Azure SQL Managed Instance

Product

A managed Azure database option with close to full SQL Server compatibility, recommended by Microsoft for most migrations of existing SQL Server applications.

Title graphic: Azure SQL Managed Instance (Product)

Type	Product
Documentation	learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-sql/managed-instance/sql-managed-instance-paas-overview

Glossary

Latest update

2026-11-03 In preview Azure Updates

Public Preview: Extend immutability for PITR backups for Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance

With this enhancement, you have the ability to lock your retention to the configured PITR retention, beyond the default 7 days of immutable backups that are already available. This is especially useful for financial customers who typically have 35 days of PITR retention. The current default immutability is up to 7 days, and with this enhancement you can extend and lock immutability up to 35 days.

Once locked, only extensions to PITR retention are allowed. This setting is permanent for the life of the database.

Learn

more.

Preview: November 2026

Older updates (2)

2026-09-29 In preview Azure Updates Public Preview: Azure SQL updates for late-September 2026

In late September 2026, the following updates and

enhancements were made to Azure SQL:

Database

Hub in Microsoft Fabric is a unified experience for discovering, managing,

monitoring, and optimizing databases across SQL Server, Azure SQL,

PostgreSQL, Azure Cosmos DB, and Fabric SQL. By bringing AI-powered

insights and agents into a single control plane, Database Hub simplifies

database operations and helps you modernize your data estate.

You

can now increase the number of databases allowed in a Hyperscale Elastic

pool to 50.

Azure

SQL Database now supports local time zones, enabling applications to

operate using a configured…

Preview: September 2026

2026-08-03 Launched Azure Updates Generally Available: Immutability to the most recent seven days of backups on Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance

To enhance backup protection, Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance now automatically apply immutability to the most recent seven days of backups. This capability is enabled by default for all databases, regardless of the configured point-in-time restore retention period. No action or configuration is required.Note: Support for Azure SQL Hyperscale backups is coming in a future release.

Learn more.

General Availability: August 2026

Summaries of official Microsoft release information, checked daily.

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Sources

Documentation: learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-sql/managed-instance/sql-managed-instance-paas-overview

Maintained by Mirko Peters (Microsoft MVP) · Last updated: 2026-11-03