Boost your MySQL apps: why enterprises are migrating MySQL databases to Azure
MySQL is one of the world’s most popular open-source databases, and for good reason. It’s cost-effective, scalable, and familiar to millions of developers. But if your enterprise is running MySQL on-premises, you might be missing out on huge benefits in cost savings, performance, and agility. Recent findings from an ESG Economic Validation report, commissioned by Microsoft, reveal just how advantageous it is to migrate on-premises MySQL databases to Azure’s fully managed database- as -a -service platform. Read the full MySQL report TL;DR – benefits of migrating to Azure Database for MySQL Managing data security, quality and privacy as well as general database management are among the most significant challenges facing developer teams. Some even report that database technology is evolving faster than they’re able to keep up with. Migrating to Azure’s fully managed service offloads these responsibilities so teams can focus fully on projects that move their business forward. Some benefits of moving from on premises to Azure Database for MySQL highlighted in the report include: 54% lower total cost of ownership 86% lower MySQL admin costs 25% increase in development velocity “Our developers can now focus on their core job: creating code. We now put out 8 releases per year compared to 2 when we were on premises. This gets features and fixes in the hands of our customers sooner.” Review the Azure Database for MySQL Economic Validation Infographic Zooming in – how fully managed open-source databases on Azure deliver economic wins for the enterprise More than 50% lower costs and total cost of ownership Azure’s fully managed MySQL service delivers the same (or better) database capabilities for almost half the cost. By one estimate, a company could save millions over a few years and even see an ROI above 90% from the migration when factoring in both cost savings and new revenue opportunities. These savings come from a few key areas: No more hardware and maintenance expenses: On-premises MySQL deployments require investing in servers, storage, networking gear – plus ongoing power, cooling, and data center space. Azure Database for MySQL eliminates those needs entirely. You don’t buy or maintain hardware; Microsoft handles the infrastructure. Drastically reduced admin overhead: Companies in the study reported an 86% reduction in the cost of MySQL administration after migrating to Azure. All the routine tasks—installing updates, patching OS and MySQL versions, tuning performance, taking backups, managing high availability—are handled by Azure as part of the service. Pay-as-you-go efficiency: On-premises setups often over-provision resources to handle peak loads, which wastes money during lulls. Azure can scale resources on-demand, so you’re never stuck paying for idle capacity. You can also use cost controls like burstable instances for dev/test, stop/start to pause servers, and reserved instances for discounts. Included extras: Many capabilities that would incur extra cost on-premises (or require separate licenses) are bundled into Azure Database for MySQL. For example, security features, monitoring and performance tuning tools, backup storage, and high availability options come built-in at no extra charge in Azure’s service tiers. Improved performance and scalability Beyond cost, Azure Database for MySQL helps your applications run faster and scale seamlessly to meet demand. In on-premises environments, you might need to tune configs, add hardware, or handle sharding as usage grows. Azure takes a lot of that burden away and offers cloud-scale performance out of the box: Better throughput: Azure’s managed MySQL runs on high-performance cloud infrastructure (with fast SSD storage, plenty of memory, and low-latency networking). Microsoft has also added capabilities like accelerated I/O logs and intelligent caching that improve MySQL’s throughput and response times compared to typical on-premises setups. Elastic scaling on demand: With Azure, scaling up a MySQL server is as simple as a configuration change. No new hardware is required. You can scale vertically (bigger machine) or horizontally (add read replicas) in minutes. Azure even supports autoscaling of IOPS and storage based on set thresholds. This flexibility means your database can handle traffic spikes or growth without manual intervention. No wasted capacity: On-premises, you often must deploy extra servers “just in case” future demand increases, and that hardware sits underutilized most of the time. Azure’s model avoids this waste. Enterprises reported that Azure’s ability to fine-tune resources helped them avoid overprovisioning and maintain a better price/performance mix. Reliable high performance at scale: Whether you have 10 users or 10 million, Azure’s global infrastructure can scale to meet your needs. One customer in the study found that after migrating, they could provide MySQL services 5× faster than when they were on-premises. Faster development cycles and greater developer productivity For developers, one of the biggest wins of moving MySQL to Azure is time back to innovate. When you no longer have to babysit your database infrastructure, you can focus on building features and improving your applications. The ESG report highlighted that companies saw significantly improved developer productivity and agility after migrating. Faster development: Organizations reported that their development cycles became 25% faster on average once on Azure. One customer shared that “our developers can now focus on their core job: creating code.” The customer went from shipping two software releases per year to eight releases per year after migrating to Azure. Elimination of toil: Azure’s fully managed platform lifts the burden of routine DB administration from your team. No more worrying about backups, failover, or OS patches. The service continuously applies best practices and optimizations automatically, so your team doesn’t have to. Teams can be more agile because they’re not bogged down by lengthy processes or constant maintenance. Faster time-to-market: ESG modeled that by releasing features earlier and more often, thanks to Azure MySQL, a mid-sized software company could realize an additional $15 million in revenue over three years by being first-to-market with new capabilities can capture customers and market share. Stronger security and high availability Running MySQL in Azure doesn’t just make life easier and cheaper. It also makes your databases more secure and resilient. Enterprises often struggle to keep up with patches, security threats, and high availability when managing databases on-premises. Azure Database for MySQL is hardened with enterprise-grade security and reliability features that can significantly reduce your risk. Fully managed security updates: In the ESG survey, nearly half of organizations (46%) said they needed outside expertise to help manage database platforms on-premises often because of the complexity of securing and tuning them. Azure takes care of patching the MySQL engine and underlying OS for you, ensuring you’re always on a supported, secure version. Enhanced data protection: By default, Azure Database for MySQL encrypts data at rest and in transit. It also offers network isolation options to lock down access to your database. Many customers found that after migrating, their security posture was stronger than before. They could easily implement role-based access control via Azure AD, set up threat detection alerts, and use Azure’s monitoring to audit activity with just a few clicks. High availability and disaster recovery built In: Azure Database for MySQL can be deployed with high availability configurations across availability zones. In case of an outage, it can switch to a standby replica usually in under 60 seconds, dramatically reducing downtime for your apps. Companies in the study experienced 70% less downtime incidents after moving to Azure. Compliance and governance: Azure Database for MySQL is compliant with a broad set of industry standards and certifications, easing the audit burden. Many organizations found that moving to Azure made it simpler to adhere to internal security policies and compliance standards because so many controls are built into the platform. Enterprise-ready MySQL is just a few clicks away Azure provides a hardened, enterprise-ready environment for MySQL that most companies would be hard-pressed to build on their own. By entrusting MySQL to Azure’s managed service, you benefit from Microsoft’s investments in security and infrastructure resiliency. The result is peace of mind: your data is safer, your databases are more stable, and your team has far fewer 3 AM incidents to deal with. Read the full report for more details about the quantified benefits and customer testimonials. If you’re ready to start your journey, check out our migration guides. With Azure’s fully managed open-source databases, you can supercharge your data strategy, empower your developers, and ultimately accelerate your path to an AI-driven future.Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server for Azure Database for MySQL
We are excited to introduce a new MCP Server for integrating your AI models with data hosted in Azure Database for MySQL. By utilizing this server, you can effortlessly connect any AI application that supports MCP to your MySQL flexible server (using either MySQL password-based authentication or Microsoft Entra authentication methods), enabling you to provide your business data as meaningful context in a standardized and secure manner.Azure Database for MySQL bindings for Azure Functions (General Availability)
We’re thrilled to announce the general availability (GA) of Azure Database for MySQL Input and Output bindings for Azure Functions—a powerful way to build event-driven, serverless applications that seamlessly integrate with your MySQL databases. Key Capabilities With this GA release, your applications can use: Input bindings that allow your function to retrieve data from a MySQL database without writing any connection or query logic. Output bindings that allow your function to insert or update data in a MySQL table without writing explicit SQL commands. In addition you can use both the input and output bindings in the same function to read-modify-write data patterns. For example, retrieve a record, update a field, and write it back—all without managing connections or writing SQL. These bindings are fully supported for both in-process and isolated worker models, giving you flexibility in how you build and deploy your Azure Functions. How It Works Azure Functions bindings abstract away the boilerplate code required to connect to external services. With the MySQL Input and Output bindings, you can now declaratively connect your serverless functions to your Azure Database for MySQL database with minimal configuration. You can configure these bindings using attributes in C#, decorators in Python, or annotations in JavaScript/Java. The bindings use the MySql.Data.MySqlClient library under the hood and support Azure Database for MySQL Flexible Server. Getting Started To use the bindings, install the appropriate NuGet or npm package: # For isolated worker model (C#) dotnet add package Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker.Extensions.MySql # For in-process model (C#) dotnet add package Microsoft.Azure.WebJobs.Extensions.MySql Then, configure your function with a connection string and binding metadata. Full samples for all the supported programming frameworks are available in our github repository. Here is a sample C# in-process function example where you want to retrieve a user by ID, increment their login count, and save the updated record back to the MySQL database for lightweight data transformations, modifying status fields or updating counters and timestamps. public class User { public int Id { get; set; } public string Name { get; set; } public int LoginCount { get; set; } } public static class UpdateLoginCountFunction { [FunctionName("UpdateLoginCount")] public static async Task<IActionResult> Run( [HttpTrigger(AuthorizationLevel.Function, "post", Route = "user/{id}/login")] HttpRequest req, [MySql("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = @id", CommandType = System.Data.CommandType.Text, Parameters = "@id={id}", ConnectionStringSetting = "MySqlConnectionString")] User user, [MySql("users", ConnectionStringSetting = "MySqlConnectionString")] IAsyncCollector<User> userCollector, ILogger log) { if (user == null) { return new NotFoundObjectResult("User not found."); } // Modify the user object user.LoginCount += 1; // Write the updated user back to the database await userCollector.AddAsync(user); return new OkObjectResult($"Login count updated to {user.LoginCount} for user {user. Name}."); } } Learn More Azure Functions MySQL Bindings Azure Functions Conclusion With input and output bindings for Azure Database for MySQL now generally available, building serverless apps on Azure with MySQL has never been simpler or more efficient. By eliminating the need for manual connection management and boilerplate code, these bindings empower you to focus on what matters most: building scalable, event-driven applications with clean, maintainable code. Whether you're building real-time dashboards, automating workflows, or syncing data across systems, these bindings unlock new levels of productivity and performance. We can’t wait to see what you’ll build with them. If you have any feedback or questions about the information provided above, please leave a comment below or email us at AskAzureDBforMySQL@service.microsoft.com. Thank you!Deploying Moodle on Azure – things you should know
Moodle is one of the most popular open-source learning management platform empowering educators and researchers across the world to disseminate their work efficiently. It is also one of the most mature and robust OSS applications that the community has developed and improvised over the years. We have seen customers from small, medium, and large enterprises to schools, public sector, and government organizations deploying Moodle in Azure. In this blog post, I’ll share some best practices and tips for deploying Moodle on Azure based on our experiences working with several of our customers.Azure Database for MySQL triggers for Azure Functions (Public Preview)
Developers can now accelerate development time and focus only on the core business logic of their applications, for developing event-driven applications with Azure Database for MySQL as the backend data store. We are excited to announce that you can now invoke an Azure Function based on changes to an Azure Database for MySQL table. This new capability is made possible through the Azure Database for MySQL triggers for Azure Functions, now available in public preview. Azure Database for MySQL triggers The Azure Database for MySQL trigger uses change tracking functionality to monitor a MySQL table for changes and trigger a function when a row is created, updated, or deleted enabling customers to build highly-scalable event-driven applications. Similar to the Azure Database for MySQL Input and Output bindings for Azure Functions, a connection string for the MySQL database is stored in the application settings of the Azure Function to trigger the function when a change is detected on the tables. Note: In public preview, Azure Database for MySQL triggers for Azure Functions are available only for dedicated and premium plan of Azure Functions To enable change tracking on an existing Azure Database for MySQL table to use trigger bindings for an Azure Function, it is necessary to alter the table structure, for example, enabling change tracking on an employees data table: ALTER TABLE employees ADD COLUMN az_func_updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP; Azure Database for MySQL trigger uses the 'az_func_updated_at' and column's data to monitor the table for any changes on which change tracking is enabled. Changes are then processed in the order that they were made, with the oldest changes being processed first. Important: If changes to multiple rows are made at once, then the exact order they're sent to the function is determined on the ascending order of the az_func_updated_at and the primary key columns. If multiple changes are made to a row in-between an iteration, then only the latest changes for that particular rows are considered. The following example demonstrates a C# function that is triggered when changes occur in the employees table. The MySQL trigger uses attributes for the table name and the connection string. using System.Collections.Generic; using Microsoft.Azure.WebJobs; using Microsoft.Azure.WebJobs.Extensions.MySql; using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging; namespace EmployeeSample.Function { public static class EmployeesTrigger { [FunctionName(nameof(EmployeesTrigger))] public static void Run( [MySqlTrigger("Employees", "MySqlConnectionString")] IReadOnlyList<MySqlChange<Employee>> changes, ILogger logger) { foreach (MySqlChange<Employee> change in changes) { Employee employee= change. Item; logger.LogInformation($"Change operation: {change.Operation}"); logger.LogInformation($"EmployeeId: {employee.employeeId}, FirstName: {employee.FirstName}, LastName: {employee.LastName}, Company: {employee. Company}, Department: {employee. Department}, Role: {employee. Role}"); } } } } Join the preview and share your feedback! We are eager for you to try out the new Azure Database for MySQL triggers for Azure Functions and build highly scalable event-driven and serverless applications. For more information refer https://aka.ms/mysqltriggers about using MySQL triggers for all the supported programming frameworks with detailed step-by-step instructions If you have any feedback or questions about the information provided above, please leave a comment below or email us at AskAzureDBforMySQL@service.microsoft.com. Thank you!Preventing and recovering from accidental deletion of an Azure Database for MySQL flexible server
Accidental deletion of critical Azure resources, such as Azure Database for MySQL flexible servers, can disrupt operations. To help avoid such accidental deletions, you can use a couple of options, including Azure Resource Locks and Azure Policy. This post explains how to implement these mechanisms, and how to revive a dropped MySQL flexible server by using the Azure CLI.Public Preview announcement - Unified migration experience in Azure DMS
We are excited to announce that Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) now supports seamless migration of your MySQL on-premises or Virtual Machine (VM) workloads to Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server. This new feature, now available in public preview, allows you to use physical backup files of the MySQL server for migration. By restoring your physical data files directly to your target Flexible Server, you can migrate multi-terabyte workloads quickly and effortlessly with minimal downtime ensuring a smooth and efficient transition to Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server, enabling you to take full advantage of the platform's capabilities. To migrate your workloads using the Physical Online Data Migration option in Azure DMS, you need to take backups of your workload on the source server using Percona Xtrabackup utility. After taking a backup, upload the backup files to Azure Blob Storage. DMS can read the uploaded backup files from Azure Blob Storage and apply them on the target flexible server for rapid movement of large workloads to MySQL flexible server. To get started, go to your DMS project and choose "[Preview] Physical Online Data Migration" for migrating your workloads from on-premises or VMs. Limitations: You must create and configure the target Flexible server prior to migrating your physical backup files. Migration for encrypted backups isn't supported. Migration cancellation during the import operation is not supported. For more information about using physical online migration with Azure DMS please follow our detailed step-by-step instructions in our documentation: https://aka.ms/dmsPhysicalImportOnlineMigration If you have any feedback or questions about the information provided above, please leave a comment below or email us at AskAzureDBforMySQL@service.microsoft.com. Thank you!
Best practices for safely performing schema changes in Azure Database for MySQL
Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server is built on the open-source MySQL database engine, and the service supports MySQL 8.0 and newer versions. This means that users can take advantage of the flexibility and advanced capabilities of MySQL’s latest features while benefitting from a fully managed database service. While newer versions and features can provide a lot of value, the recent issues identified with MySQL versions 8.0+ makes it important to be aware of potential risks that can occur during certain operations, particularly if you are making online schema changes. Issues with data loss and duplicate keys with Online DDL Online Data Definition Language (DDL) operations are a powerful feature in MySQL, enabling schema changes like ALTER TABLE or OPTIMIZE TABLE with minimal impact on table availability. These operations are designed to reduce downtime by allowing concurrent reads and writes during schema modifications, making them an essential tool for managing active databases efficiently. However, a recent post on the Percona blog, Who Ate My MySQL Table Rows? highlights critical risks associated with MySQL 8.0.x versions after 8.0.27 and all versions beyond 8.4.y. Specifically, the open-source INPLACE algorithm, commonly used for online schema changes, can lead to data loss and duplicate key errors under certain conditions. These issues arise from constraints in the INPLACE algorithm, particularly during ALTER TABLE and OPTIMIZE TABLE operations, exposing vulnerabilities that compromise data integrity and system reliability. These risks are called out in the following bug reports: Bug #115511: Data loss during online ALTER operations with concurrent DML Bug #115608: Duplicate key errors caused by online ALTER operations Documented issues related to the INPLACE algorithm (used for online DDL) can cause: Data Loss: Rows may be accidentally deleted or become inaccessible. Duplicate Keys: Indexes can end up with duplicate entries, leading to data consistency issues and potential replication errors. Problems arise when INPLACE operations, such as ALTER TABLE or OPTIMIZE TABLE, run concurrently with: DML operations (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE): Modifications to table data during the rebuild. A purge activity: Background cleanup operations for old row versions in InnoDB. These scenarios can lead to anomalies resulting from race conditions and incomplete synchronization between concurrent activities. Impact on Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server Customers For Azure Database for MySQL Flexible Server customers using MySQL 8.0+ and all versions after 8.4.y, this issue is particularly critical as it affects: Data Integrity: During schema changes such as ALTER TABLE or OPTIMIZE TABLE run using the INPLACE algorithm, data rows may be lost or duplicated if these operations run concurrently with a DML activity (e.g., INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE) or background purge tasks. This can compromise the accuracy and reliability of the database, potentially leading to incorrect query results or the loss of critical business data. Replication Instability: Duplicate keys or missing rows can interrupt replication processes, which rely on a consistent data stream across the primary and replica servers. These issues can arise when there are concurrent insertions into the table during schema changes, leading to data inconsistencies between the primary and replicas. Such inconsistencies may result in replication lag, errors, or even a complete breakdown of high-availability setups, requiring manual intervention to restore synchronization. Operational Downtime: Resolving these issues often involves manually syncing data or restoring backups. These recovery efforts can be time-consuming and disruptive, leading to extended downtime for applications and potential business impact. Recommendations for safe schema changes on Azure Database for MySQL flexible servers To minimize the risks of data loss and duplicate keys while making schema changes, follow these best practices: Set old_alter_table=ON to Default to COPY Algorithm Enable the server parameter old_alter_table system variable so that ALTER TABLE operations without a specified ALGORITHM default to using the COPY algorithm instead of INPLACE. This reduces the risk for users who do not explicitly specify the ALGORITHM in their commands. Learn more on how configure server parameters in Azure Database for MySQL. Avoid using ALGORITHM=INPLACE Do not explicitly use ALGORITHM=INPLACE for ALTER TABLE commands, as it increases the risk of data loss or duplicate keys. Back up your data before schema changes Always perform a full on-demand backup of your server before executing schema changes. This precaution ensures data recoverability in case of unexpected issues. Learn more on how to take full on-demand backups for your server. Avoid Concurrent DML during schema changes Schedule schema changes like ALTER TABLE and OPTIMIZE TABLE during application maintenance windows when no concurrent writes activities occur. This minimizes race conditions and synchronization conflicts. Use External Tools for Safer Online Schema Changes Consider using external tools like pt-online-schema-change to modify table definitions without blocking concurrent changes. These tools enable you to make schema changes with minimal impact on availability and performance. Learn more about pt-online-schema-change. Disclaimer: The pt-online-schema-change tool is not managed or supported by Microsoft; use it at your discretion. Mitigation plans To address these risks, we’re actively working to integrate the necessary fixes to ensure a more robust and reliable experience for our customers. New Servers Fully Secured by End of February 2025 All new Azure Database for MySQL Flexible Server instances created after 1 st March 2025, will include the latest fixes, ensuring that schema changes are safeguarded against data loss and duplicate key risks. Rollout for Existing Servers For existing servers, we will roll out patches during upcoming maintenance windows by end of Q1 of Calendar Year 2025 We recommend monitoring your Azure portal for scheduled maintenance windows and Release notes for announcements about critical updates and patches. Priority updates available upon request If you require an urgent update outside of the scheduled maintenance windows, you can contact Azure Support. Provide the necessary server details and an appropriate maintenance window, and our team will work with you to prioritize the patching process. Note that priority patching will be available by February 2025. We recommend monitoring Release notes for announcements about critical updates and patches. Conclusion Safely managing schema changes on MySQL servers requires understanding the risks associated with online DDL operations, such as potential data loss and duplicate keys. To help safeguard data integrity and maintain server stability, implement best practices, for example enabling the COPY algorithm, using offline operations if feasible, or scheduling changes during low activity periods. Fixes are expected by the end of February 2025, and new Azure Database for MySQL flexible servers will be fully protected against these bugs. We will apply updates to existing servers during maintenance windows in Q1 2025. Following the recommendations above will help ensure that you can confidently make schema changes while preserving the reliability and performance of your server.
