Azure Database for PostgreSQL Blog > Huge performance gains: Migrate now to Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server
It’s time to take advantage of the faster architecture and stronger value of Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server. A recent study by Principled Technologies compares the performance and cost of Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server to Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Single Server (slated for retirement March 28, 2025). Overall, Flexible Server offers 4.71 times the number of new orders per minute (NOPM) for significantly faster performance in online transaction processing (OLTP) on top of faster transactions per minute (TPM) and input/output per second (IOPS).
Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server is the next generation, fully managed service that brings you the best of this Azure open-source database platform. It offers a choice of same-zone or multiple-zone high availability, and you can scale computing and storage resources independently, giving you more precise control for managing performance and costs.
If you haven’t migrated yet, don’t worry—the migration service in Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server helps you make the move with ease and confidence.
Much better performance, much better value
In February, Principled Technologies published its findings in Realize better value and performance migrating from Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Single Server to Flexible Server with AMD EPYC. The study drew three key conclusions. Moving to Flexible Server:
- Significantly improves performance. Flexible Server processes a whopping 4.71 times more new orders per minute (NOPM) for speedier OLTP.
- Nearly triples throughput. Flexible Server has 2.85 times the IOPS, a measure that typically translates into a better experience for your solution’s users.
- Makes business sense. With a performance that “dwarfed” Single Server, and a cost analysis that showed 3.88 times the performance per dollar, Flexible Server is a better value overall.
The study used the HammerDB benchmark to compare comparable configurations of Flexible Server and Single Server. Using 10-minute runtime and 64 virtual users, the tests show that Flexible Server clearly outpaces Single Server in performance, throughput, and price, delivering better value for your mission-critical workloads.
Flexible Server delivers better database performance to handle heavy traffic, boosts throughput so users can perform more actions at once and improves performance per dollar without incurring a large cost increase.
Flexible Server delivers a jump in performance per dollar without incurring a large cost increase. The study calculated the price-performance value based on the total monthly costs of running similarly configured instances. With a move to Flexible Server, you can expect higher NOPM per dollar for a better value than you’re currently getting by continuing to use Single Server instances.
Exciting new ways to innovate
Flexible Server has more than superior performance. New, AI-enhanced capabilities give you powerful ways to innovate. For example, with Vector Search and the Azure AI extension for PostgreSQL, you can perform advanced search operations, build rich generative AI applications, and use AI-driven queries directly within your database for deeper insights. In addition, your IO-intensive workloads benefit from enterprise-level autoscaling and premium compute and storage options.
An easy path to migration
Single Server is currently scheduled for retirement on March 28, 2025. If you have Single Server, we strongly recommend that you migrate to Flexible Server so you get the best experience of running PostgreSQL workloads on Azure.
Migration to Flexible Server is easier than you think. Principled Technologies tested the migration path, using the offline Azure migration tool to move a sample 525 GB database from Single Server to Flexible Server.
“Moving to Flexible Server is easy,” the report concludes, adding that the migration service migrated the entire server—including users; roles and privileges; schema; and data—with security and reliability.
Azure Database for PostgreSQL offers both offline and online migration options to help you make the move, whether you’re moving from Single Server, an on-premises server, AWS RDS for PostgreSQL, or Azure Virtual Machines.
Learn more
Read the full study: Realize better value and performance migrating from Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Single Server to Flexible Server with AMD EPYC
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