Release notes - SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc

Applies to: SQL Server

This article lists:

• Release dates
• Extension version numbers
• High level feature descriptions
• Links to additional feature documentation

Extension versions are cumulative. Higher extension versions include all of the updates from previous versions. A release might include internal features. If the version release notes don't describe features, then the updates were internal.

November 12, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2859.223

October 8, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2830.214

Move resources

• Move instances or databases to a different subscription or resource group - general availability. Review Move SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc resources to a new resource group or subscription.

Additional services inventory

Inventory additional service resources in portal (preview):

• SQL Server Analysis Services
• SQL Server Integration Services
• SQL Server Reporting Services
• Power BI Report Server

ESU update to bill-back calculation

ESU sets the bill-back date to the beginning of the current ESU year based on the timestamp when ESU was enabled, or p-core ESU license got activated. For details, review SQL Server Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc.

September 9, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2803.208

Availability group inventory

Availability group (AG) inventory feature for all license types is now released for general availability. For complete description of feature, see Manage Always On availability groups.

Apply physical core license to physical machines

Apply physical core license types to physical core machines - general availability.

August 13, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2769.203

Security improvements

Various security improvements for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.

July 09, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2735.199

Extended Security Updates enabled for SQL Server 2014

Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription for SQL Server 2014 (12.x) will automatically start billing when SQL Server 2014 ESU program starts. Requires SQL Server 2014 (12.x) be enabled for ESU.

Extended Security Updates using unlimited virtualization

Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription for SQL Server 2012 (11.x) and SQL Server 2014 (12.x) can be activated using ESU p-core license with unlimited virtualization. For details, see Manage unlimited virtualization benefit for SQL Server ESU subscription.

Note

Billing for the ESU p-core licenses will be activated in the next monthly release, but the full ESU costs will be reflected using a back-bill meter.

Azure extension for SQL Server

SqlServerExtensionPermissionProvider task no longer runs hourly. The task is triggered by specific events. For details, review Roles.

June 14, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2717.190

Licensing and billing

Support Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription for SQL Server 2012 (11.x) with an option to bill back to year 1 of extended support (for managed accounts only).

Business continuity

• Inventory and manual failover of availability groups is now generally available. For details, review Manage Always On availability groups.
• Inventory of failover cluster instance is now generally available. Failover cluster instance in portal now shows instance name, instance type, network name, active node, and passive nodes. For details, review View Always On failover cluster instances in Azure Arc.

Migration

Run assessment on demand (preview): The SQL Server migration assessment runs every Sunday around 11:00 PM. Beginning with this release, you can initiate the SQL Server migration assessment whenever you want. This immediate assessment shows readiness evaluations and Azure SQL configuration assessments right away. For details, review Assess migration readiness (preview) - SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.

May 15, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2689.159

This version reintroduces features previously released in version 1.1.2656.138 (April 9, 2024).

Move resources

• Move instances or databases to a different subscription or resource group (preview). Review Move SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc resources to a new resource group or subscription (preview).

Updated licensing and configuration support

• Support licensing SQL Server by physical cores with unlimited virtualization
• Support ESU subscriptions for SQL Server 2014 (12.x)
• Database inventory feature for all license types

For details, review:

• Manage licensing and billing of SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.
• Configure SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc

Updated performance dashboard

• New built-in role and action available to manage access to the performance dashboard
  • Review Monitor SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc (preview).

April 16, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2656.138

This version is no longer available.

April 9, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2647.136

This version is no longer available. The features in this version are updated and released in May 15, 2024.

March 12, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2620.127

Backup management

• Schedule backup at instance level or database level. For details, review Backup schedule level.

Streamlined network endpoints

Prior to this release, Azure Arc data processing endpoint was at san-af-<region>-prod.azurewebsites.net.

Beginning with this release both Azure Arc data processing, and Azure Arc data telemetry use *.<region>.arcdataservices.com.

February 13, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2594.118

Azure SQL migration readiness assessment (preview)

SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc automatically generates Azure SQL migration assessments.

A migration assessment:

• Evaluates the readiness of your SQL Server instances for migration to Azure SQL
• Recommends the optimal size for the Azure SQL destination
• Identifies any migration blockers or issues that you need to resolve before moving to Azure SQL
• Provides step-by-step guidance on how to mitigate any issues

Use migration assessments to ensure a successful migration.

For details, review Assess migration readiness (preview) - SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.

Create Azure SQL Managed Instance

You can create an Azure SQL Managed Instance from the portal. Available from Azure Arc | SQL Server instances in the portal.

Additional feature updates for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc

• Support for TLS 1.3
• Improved prompt for feedback in Azure portal
• Monitoring | Show monitoring upload status on Arc SQL Server overview in portal
• For SQL Server 2012, updates through Microsoft Update are automatically applied if Extended Security Updates (ESU) is enabled

Region availability

The following regions are now available for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc, and Data Services enabled by Azure Arc:

• Sweden Central
• Norway East
• UK West

For a complete list of regions, see Supported Azure regions.

January 16, 2024

Extension version: 1.1.2566.109

December 12, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2526.108

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Data processing service (DPS) connectivity available in Azure portal

• Performance dashboard shows

  • IOPS
  • Queue latency storage IO

  For information, review Storage I/O.

December 1, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2512.104

November 14, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2504.99

Azure extension for SQL Server

Setup

• Track the provision state and (extension service) status of Azure extension for SQL Server - general availability.
  • Beginning with this release, you can track the provisioning status of Azure Arc extension for SQL Server and Azure Arc guest agent in the properties tab for Arc enabled SQL Server.

For information about server monitoring capabilities, review Automatically connect your SQL Server to Azure Arc.

For information about database status and inventory capabilities, review View Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server databases.

Creates a server role and a database role, maps logins, and grants permissions. For details, see Roles created by Azure extension for SQL Server installation.

Back up and restore

• Configure backups at instance level using custom schedule for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc instances for both portal and CLI - public preview.

  • Configure Automated Backups with a custom schedule and custom retention period, on an Arc enabled SQL Server.

  For more information, review Manage automated backups (preview) | SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.

• Point-in-time-restore using Azure CLI and Azure portal - public preview.

  • Restore a database to a point-in-time restore of their databases, if automatic backups are enabled. Restore can be done either from Azure portal or via az CLI.

  For more information, review Restore to a point-in-time.

Monitoring

• Performance dashboards of an individual SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc instance in the Azure portal - public preview.

For more information, review Monitor SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc (preview).

High availability

• Manage Always On availability group - manual failover - preview.
  • Perform a planned, manual failover on an availability group replica, using Azure portal.
• Availability group status - Track the availability upload status | public preview.
  • Beginning with this release, track the status and see the last time that the availability group inventory data is updated. The portal shows two new properties, Upload status and Last collected time in the Availability Groups tab of the Arc-enabled SQL Server.

For more information, review Manage Always On availability groups.

Networking

• Support for separate proxy bypass value for Arc SQL Server only - general availability.

For information, review Proxy bypass for private endpoints.

Least privilege

Support for least privilege available for Arc SQL Server only - preview.

With SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc, you can run the agent extension service with least privilege. To configure the service to run with least privilege, follow the steps in Operate SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc with least privilege.

October 13, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2474.69 - Enables failover cluster instance discovery.

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Enable extended support updates (ESU) for failover clusters (general availability).

• SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc failover cluster (preview).

  • Features include:
    • Render failover cluster instances in Azure portal.
    • Inventory databases
    • Defender

  For details, see View Always On failover cluster instances in Azure Arc.

October 10, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2467.69

September 19, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2451.59

September 13, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2440.53

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Automatic updates generally available

August 10, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2406.45

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Support to automatically rotate certificates for Microsoft Entra ID authentication. Review Rotate certificates.

  Note

  Microsoft Entra ID was previously known as Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

• Configure automatic updates in Azure portal. Review Configure in the Azure portal.

July 13, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2384.34

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Proxy bypass is now supported for Arc SQL Server Extension. Starting this release, you can also specify services which shouldn't use the specified proxy server. For examples and technical information, see Proxy bypass for private endpoints.

June 13, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2355.20

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Support for being able to view your SQL Server configuration is now available. See Configure SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.
  • View SQL Server instances
  • Modify host level properties like license type
  • Subscribe to Extended Security Update (ESU)
  • Skip instances

May 09, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2313.14

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Support for automated backups for all supported versions of SQL Server. For information, review Restore to a point-in-time.
• Provide a name for the server that hosts a SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc instance when you enable SQL Server for Azure Arc. Use parameter --machineName <"ArcServerName">. For information, see Connect your SQL Server to Azure Arc with installer (.msi), or Connect SQL Server machines at scale with a Configuration Manager custom task sequence.

Additional improvements

• Arc virtual machines on-boarded from AWS use AWS resource name rather than host computer name. Fix allows customers to provide a name when onboarding using script.
• Fixed a bug where the setting to exclude instances in portal throws an incorrect error about excluding SQL instance name separated by space.
• Fixed a bug where the Purview governance status doesn't report correctly upon on-demand refresh intermittently.

April 10, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2284.7

Note

This release is only available for SQL Server on Windows. This release isn't available for SQL Server on Linux.

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Backups | Configure Automatic Backups for Arc SQL Server with a default schedule.
• Automatic built-in backups with default schedule of weekly full, daily diff, and transaction logs every 5 min for every database.
• Configure backup file retention with the --retention-days parameter. Values from 0 to 35 days. Default is 0 days.
• Azure Policy to enable best practices assessment at scale. For details, see Configure best practices assessment for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.

March 9, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2256.66

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Configure best practices assessment for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc supports multiple instances of SQL Server on a physical or virtual server host.
• Support for Microsoft Update to update an Arc-enabled SQL Server. Automatically installs updates marked as Critical or Important. Doesn't automatically install other updates.

February 17, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2231.59

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Configure best practices assessment for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc (BPA) on Arc-enabled SQL Server requires Software Assurance or Configure SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.
• View Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server databases on Arc-enabled SQL Server requires Software Assurance or Configure SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc.

January 17, 2023

Extension version: 1.1.2202.47

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Configure best practices assessment for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc (BPA) on Arc-enabled SQL Server

  The SQL best practices assessment feature of the Azure portal:

  • Identifies possible performance issues
  • Evaluates that your SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc is configured to follow best practices
  • Provides comprehensive mitigation guidance
  • To experience best practices assessment, upgrade to the latest extension version.

• Azure Arc-enabled Database resource populates the earliest restore time and last backup time for database resources as a resource

• Pay-as-you-go licensing option is now extended to SQL Server 2012 and above

• Ability to set the licensing type during onboarding Arc-enabled SQL Server.

• Ability to skip instances during onboarding to Azure

December 13, 2022

Extension version: 1.1.2167.41

Azure extension for SQL Server

• Support to view databases as a resource added for SQL Server 2014 (12.x), and SQL Server 2016 (13.x). Review View Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server databases.
• Support for Web and Express editions.