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Maintenance is an important part of keeping Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server secure, reliable, and up to date. It helps deliver platform updates, security patches, operating system updates, and PostgreSQL engine updates that keep servers running smoothly.

But we also know that timing matters.

For teams running production workloads, a maintenance event during peak traffic, a migration, financial close, a major release, or a seasonal business event can create unnecessary stress. Even a brief restart or connection interruption can affect applications, customers, and business operations.

That’s why we’re excited to share that new self-service maintenance controls for Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server are now generally available in the Azure portal.

With these new capabilities, customers can see upcoming maintenance, reschedule eligible planned maintenance to a preferred date and time, apply maintenance when they’re ready, and review maintenance history after events complete.

Why we built this

Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server already offers maintenance scheduling options through Custom Maintenance Windows (CMW) and System-managed Maintenance Windows (SMW). These options give you a starting point for controlling when maintenance updates are applied.

But customers told us they needed more flexibility after a specific maintenance event was scheduled.

Sometimes the original maintenance time still lands during a critical business period. In the past, customers who needed to defer maintenance often had to open a support request. That added time, extra coordination, and operational overhead for something many teams wanted to handle directly.

With this release, you now have more control from the Azure portal.

What’s new

The new maintenance experience introduces four key capabilities.

1. View upcoming maintenance

You can now view upcoming maintenance before it begins. This gives teams a clearer view of when maintenance is scheduled, what type of maintenance is planned, and whether the event can be rescheduled.

To view upcoming maintenance:

1. In the Azure portal, go to your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server.


2. On the server Overview page, review the Next Maintenance field.

Figure 1: View upcoming maintenance

If upcoming maintenance is available, the Next Maintenance field displays the scheduled maintenance time.

1. Select the Next Maintenance value to open the Maintenance page.


2. On the Maintenance page, review the Maintenance status section.

The Maintenance status section shows upcoming maintenance events that apply to your server, including the scheduled time, status, maintenance type, and available actions.

Instead of reacting at the last minute, database administrators and application teams can plan ahead with more confidence.

2. Reschedule maintenance to a preferred date and time

For eligible maintenance events, you can reschedule planned maintenance to a preferred date and time up to two weeks later.

To reschedule maintenance:

1. In the Azure portal, go to your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server.


2. In the left menu, under Settings, select Maintenance.


3. In the Maintenance status section, review the upcoming maintenance event.


4. If the event is eligible, select Reschedule.


5. Choose an eligible future date and time.

Figure 2: Reschedule maintenance to a preferred date/time

Only dates and times that meet the service rules and your maintenance policy are available for selection. Note: Reschedule maintenance is not supported for servers on SMW schedule.

1. Select Reschedule to confirm the new maintenance time.


2. After confirmation, review the Maintenance status section to verify that the new start time is displayed.

The portal shows a confirmation after the maintenance event is successfully rescheduled.

This is useful when the original maintenance time overlaps with a period where even a short interruption could be disruptive, such as peak application traffic, end-of-quarter processing, planned migrations, major releases, holiday events, or internal change freeze periods.

3. Apply maintenance on demand

You can also apply eligible maintenance immediately when the timing works better for you.

To apply maintenance on demand:

1. In the Azure portal, go to your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server.


2. In the left menu, under Settings, select Maintenance.


3. In the Maintenance status section, review the upcoming maintenance event.


4. If the event is eligible, select Reschedule, followed by Apply now.


5. Select Yes – Apply Maintenance Now to start maintenance.


6. Monitor the Maintenance status section.

Figure 3: Apply maintenance on demand

The maintenance event status updates as the workflow progresses. When maintenance completes, the status changes to Complete and the event moves to the Maintenance history section.

For example, a team might decide to apply maintenance during a quieter period, after validating application readiness, or before a planned release. This gives customers a way to complete maintenance on their own timeline instead of waiting for the scheduled window.

4. View maintenance history

After maintenance completes, you can review maintenance history for your server. This helps teams confirm when maintenance occurred and supports operational reviews, troubleshooting, and audit-related workflows.

To view maintenance history:

1. In the Azure portal, go to your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server.


2. In the left menu, under Settings, select Maintenance.


3. On the Maintenance page, review the Maintenance history section.


4. Select a maintenance event Tracking ID to view more details, such as the maintenance type, start time, and final status.


5. Select Export to CSV to download maintenance history.

Figure 4: View maintenance history

If no past maintenance events are available for the server, the maintenance history section might be empty.

Built for real production schedules

Production environments rarely operate on a simple schedule. Maintenance often needs to be coordinated with application releases, internal change windows, customer commitments, and business calendars.

These new controls are designed to make that coordination easier. By making maintenance more visible and actionable, Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server helps you plan with less uncertainty and more control.

Frequently asked questions

• Which maintenance events can I reschedule?

Only eligible planned maintenance events on Custom Maintenance Schedule (CMW) can be rescheduled. Some maintenance, such as time-sensitive security or compliance updates, might not be eligible for rescheduling.

• How far can I reschedule maintenance?

Eligible maintenance can be moved to a preferred date and time up to two weeks from the originally scheduled maintenance date.

• Can I reschedule maintenance more than once?

Yes. You can update the selected maintenance date and time again, as long as the maintenance event remains eligible and the new time is within the allowed two-week rescheduling window.

• Why can’t I reschedule maintenance right before it starts?

Rescheduling is unavailable shortly before the originally scheduled maintenance time. This lock-in period helps ensure the maintenance workflow can begin reliably.

• Can I apply maintenance before its scheduled time?

Yes. When an upcoming maintenance event is eligible, you can select Apply now in the Azure portal to begin maintenance immediately.

• Will applying maintenance on demand restart my server?

It might. Some maintenance operations require a server restart, which can result in a brief interruption or connection churn. Apply maintenance when your application can tolerate that impact.

• Where can I use these maintenance controls?

The new controls are available in the Azure portal. Open your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server and go to Settings > Maintenance.

• Can I use Azure CLI or REST API?

Azure CLI and REST API support are coming soon. At general availability, customers can use the Azure portal to view upcoming maintenance, reschedule eligible events, apply maintenance on demand, and view maintenance history.

• Can I view maintenance that has already completed?

Yes. The Maintenance history section in the Azure portal shows completed maintenance events. You can select an event to review its details and export the history to CSV when needed.

• What should I do if I need to defer maintenance for more than two weeks?

Create an Azure support request. The self-service experience supports rescheduling eligible maintenance for up to two weeks, but support can help assess requests that require a longer deferral.

Getting started

To get started, open your Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server in the Azure portal and navigate to Settings > Maintenance. These new self-service maintenance controls are now generally available in the Azure portal for Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server. CLI and API support are coming soon.

Learn More

To learn more about rescheduling maintenance and related Azure PostgreSQL capabilities, see:

• Planned maintenance for Azure Database for PostgreSQL


• Reschedule planned maintenance to a future date


• Consolidated planned maintenance notifications