with minimal disruption. With careful planning and validation, you’ll maintain data integrity and build a scalable database infrastructure on Azure. Happy migrating! Additional Tips & Resources If you encounter issues related to extensions or other limitations, consider exploring pgcopydbfor advanced migration options. Feedback: We welcome your thoughts and suggestions - as well as net new supported scenarios.April 2025 Recap: Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server
Hello Azure Community, April has brought powerful capabilities to Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server, On-Demand backups are now Generally Available, a new Terraform version for our latest REST API has been released, the Public Preview of the MCP Server is now live, and there are also a few other updates that we are excited to share in this blog. Stay tuned as we dive into the details of these new features and how they can benefit you! Feature Highlights General Availability of On-Demand Backups Public Preview of Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server Additional Tuning Parameters in PG 17 Terraform resource released for latest REST API version General Availability of pg_cron extension in PG 17 General Availability of On-Demand Backups We are excited to announce General Availability of On-Demand backups for Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server. With this it becomes easier to streamline the process of backup management, including automated, scheduled storage volume snapshots encompassing the entire database instance and all associated transaction logs. On-demand backups provide you with the flexibility to initiate backups at any time, supplementing the existing scheduled backups. This capability is useful for scenarios such as application upgrades, schema modifications, or major version upgrades. For instance, before making schema changes, you can take a database backup, in an unlikely case, if you run into any issues, you can quickly restore (PITR) database back to a point before the schema changes were initiated. Similarly, during major version upgrades, on-demand backups provide a safety net, allowing you to revert to a previous state if anything goes wrong. In the absence of on-demand backup, the PITR could take much longer as it would need to take the last snapshot which could be 24 hours earlier and then replay the WAL. Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server already does on-demand backup behind the scenes for you and then deletes it when the upgrade is successful. Key Benefits: Immediate Backup Creation: Trigger full backups instantly. Cost Control: Delete on-demand backups when no longer needed. Improved Safety: Safeguard data before major changes or refreshes. Easy Access: Use via Azure Portal, CLI, ARM templates, or REST APIs. For more details and on how to get started, check out this announcement blog post. Create your first on-demand backup using the Azure portal or Azure CLI. Public Preview of Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a new and emerging open protocol designed to integrate AI models with the environments where your data and tools reside in a scalable, standardized, and secure manner. We are excited to introduce the Public Preview of MCP Server for Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server which enables your AI applications and models to talk to your data hosted in Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible servers according to the MCP standard. The MCP Server exposes a suite of tools including listing databases, tables, and schema information, reading and writing data, creating and dropping tables, listing Azure Database for PostgreSQL configurations, retrieving server parameter values, and more. You can either build custom AI apps and agents with MCP clients to invoke these capabilities or use AI tools like Claude Desktop and GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code to interact with your Azure PostgreSQL data simply by asking questions in plain English. For more details and demos on how to get started, check out this announcement blog post. Additional Tuning Parameters in PG17 We have now provided an expanded set of configuration parameters in Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server (V17) that allows you to modify and have greater control to optimize your database performance for unique workloads. You can now tune internal buffer settings like commit timestamp, multixact member and offset, notify, serializable, subtransaction, and transaction buffers, allowing you to better manage memory and concurrency in high-throughput environments. Additionally, you can also configure parallel append, plan cache mode, and event triggers that opens powerful optimization and automation opportunities for analytical workloads and custom logic execution. This gives you more control for memory intensive and high-concurrency applications, increased control over execution plans and allowing parallel execution of queries. To get started, all newly modifiable parameters are available now through the Azure portal, Azure CLI, and ARM templates, just like any other server configuration setting. To learn more, visit our Server Parameter Documentation. Terraform resource released for latest REST API version A new version of the Terraform resource for Azure Databases for PostgreSQL flexible server is now available, this brings several key improvements including the ability to easily revive dropped databases with geo-redundancy and customer-managed keys (Geo + CMK - Revive Dropped), seamless switchover of read replicas to a new site (Read Replicas - Switchover), improved connectivity through virtual endpoints for read replicas, and using on-demand backups for your servers. To get started with Terraform support, please follow this link: Deploy Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server with Terraform General Availability of pg_cron extension in PG 17 We’re excited to announce that the pg_cron extension is now supported in Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server major versions including PostgreSQL 17. This extension enables simple, time-based job scheduling directly within your database, making maintenance and automation tasks easier than ever. You can get started today by enabling the extension through the Azure portal or CLI. To learn more, please refer Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server list of extensions. Azure Postgres Learning Bytes 🎓 Setting up alerts for Azure Database PostgreSQL flexible server using Terraform Monitoring metrics and setting up alerts for your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server instance is crucial for maintaining optimal performance and troubleshooting workload issues. By configuring alerts, you can track key metrics like CPU usage and storage etc. and receive notifications by creating an action group for your alert metrics. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up alerts using Terraform. First, create an instance of Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server (if not already created) Next, create a Terraform File and add these resources 'azurerm_monitor_action_group', 'azurerm_monitor_metric_alert' as shown below. resource "azurerm_monitor_action_group" "example" { name = "<action-group-name>" resource_group_name = "<rg-name>" short_name = "<short-name>" email_receiver { name = "sendalerts" email_address = "<youremail>" use_common_alert_schema = true } } resource "azurerm_monitor_metric_alert" "example" { name = "<alert-name>" resource_group_name = "<rg-name>" scopes = [data.azurerm_postgresql_flexible_server.demo.id] description = "Alert when CPU usage is high" severity = 3 frequency = "PT5M" window_size = "PT5M" enabled = true criteria { metric_namespace = "Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL/flexibleServers" metric_name = "cpu_percent" aggregation = "Average" operator = "GreaterThan" threshold = 80 } action { action_group_id = azurerm_monitor_action_group.example.id } } 3. Run the terraform initialize, plan and apply commands to create an action group and attach a metric to the Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server instance. terraform init -upgrade terraform plan -out <file-name> terraform apply <file-name>.tfplan Note: This script assumes you have already created an Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server instance. To verify your alert, check the Azure portal under Monitoring -> Alerts -> Alert Rules tab. Conclusion That's a wrap for the April 2025 feature updates! Stay tuned for our Build announcements, as we have a lot of exciting updates and enhancements for Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server coming up this month. We’ve also published our Yearly Recap Blog, highlighting many improvements and announcements we’ve delivered over the past year. Take a look at our yearly recap blog here: What's new with Postgres at Microsoft, 2025 edition We are always dedicated to improving our service with new array of features, if you have any feedback or suggestions we would love to hear from you. 📢 Share your thoughts here: aka.ms/pgfeedback Thanks for being part of our growing Azure Postgres community.On-Demand Backups in Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server - Public Preview
In today’s fast-paced world of data management, safeguarding your databases is crucial. Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server simplifies this process with its robust backup management capabilities. The service automatically creates storage volume snapshots of your entire database instance, including all databases, as part of its scheduled backup routine. You can now create on-demand backups whenever required. On-demand backups can be taken in addition to scheduled automatic backups. This feature is especially useful for scenarios such as preparing for potentially high-risk operations like system upgrades or schema changes or performing periodic refreshes that fall outside your scheduled backup cadence. Key Benefits Flexible Retention: On-demand backups are retained according to your specified backup retention window, with the added flexibility to delete them when they are no longer needed. User Control: You can initiate backups based on your business needs and delete on-demand backups anytime. Seamless Integration: These backups are stored alongside automated backups, but only on-demand backups are user-deletable. Automated backups remain managed by the Flexible Server service to ensure compliance with retention requirements. Cost Optimization: While automated backups are managed by Azure and cannot be deleted, on-demand backups provide you with control over storage costs. Delete these backups once their purpose is served to avoid unnecessary storage expenses. Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server provides a comprehensive, user-friendly backup solution, giving you the confidence to manage your data effectively and securely. Let us explore how on-demand backups can elevate your database management strategy and provide peace of mind during high-stakes operations. Automated Backups vs On-Demand Backups Feature Automated Backups On-Demand Backups Creation Scheduled by Azure Manually initiated by the user Retention Based on the backup policy Based on the backup policy Deletion Managed by Azure User-controlled Use Cases Regular data protection High-risk operations, ad-hoc needs How to take On-Demand Backups using portal. In the Azure portal, choose your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server. Click Settings from the left panel and choose Backup and Restore. Click Backup now and provide your backup name. 4. Click Trigger. 5. A notification is shown that an On-demand backup trigger has been initiated. How to take On-Demand Backups using CLI. You can run the following command to perform an on-demand backup of a server. az postgres flexible-server backup create [--source-server-name] [--resource-group] [--backup-name] Example : For more information: How to perform On-demand backups using CLI What's Next Once you have taken an on-demand backup based on your business needs, you can retain it until your high-risk operation is complete or use it to refresh your reporting or non-production environments. When the backup is no longer needed, you can delete it to optimize storage costs. To restore or delete on-demand backups, you can use the Azure portal, CLI, or API for seamless management. Limitations: In preview, on-demand backups currently work with general-purpose and Memory-optimized SKUs only. We will add support for burstable SKUs later. Take Control of Your Database Protection Today! The ability to create on-demand backups is critical for managing and safeguarding your data. Whether you're preparing for high-risk operations or refreshing non-production environments, this feature puts flexibility and control in your hands. Get started now: Create your first on-demand backup using the Azure Portal or CLI. Optimize your storage costs by deleting backups when no longer needed. Restore with ease to keep your databases resilient and ready for any challenge. Protect your data effectively and ensure your database is always prepared for the unexpected. Learn more about Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server and explore the possibilities with on-demand backups today! You can always find the latest features added to Flexible server in this release notes page. We are eager to hear all the great scenarios this new feature helps you optimize, and look forward to receiving your feedback at https://aka.ms/PGfeedback.
