Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Configure passwordless authentication with Microsoft Entra ID for existing Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server. This skill focuses on setting up Entra ID authentication, managing user access, and migrating from password-based authentication.

Primary use cases:

Migrating existing PostgreSQL databases from password to Entra ID authentication
Setting up developer access with Azure identities
Configuring managed identity access for Azure-hosted applications
Managing group-based access control and permissions

MCP Tools (Preferred)

When Azure MCP is enabled, use these tools for PostgreSQL operations:

azure__postgres with command postgres_server_list - List PostgreSQL servers
azure__postgres with command postgres_database_list - List databases on a server
azure__postgres with command postgres_database_query - Execute SQL queries
azure__postgres with command postgres_server_param_get - Get server parameters
azure__postgres with command postgres_server_param_set - Set server parameters

CLI Commands (Fallback)

az postgres flexible-server list --output table
az postgres flexible-server db list --server-name SERVER -g RG
az postgres flexible-server show --name SERVER -g RG
az postgres flexible-server create --name SERVER -g RG --location REGION --admin-user ADMIN --version 16

Quick Reference

Property	Value
CLI prefix	`az postgres flexible-server`
MCP tools	`azure__postgres`
Best for	Relational data, PostgreSQL compatibility, PostGIS
Engine versions	PostgreSQL 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 (recommended)

Working with Existing PostgreSQL Servers

This skill primarily focuses on configuring authentication for existing PostgreSQL servers. If you need to reference or create servers, use MCP tools or CLI commands, and provide Azure Portal links for easy access.

Portal Link Format:

https://portal.azure.com/#@{tenant-domain}/resource/subscriptions/{subscription-id}/resourceGroups/{resource-group}/providers/Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL/flexibleServers/{server-name}/overview

Example portal link:

View in Azure Portal:
https://portal.azure.com/#resource/subscriptions/abc123.../resourceGroups/myrg/providers/Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL/flexibleServers/myserver/overview

Microsoft Entra ID Authentication (Critical)

⚠️ ALWAYS use passwordless authentication with Entra ID for production workloads.

Complete Setup Guide

→ Microsoft Entra ID Authentication Setup Guide

This guide covers:

Enabling Entra ID authentication on PostgreSQL servers
Creating PostgreSQL roles mapped to Azure identities
Granting database permissions
Connecting with access tokens instead of passwords

Quick Setup Patterns

Use these patterns based on your scenario:

Scenario	Guide Link	Use When
Developer Access	Pattern 1	Grant developers access with their Azure identity
App Authentication	Pattern 2	Passwordless access for Azure-hosted apps (Container Apps, App Service, Functions)
Team Access	Pattern 3	Manage permissions via Azure AD groups
Connection Issues	Troubleshooting	Diagnose authentication and connection failures
Migration	Pattern 5	Transition from password to Entra ID authentication

Service Tiers

Tier	vCores	Memory	Use Case
Burstable	1-20	0.5-4 GB/vCore	Dev/test, low traffic
General Purpose	2-64	4 GB/vCore	Most production workloads
Memory Optimized	2-64	8 GB/vCore	High-memory workloads

Start with Burstable for dev/test, scale up as needed.

Common Issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
`role does not exist`	Role not created in database	Run `pgaadauth_create_principal` - see guide
`password authentication failed`	Token expired (5-60 min validity)	Get fresh token: `az account get-access-token --resource-type oss-rdbms`
`permission denied`	Role lacks permissions	Run `GRANT` statements - see templates
Connection timeout	Firewall blocking access	Add firewall rule: `az postgres flexible-server firewall-rule create`
Guest user login fails	Wrong UPN format	Use full UPN with `#EXT#` tag from Azure AD

SDK Quick References

PostgreSQL Client: TypeScript
Azure Identity: Python | TypeScript
PostgreSQL Mgmt: .NET

References

Microsoft Entra ID Authentication Setup - Complete passwordless authentication guide
SQL Functions - Entra ID role management functions
Permission Templates - Common permission patterns
Troubleshooting - Connection and auth issues

azure-postgres