# High Availability Enabled on Non-Production PostgreSQL Flexible Servers Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/high-availability-enabled-on-non-production-postgresql-flexible-servers High availability on Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server provisions a standby replica, in another availability zone (zone-redundant) or the... By: PointFive Updated: 2026-09-28 [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) The short version High availability on Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server provisions a standby replica, in another availability zone (zone-redundant) or the same zone (same-zone), with the same vCores, storage and network configuration as the primary, and keeps it synchronized. PointFive Research Cloud cost research at PointFive Azure service [Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-database-for-postgresql---flexible-server) Category [Databases](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/databases) Reference CER-0443 Type Inefficient Configuration ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. Microsoft's Well-Architected guidance states plainly that zone-redundant or zonal configurations double instance costs. That is justified for production databases that need a 99.99% or 99.95% uptime SLA and automatic failover. Development, test, QA and staging servers are often created from the same templates or portal defaults as production, so they carry a standby they don't need. Non-production workloads can usually tolerate the restart-based recovery of a server without HA, which still keeps three copies of data on locally redundant storage and automatically restarts or relocates a failed server, or a point-in-time restore from backups. HA also prevents moving the server to the Burstable tier, which doesn't support it, so these servers often stay on larger General Purpose or Memory Optimized compute as well. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. Standby replica A second server with the same compute and storage as the primary, billed while HA is enabled Redundancy cost Zone-redundant or same-zone HA doubles the instance cost, per the Well-Architected guidance Server without HA A single billed server with locally redundant storage and built-in restart and relocation, with a lower uptime SLA Burstable tier Lowest-cost compute tier; high availability isn't supported on it ## How to detect 4 checks to find it in your estate. - List flexible servers with Azure Resource Graph (type microsoft.dbforpostgresql/flexibleservers) and filter where properties.highAvailability.mode is ZoneRedundant or SameZone - Join the results with environment tags, subscription names or resource group naming to find HA-enabled servers in development, test, QA and staging scopes - For HA-enabled non-production servers, check CPU and connection metrics; low-utilization servers are also candidates for the Burstable tier once HA is removed - Confirm with owners that no documented availability objective requires automatic failover for the server ## How to fix 5 ways to remove the waste. - Disable high availability on non-production servers from the High availability page in the portal (set Zonal resiliency to Disabled) or with az postgres flexible-server update; Microsoft documents enabling and disabling HA as an online operation that doesn't change networking, firewall, parameter or backup settings - After HA is removed, evaluate moving low-utilization non-production servers to the Burstable tier and stopping them outside working hours with the start/stop feature - Rely on automated backups and point-in-time restore for non-production recovery - Enforce the standard with Azure Policy or infrastructure-as-code defaults so non-production servers are deployed without HA unless an exception is approved - Re-enable HA manually after operations that disable it automatically, such as in-place major version upgrades, only on servers that need it ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [Architecture Best Practices for Azure Database for PostgreSQL learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/well-architected/service-guides/postgresql) - [High Availability in Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/postgresql/high-availability/concepts-high-availability) - [Configure High Availability - Azure Database for PostgreSQL learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/postgresql/high-availability/how-to-configure-high-availability) - [Azure Database for PostgreSQL pricing azure.microsoft.com](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/postgresql/flexible-server/) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server CER-0444 ### [Non-Production PostgreSQL Flexible Servers Running Outside Working Hours](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/non-production-postgresql-flexible-servers-running-outside-working-hours) Development, test, QA and demo servers on Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server are usually needed only during working hours, yet many run 24x7 with no stop schedule. Compute is billed for every hour the server exists in a running... Databases - Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server CER-0148 ### [Overprovisioned Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/overprovisioned-azure-database-for-postgresql-flexible-server) Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server often defaults to general-purpose D-series VMs, which may be oversized for many production or development workloads. Many PostgreSQL workloads do not need high sustained CPU and can run on... Databases - Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server CER-0445 ### [Missing Reserved Capacity for Steady-State PostgreSQL Flexible Servers](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/missing-reserved-capacity-for-steady-state-postgresql-flexible-servers) Production Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible servers typically run around the clock for years, yet many estates pay the pay-as-you-go vCore rate for all of them. Reservations and savings plans are often bought for virtual machines... Databases --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.