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We're pleased to share with you a summary of the Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server feature updates and announcements from Ignite 2023 and last month, as well as the latest roadmap of upcoming features!
December 2023 Live webinar
These feature updates are also covered in our Monthly Live Webinar on YouTube (Click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel!), which streams the second Wednesday of every month, at 7:30am Pacific time. Below is a link to the webinar we delivered this week:
November 2023 updates and announcements
Accelerated Logs - Public Preview
This functionality, designed for mission-critical workloads, provides a significant performance boost by minimizing latency, which results in faster query execution and more responsive interactions. This cost-effective, innovative feature provides an impressive increase in throughput of up to two times (2x) at no additional cost and without requiring any changes to your applications. Enjoy these price-performance benefits on open-source MySQL versions 5.7 and 8.0 for Azure Database for MySQL flexible servers based on the Business-Critical service tier.
Learn more: Announcement blog | Documentation | Demo video
Azure Database for MySQL is an industry leader in performance and price-performance - New benchmark study
According to a recent study by Principled Technologies, Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server with accelerated logs enabled provides the best performance in the industry when compared with AWS and GCP. Azure Database for MySQL Business Critical service tier is up to 50% faster than MySQL on Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and up to 2.26 times faster than Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Cloud SQL for MySQL.
The study also quotes that Azure Database for MySQL is an industry leader in providing the best price-performance. The service provides the most value for your MySQL workloads, allowing cost and time savings as well as reduced complexity for doing more with less. With accelerated logs enabled, the Azure Database for MySQL Business Critical service tier costs up to 54% less than MySQL on Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and costs up to 51% less than Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Cloud SQL for MySQL.
Learn more: Announcement Blog | Benchmark report by Principled Technologies | Video
Azure MySQL Import for Single Server to Flexible Server migrations – General Availability
With Azure MySQL Import, you can migrate an Azure Database for MySQL single server to an Azure Database for MySQL flexible server by running a single CLI command! Azure MySQL Import is especially suited for bigger workloads and uses snapshot backup and restores technology to offer a simple and fast migration path to restore the source server's physical data files to the target server. Based on user-inputs, it takes up the responsibility of provisioning your target Flexible Server and then taking the backup of the source server and restoring it on the target.
Learn more: Blog post | Documentation | Demo video
Azure MySQL Import for external migrations from on-premises and VM workloads - Private Preview
Azure MySQL Import enables you to migrate your MySQL on-premises or Virtual Machine (VM) workload seamlessly to Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server. It uses a user-provided physical backup file and restores the source server's physical data files to the target server offering a simple and fast migration path. Based on user-inputs, it takes up the responsibility of provisioning your target Flexible Server and then restoring the user-provided physical backup of the source server stored in the Azure Blob storage account to the target Flexible Server instance.
Learn more: Documentation | Demo video
Latest feature roadmap
|
Feature |
Description |
Release status |
Coming soon! |
|
Error Logs (in Server Logs) |
This feature allows you to maintain MySQL error log files under Server logs feature and download them for up to eight days. These error logs will help you efficiently identify and troubleshoot performance and reliability issues, and proactively detect and respond to unauthorized access attempts, failed login attempts and other security-related events. |
Private Preview |
Public Preview
|
|
Long Term Retention of Backups |
Previously, Azure Database for MySQL allowed for automated backups and on-demand backups to be retained up to 35 days. With Long Term Retention, you can now retain the backups up to 10 years, further aiding your audit and compliance needs. |
Private Preview |
Public Preview |
|
On-demand backup and export |
This feature provides you the ability to export at-moment physical backup of the server to Azure storage account (Azure blob storage) using an Azure CLI command. After export, these backups can be used for data recovery, migration, data redundancy and availability, or auditing. |
Private Preview |
Public Preview |
|
Support for 32TB storage |
This feature provides you the ability to expand the storage for your workloads using the Business-Critical service tier to up to 32TB. |
Private Preview |
General Availability |
|
Azure MySQL Import for external migrations |
Azure MySQL Import enables you to migrate your MySQL on-premises or Virtual Machine (VM) workload seamlessly to Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server. It uses a user-provided physical backup file and restores the source server's physical data files to the target server offering a simple and fast migration path. Based on user-inputs, it takes up the responsibility of provisioning your target Flexible Server and then restoring the user-provided physical backup of the source server stored in the Azure Blob storage account to the target Flexible Server instance. |
Private Preview |
Public Preview in Q1 CY24
|
|
MySQL Discovery & Assessment in Azure Migrate |
With this functionality, you can use Azure Migrate to discover MySQL servers in your environment, assess them by identifying their compatibility for moving to Azure Database for MySQL, and receive compute and storage SKU recommendations along with their costs. |
- |
Private Preview in Q1 CY24
|
|
Microsoft Defender for Cloud |
Support for Azure Database for MySQL in Microsoft Defender for Cloud will enable you to easily detect anomalous activities indicating unusual and potentially harmful attempts to access or exploit databases, without the need for advanced security monitoring systems or security experts. |
- |
Private Preview in Q1 CY24 |
|
Accelerated Logs |
This feature, available with the Business Critical service tier and designed for mission-critical workloads, provides a significant performance boost by minimizing latency, which results in faster query execution and more responsive interactions. Take advantage of an impressive increase in throughput of up to two times (2x) for your applications at no additional cost! |
Public Preview |
General Availability in Q2 CY24 |
|
Flexible maintenance options |
Building upon our existing system-managed and custom-managed maintenance windows, the following new flexible maintenance options aim to elevate user convenience and operational flexibility in server maintenance:
|
Public Preview |
General Availability in Q2 CY24 |
*The roadmap features and dates are tentative and are subject to changes. Please stay tuned for continuous updates.
Conclusion
As we continue to work on new features and functionalities, your feedback is very critical for our improvement. If you wish to enroll in Private Preview for any of the above features, or if you have any suggestions for or queries about the service, email us at AskAzureDBforMySQL@service.microsoft.com.
To learn more about what's new with Flexible Server, see What's new in Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server. Stay tuned for more updates and announcements by following us on social media: YouTube | LinkedIn | Twitter.