Manage Azure PostgreSQL Flexible Servers with .NET

Azure.ResourceManager.PostgreSql (.NET)

Azure Resource Manager SDK for managing PostgreSQL Flexible Server deployments.

Installation

dotnet add package Azure.ResourceManager.PostgreSql
dotnet add package Azure.Identity

Current Version: v1.2.0 (GA)
API Version: 2023-12-01-preview

Note: This skill focuses on PostgreSQL Flexible Server. Single Server is deprecated and scheduled for retirement.

Environment Variables

AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID=<your-subscription-id>
AZURE_RESOURCE_GROUP=<your-resource-group>
AZURE_POSTGRESQL_SERVER_NAME=<your-postgresql-server>

Authentication

using Azure.Identity;
using Azure.ResourceManager;
using Azure.ResourceManager.PostgreSql;
using Azure.ResourceManager.PostgreSql.FlexibleServers;

ArmClient client = new ArmClient(new DefaultAzureCredential());

Resource Hierarchy

Subscription
└── ResourceGroup
    └── PostgreSqlFlexibleServer              # PostgreSQL Flexible Server instance
        ├── PostgreSqlFlexibleServerDatabase  # Database within the server
        ├── PostgreSqlFlexibleServerFirewallRule # IP firewall rules
        ├── PostgreSqlFlexibleServerConfiguration # Server parameters
        ├── PostgreSqlFlexibleServerBackup    # Backup information
        ├── PostgreSqlFlexibleServerActiveDirectoryAdministrator # Entra ID admin
        └── PostgreSqlFlexibleServerVirtualEndpoint # Read replica endpoints

Core Workflows

1. Create PostgreSQL Flexible Server

using System;
using Azure.ResourceManager.PostgreSql.FlexibleServers;
using Azure.ResourceManager.PostgreSql.FlexibleServers.Models;

ResourceGroupResource resourceGroup = await client
    .GetDefaultSubscriptionAsync()
    .Result
    .GetResourceGroupAsync("my-resource-group");

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerCollection servers = resourceGroup.GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServers();

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerData data = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerData(AzureLocation.EastUS)
{
    Sku = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerSku("Standard_D2ds_v4", PostgreSqlFlexibleServerSkuTier.GeneralPurpose),
    AdministratorLogin = "pgadmin",
    AdministratorLoginPassword = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("POSTGRES_ADMIN_PASSWORD") ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("POSTGRES_ADMIN_PASSWORD is required"),
    Version = PostgreSqlFlexibleServerVersion.Ver16,
    Storage = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerStorage
    {
        StorageSizeInGB = 128,
        AutoGrow = StorageAutoGrow.Enabled,
        Tier = PostgreSqlStorageTierName.P30
    },
    Backup = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerBackupProperties
    {
        BackupRetentionDays = 7,
        GeoRedundantBackup = PostgreSqlFlexibleServerGeoRedundantBackupEnum.Disabled
    },
    HighAvailability = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerHighAvailability
    {
        Mode = PostgreSqlFlexibleServerHighAvailabilityMode.ZoneRedundant,
        StandbyAvailabilityZone = "2"
    },
    AvailabilityZone = "1",
    AuthConfig = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerAuthConfig
    {
        ActiveDirectoryAuth = PostgreSqlFlexibleServerActiveDirectoryAuthEnum.Enabled,
        PasswordAuth = PostgreSqlFlexibleServerPasswordAuthEnum.Enabled
    }
};

ArmOperation<PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource> operation = await servers
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "my-postgresql-server", data);

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource server = operation.Value;
Console.WriteLine($"Server created: {server.Data.FullyQualifiedDomainName}");

2. Create Database

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource server = await resourceGroup
    .GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerAsync("my-postgresql-server");

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerDatabaseCollection databases = server.GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerDatabases();

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerDatabaseData dbData = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerDatabaseData
{
    Charset = "UTF8",
    Collation = "en_US.utf8"
};

ArmOperation<PostgreSqlFlexibleServerDatabaseResource> operation = await databases
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "myappdb", dbData);

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerDatabaseResource database = operation.Value;
Console.WriteLine($"Database created: {database.Data.Name}");

3. Configure Firewall Rules

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerFirewallRuleCollection firewallRules = server.GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerFirewallRules();

// Allow specific IP range
PostgreSqlFlexibleServerFirewallRuleData ruleData = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerFirewallRuleData
{
    StartIPAddress = System.Net.IPAddress.Parse("10.0.0.1"),
    EndIPAddress = System.Net.IPAddress.Parse("10.0.0.255")
};

ArmOperation<PostgreSqlFlexibleServerFirewallRuleResource> operation = await firewallRules
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "allow-internal", ruleData);

// Allow Azure services
PostgreSqlFlexibleServerFirewallRuleData azureServicesRule = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerFirewallRuleData
{
    StartIPAddress = System.Net.IPAddress.Parse("0.0.0.0"),
    EndIPAddress = System.Net.IPAddress.Parse("0.0.0.0")
};

await firewallRules.CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "AllowAllAzureServicesAndResourcesWithinAzureIps", azureServicesRule);

4. Update Server Configuration

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerConfigurationCollection configurations = server.GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerConfigurations();

// Get current configuration
PostgreSqlFlexibleServerConfigurationResource config = await configurations
    .GetAsync("max_connections");

// Update configuration
PostgreSqlFlexibleServerConfigurationData configData = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerConfigurationData
{
    Value = "500",
    Source = "user-override"
};

ArmOperation<PostgreSqlFlexibleServerConfigurationResource> operation = await configurations
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "max_connections", configData);

// Common PostgreSQL configurations to tune
string[] commonParams = { 
    "max_connections", 
    "shared_buffers", 
    "work_mem", 
    "maintenance_work_mem",
    "effective_cache_size",
    "log_min_duration_statement"
};

5. Configure Entra ID Administrator

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerActiveDirectoryAdministratorCollection admins = 
    server.GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerActiveDirectoryAdministrators();

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerActiveDirectoryAdministratorData adminData = 
    new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerActiveDirectoryAdministratorData
{
    PrincipalType = PostgreSqlFlexibleServerPrincipalType.User,
    PrincipalName = "aad-admin@contoso.com",
    TenantId = Guid.Parse("<tenant-id>")
};

ArmOperation<PostgreSqlFlexibleServerActiveDirectoryAdministratorResource> operation = await admins
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "<entra-object-id>", adminData);

6. List and Manage Servers

// List servers in resource group
await foreach (PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource server in resourceGroup.GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServers())
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Server: {server.Data.Name}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  FQDN: {server.Data.FullyQualifiedDomainName}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Version: {server.Data.Version}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  State: {server.Data.State}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  SKU: {server.Data.Sku.Name} ({server.Data.Sku.Tier})");
    Console.WriteLine($"  HA: {server.Data.HighAvailability?.Mode}");
}

// List databases in server
await foreach (PostgreSqlFlexibleServerDatabaseResource db in server.GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerDatabases())
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Database: {db.Data.Name}");
}

7. Backup and Point-in-Time Restore

// List available backups
await foreach (PostgreSqlFlexibleServerBackupResource backup in server.GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerBackups())
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Backup: {backup.Data.Name}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Type: {backup.Data.BackupType}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Completed: {backup.Data.CompletedOn}");
}

// Point-in-time restore
PostgreSqlFlexibleServerData restoreData = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerData(AzureLocation.EastUS)
{
    CreateMode = PostgreSqlFlexibleServerCreateMode.PointInTimeRestore,
    SourceServerResourceId = server.Id,
    PointInTimeUtc = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.AddHours(-2)
};

ArmOperation<PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource> operation = await servers
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "my-postgresql-restored", restoreData);

8. Create Read Replica

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerData replicaData = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerData(AzureLocation.WestUS)
{
    CreateMode = PostgreSqlFlexibleServerCreateMode.Replica,
    SourceServerResourceId = server.Id,
    Sku = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerSku("Standard_D2ds_v4", PostgreSqlFlexibleServerSkuTier.GeneralPurpose)
};

ArmOperation<PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource> operation = await servers
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "my-postgresql-replica", replicaData);

9. Stop and Start Server

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource server = await resourceGroup
    .GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerAsync("my-postgresql-server");

// Stop server (saves costs when not in use)
await server.StopAsync(WaitUntil.Completed);

// Start server
await server.StartAsync(WaitUntil.Completed);

// Restart server
await server.RestartAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerRestartParameter
{
    RestartWithFailover = true,
    FailoverMode = PostgreSqlFlexibleServerFailoverMode.PlannedFailover
});

10. Update Server (Scale)

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource server = await resourceGroup
    .GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerAsync("my-postgresql-server");

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerPatch patch = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerPatch
{
    Sku = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerSku("Standard_D4ds_v4", PostgreSqlFlexibleServerSkuTier.GeneralPurpose),
    Storage = new PostgreSqlFlexibleServerStorage
    {
        StorageSizeInGB = 256,
        Tier = PostgreSqlStorageTierName.P40
    }
};

ArmOperation<PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource> operation = await server
    .UpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, patch);

11. Delete Server

PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource server = await resourceGroup
    .GetPostgreSqlFlexibleServerAsync("my-postgresql-server");

await server.DeleteAsync(WaitUntil.Completed);

Key Types Reference

SKU Tiers

PostgreSQL Versions

High Availability Modes

Best Practices

1. Use Flexible Server - Single Server is deprecated
2. Enable zone-redundant HA - For production workloads
3. Use DefaultAzureCredential - Prefer over connection strings
4. Configure Entra ID authentication - More secure than SQL auth alone
5. Enable both auth methods - Entra ID + password for flexibility
6. Set appropriate backup retention - 7-35 days based on compliance
7. Use private endpoints - For secure network access
8. Tune server parameters - Based on workload characteristics
9. Use read replicas - For read-heavy workloads
10. Stop dev/test servers - Save costs when not in use

Error Handling

using Azure;

try
{
    ArmOperation<PostgreSqlFlexibleServerResource> operation = await servers
        .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "my-postgresql", data);
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex) when (ex.Status == 409)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Server already exists");
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex) when (ex.Status == 400)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Invalid configuration: {ex.Message}");
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Azure error: {ex.Status} - {ex.Message}");
}

Connection String

After creating the server, connect using:

// Npgsql connection string
string connectionString = $"Host={server.Data.FullyQualifiedDomainName};" +
    "Database=myappdb;" +
    "Username=pgadmin;" +
    "Password=YourSecurePassword123!;" +
    "SSL Mode=Require;Trust Server Certificate=true;";

// With Entra ID token (recommended)
var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
var token = await credential.GetTokenAsync(
    new TokenRequestContext(new[] { "https://ossrdbms-aad.database.windows.net/.default" }));

string connectionString = $"Host={server.Data.FullyQualifiedDomainName};" +
    "Database=myappdb;" +
    $"Username=aad-admin@contoso.com;" +
    $"Password={token.Token};" +
    "SSL Mode=Require;";

Related SDKs

Reference Links

When to Use

This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.