Azure AD Authentication for Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server now in General Availability!

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We’re pleased to announce general availability of Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Authentication for Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server! With Azure AD authentication, you can connect to Flexible Server and manage database user identities and other Microsoft services in a central location, simplifying permission management.

 

 

 

When you are configuring authentication for accessing a MySQL flexible server, you have three options:

 

• MySQL authentication only – The default option, this provides for native MySQL Authentication such that the MySQL login and password is used to access Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server.
  
• Azure Active Directory authentication only – Native MySQL authentication is disabled, and you only can authenticate as an Azure AD user. When you select this option, the aad_auth_only server parameter is set to Enabled.
  
• MySQL and Azure Active Directory authentication – Native MySQL authentication and Azure AD authentication are both used to connect to the MySQL flexible server. When you select this option, the aad_auth_only server parameter is set to Disabled.
  

 

Benefits

 

• Authentication of users across Azure Services in a uniform way.
  
• Management of password policies and password rotation in a single location.
  
• Multiple forms of authentication supported by Azure Active Directory, which can eliminate the need to store passwords.
  
• Customers can manage database permissions using external (Azure AD) groups.
  
• Azure AD authentication leverages MySQL database users to authenticate identities at the database level.
  
• Support of token-based authentication for applications connecting to Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server.
  

 

Before Azure AD can work properly, you first must add a User-assigned Managed Identity (UMI) to the flexible server. For details on how to get started, watch the following demo video and/or refer the article Set up Azure Active Directory authentication for Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try out this new functionality today and let us know what you think! Send any feedback or questions to us at AskAzureDBforMySQL@service.microsoft.com! Thank you!

 

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