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Azure Database for MySQL Service Tiers

The service is offered in different pricing tiers, each optimized for different workloads and providing varying levels of performance, I/O capabilities, and features:

• Basic: Ideal for development and small-scale applications with light workloads. Offers cost-effective compute and storage.
• General Purpose: Suitable for most business applications that require balanced compute and I/O performance. Offers dedicated memory and scalable I/O.
• Memory Optimized: Designed for high-performance database workloads that require in-memory performance for faster transaction processing and higher concurrency.

Each tier is further defined by the number of vCores and the storage capacity, allowing you to choose the best fit for your application's needs.

Compute and Storage

Compute is measured in vCores, representing the virtualized CPU capacity allocated to your database server. Higher vCore counts provide more processing power.

Storage is provisioned as a fixed amount of data storage. You can scale storage up or down as your data grows. Azure Database for MySQL offers both locally redundant storage (LRS) and geo-redundant storage (GRS) options for enhanced durability.

For enhanced performance, especially with the General Purpose and Memory Optimized tiers, the service provisions dedicated I/O operations per second (IOPS) which are tied to the storage size.

Server Administration and Configuration

When you create an Azure Database for MySQL server, you define its name, region, administrator username, and password. You can then configure various server parameters to tune performance and behavior.

Key administration tasks include:

• Managing firewall rules to control network access.
• Setting server parameters through the Azure portal or command-line tools.
• Configuring backup and restore policies.
• Monitoring server performance and health.

Connectivity

Azure Database for MySQL can be accessed securely from various environments:

• Azure Virtual Machines: Connect directly from VMs within the same Azure region.
• On-premises applications: Use VPN gateways or ExpressRoute for secure private connections.
• Client applications: Connect using standard MySQL client tools and libraries after configuring firewall rules.
• Azure Services: Integrate with other Azure services like Azure App Service, Azure Functions, and Azure Kubernetes Service.

Azure Database for MySQL supports SSL/TLS encryption for all connections to ensure data privacy.

High Availability and Disaster Recovery

Azure Database for MySQL provides built-in high availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR) capabilities to ensure your data is always accessible.

• Automated Backups: The service automatically backs up your server data, which can be used for point-in-time restore.
• Geo-Redundancy: You can configure geo-redundant backups, enabling you to restore your database to a different region in case of a regional outage.
• Zone-Redundant HA: For mission-critical applications, you can enable Zone-Redundant High Availability, which replicates your server across multiple availability zones within a region, providing automatic failover.

Security

Security is a top priority in Azure Database for MySQL. The service offers robust security features:

• Network Security: Firewall rules, virtual network service endpoints, and private endpoints restrict access to your database server.
• Authentication: Supports standard MySQL authentication. Azure Active Directory authentication can also be enabled for centralized identity management.
• Encryption: Data is encrypted at rest using AES 256-bit encryption and in transit using SSL/TLS.
• Azure Security Center: Integration with Azure Security Center provides advanced threat protection and security recommendations.

Replication

Azure Database for MySQL supports replication scenarios:

• Read Replicas: Create read-only copies of your primary server to offload read traffic, improving application performance. Read replicas can be cross-region.
• MySQL Replication: You can also configure standard MySQL replication between servers for more advanced scenarios, including migrating from existing MySQL deployments.

Monitoring and Management

The Azure portal, Azure CLI, and PowerShell provide comprehensive tools for monitoring and managing your Azure Database for MySQL server. You can track performance metrics, set up alerts, and view logs to ensure your database is running optimally.

For more detailed insights, consider integrating with Azure Monitor and Azure Log Analytics.