KEYNOTE: Driving Postgres forward at Microsoft | POSETTE: An Event for Postgres 2026

Affan Dar and Charles Feddersen share how Microsoft is investing in PostgreSQL upstream and how that work feeds into Azure Database for PostgreSQL, including scaling features, HorizonDB, developer tooling, and a look at building AI pipelines inside Postgres.

Overview

This keynote explains Microsoft’s current PostgreSQL focus across two connected areas:

• Upstream PostgreSQL contributions (work in the open source community and contributions into core Postgres)
• Azure Database for PostgreSQL as a managed cloud offering shaped by that upstream work

The talk also calls out related areas including migrations, developer tooling (including VS Code integration), and Azure HorizonDB.

Topics highlighted in the session

Microsoft’s investment in PostgreSQL

• Microsoft’s commitment to PostgreSQL both as:
  • An upstream open source project
  • A managed database service on Azure
• How community work and core contributions connect back to Azure’s PostgreSQL roadmap.

Azure Database for PostgreSQL: performance and scaling

The session highlights Azure PostgreSQL capabilities and directions, including:

• Read replica scenarios
  • Demo: cascading read replicas
• Elastic clusters
• Horizontal scaling

HorizonDB

• Discussion of HorizonDB architecture and its cloud-native design.

AI and developer tooling

• Demo: building AI pipelines inside Postgres
• Developer tooling focus including:
  • VS Code integration
  • Demo: debugging queries with Copilot

Video chapters

• 00:00 – Music & introduction
• 00:44 – POSETTE journey and community growth
• 02:14 – Four ways Microsoft is advancing Postgres
• 02:46 – Open-source contributions at cloud scale
• 03:54 – PostgreSQL 19: advancing the core engine
• 05:38 – Azure Postgres performance and scaling features
• 07:51 – Demo: cascading read replicas in action
• 09:37 – Elastic clusters and horizontal scaling
• 10:55 – HorizonDB architecture and cloud-native design
• 13:09 – Demo: building AI pipelines inside Postgres
• 15:51 – Developer tooling and VS Code integration
• 18:22 – Demo: debugging queries with Copilot
• 21:03 – Key takeaways and future of Postgres

Links

• POSETTE conference: https://posetteconf.com
• POSETTE playlist: https://aka.ms/posette-playlist
• POSETTE on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/posetteconf/
• POSETTE on X: https://x.com/PosetteConf
• POSETTE on Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@posetteconf
• POSETTE on Bluesky: https://aka.ms/posette-on-bluesky
• Microsoft for PostgreSQL on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-for-postgresql