How to create a PostgreSQL or MySQL Database Instance

Reviewed on February 11, 2025

Managed Database for PostgreSQL and MySQL provides fully-managed relational Database Instances, with MySQL or PostgreSQL as database engines.

The resource allows you to focus on development rather than administration or configuration. It comes with a high-availability mode, data replication, and automatic backups.

Compared to traditional database management, which requires customers to provide their infrastructure and resources to manage their databases, Managed Database for PostgreSQL and MySQL Instance offers the user access to Database Instances without setting up the hardware or configuring the software. Scaleway handles the provisioning, manages the configuration, and provides useful features, as high availability, automated backup, user management, and more.

Before you start

To complete the actions presented below, you must have:

A Scaleway account logged into the console
Owner status or IAM permissions allowing you to perform actions in the intended Organization

Click PostgreSQL and MySQL under Databases on the side menu. If you do not have a database already created, the creation page displays.
Select the geographical region of the Instance you want to manage from the drop-down.
Click Create Database Instance. The creation wizard displays.
Complete the following steps in the wizard:
- Select a database engine. PostgreSQL and MySQL are available.
- Choose a region. This is the geographical location where your database will be deployed.
- Select a database configuration. You can choose between:
  - High Availability: creates a secondary Instance with an up-to-date replica of the database. If the primary Instance fails, the secondary takes over requests.
  - Standalone: creates a standalone database provisioned on a single node.
  Important
  You can upgrade a standalone node to High Availability after Database Instance creation, but not the opposite.
- Enable encryption at rest if you want to ensure the permanent encryption of your database data.
  Important
  Once activated on a Database Instance, encryption at rest cannot be disabled.
  
  All databases, data (including logs), and snapshots will be encrypted. Logical backup encryption is not currently available.
  
  Encryption at rest can be activated after Database Instance creation via the upgrade endpoint.
  
  Enabling encryption means your database data will be copied into a new, encrypted block volume. This takes approximately 1 hour per 100 GB of storage. When switching volumes, expect a few seconds of downtime towards the end of the copying process.
- Select a node type.
- Choose your storage type and capacity. Two types of storage are available:
  - Block Storage Legacy - With this type, your storage is decoupled from your compute resources. You can increase your storage space without changing your node type. You can define your storage capacity by entering the desired amount in the box. The volume can be increased up to 10 TB.
  - Block Storage: This storage type works like Block Storage Legacy, while providing lower latency and high resiliency through 5k or 15k IOPS. You can increase your volume to up to 10 TB.
  - Local SSD Storage - Your storage is fixed and tied to your compute resource.
  Note
  The Local Storage option is only available with the first generation node types.
- Select the snapshot configuration. You can either leave the default Automatic option to enable autobackups, or select Manual snapshots.
- Add a name and set a password for your user.
Important
Your username and password must adhere to specific criteria.

Your username can contain up to 63 characters and must start with a letter. Only alphanumeric characters are accepted.

Your password must have a minimum of 12 characters, and at least:

one uppercase character, and

one lowercase character, and

one special character, and

one number
- Enter a name for your Instance.
Click Create Database Instance to confirm your choices and launch creation.