Scale compute

APPLIES TO: Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server

This article provides step-by-step instructions to perform scaling operations for the compute of an Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server.

You're allowed to change your compute between the burstable, general purpose, and memory optimized tiers. And, among each of those tiers, you can choose the number of virtual cores (vCores) that is more suitable to run your application. To learn more about the different compute tiers available in Azure Virtual Machines, and the use case for which they're best suited, refer to size for virtual machines in Azure.

When you request a scaling operation of the compute used by your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server, your server undergoes a restart and so leaves your server unavailable for some time. For more information about how that process works, and the expected duration of the downtime, see near-zero downtime scaling.

Steps to scale compute

Portal

Using the Azure portal:

1. Select your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server.

2. In the resource menu, select Compute + storage.

   

3. If you want to select a different tier than the one currently selected, in the Compute tier group of radio buttons, select the option that best adjusts to your needs.

   

4. If the region of your server supports Intel and AMD processors, you can use the Compute processor radio button to filter the options listed in the Compute size drop-down to only hardware produced by the manufacturer selected.

   

5. If you want to select a different machine size among the ones available in the same tier, expand the Compute size drop-down and select the size that best suits your needs.

   

6. Once you choose your desired configuration, select Save.

   

Note

Notice that when you select Save you're not asked for confirmation to proceed with the changes. The operation is immediately initiated and can't be aborted.

7. A notification shows that a deployment is in progress.

   

8. When the scale process completes, a notification shows that the deployment succeeded.

   

CLI

You can initiate the scaling of your compute via the az postgres flexible-server update command.

Azure CLI

az postgres flexible-server update --resource-group <resource_group> --name <server> --tier <tier> --sku-name <sku_name>

Note

The previous command might need to be completed with other parameters whose presence and values would vary depending on how you want to configure other features of the existing server.

The list of allowed values for the --sku-name parameter is dependent of the value passed to the --tier parameter, and of the region in which you're trying to deploy your server.

If you pass an incorrect value to --sku-name, you get the following error with the list of

Output

Incorrect value for --sku-name. The SKU name does not match <tier> tier. Specify --tier if you did not. Or CLI will set GeneralPurpose as the default tier. Allowed values : ['<sku_name_1>', '<sku_name_2>', ..., '<sku_name_n>']

Related content

• Compute options.
• Limits in Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server.
• Near-zero downtime scaling