Deploy MySQL on an Azure Arm64 virtual machine

Get started with MySQL on an Azure Arm64 virtual machine

This section demonstrates how to install and secure MySQL on an Azure Arm64 virtual machine. It shows you how to do the following:

• Configure the database
• Set up security measures
• Verify that the service is running properly

Follow these steps to ensure that the environment is ready for development, testing, or production deployment.

Prepare and install MySQL and tools

First, update your VM to ensure you have the latest Arm64-optimized libraries and security patches. Ubuntu and other modern Linux distributions maintain Arm-native MySQL packages, so installation is straightforward with the system package manager.

Update the system and install MySQL

Update your system’s package lists to make sure you install the latest Arm64-optimized MySQL packages. Then, use the package manager to install the MySQL server:

    

        
        
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y mysql-server

    

Secure MySQL installation

Once MySQL is installed, the default configuration works but leaves your database exposed to security risks. To safeguard your installation, use the mysql_secure_installation script. This interactive tool helps you:

• Set a strong password for the root account
• Remove anonymous users
• Disable remote root login
• Remove test databases
• Reload privilege tables

These steps strengthen your MySQL server and reduce common vulnerabilities.

To begin securing your MySQL installation, run the following command:

    

        
        
sudo mysql_secure_installation

    

The interactive script walks you through several critical security steps. After following these and securing your MySQL installation, the database is significantly harder to compromise.

Start and enable MySQL service

After installing and securing MySQL, the next step is to ensure that the MySQL server process (mysqld) is running. You should also configure it to start automatically whenever your VM boots.

Use the following command:

    

        
        
sudo systemctl start mysql
sudo systemctl enable mysql

    

Verify MySQL status

Check the status of the MySQL service to confirm that it is running and enabled:

    

        
        
sudo systemctl status mysql

    

You should see output similar to:

    

        
        mysql.service - MySQL Community Server
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/mysql.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Tue 2025-09-30 20:31:48 UTC; 1min 53s ago
   Main PID: 3255 (mysqld)
     Status: "Server is operational"
      Tasks: 39 (limit: 19099)
     Memory: 366.4M (peak: 380.2M)
        CPU: 952ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/mysql.service
             └─3255 /usr/sbin/mysqld

        
    

You should see active (running) in the output, which indicates that MySQL is up and running.

Verify MySQL version

You can also check the installed version of MySQL to confirm it’s set up correctly and is running.

    

        
        
mysql -V 

    

You should see output similar to:

    

        
        mysql  Ver 8.0.43-0ubuntu0.24.04.1 for Linux on aarch64 ((Ubuntu))

        
    

Access MySQL shell

After confirming that MySQL is running, the next step is to log in to the MySQL monitor (shell). It is the command-line interface used to interact with the database server for administrative tasks such as creating users, managing databases, and tuning configurations.

    

        
        
sudo mysql

    

You should see output similar to:

    

        
        Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 17
Server version: 8.0.43-0ubuntu0.24.04.1 (Ubuntu)

Copyright (c) 2000, 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its
affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the current input statement.

mysql>

        
    

The mysql> prompt indicates that you are now in the MySQL interactive shell and can issue SQL commands.

Create a new user

Using the root account for everyday database tasks isn’t recommended because it exposes your system to unnecessary risks. Instead, create dedicated users with only the privileges they need for their roles.

To get started, access the MySQL shell:

    

        
        
sudo mysql

    

Inside the MySQL shell, create a new user:

    

        
        
CREATE USER 'admin'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'MyStrongPassword!';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'admin'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

    

Replace MyStrongPassword! with a strong password of your choice. FLUSH PRIVILEGES; Reloads the in-memory privilege tables from disk, applying changes immediately.

Verify access with new user

After creating a new MySQL user, test the login. This confirms that the account is configured correctly and can authenticate with the MySQL server.

Run the following command ( for user admin):

    

        
        
mysql -u admin -p

    

You will then be asked to enter the password you created in the previous step. You should see output similar to:

    

        
        Enter password:
Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 16
Server version: 8.0.43-0ubuntu0.24.04.1 (Ubuntu)

Copyright (c) 2000, 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its
affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the current input statement
mysql> exit

        
    

The MySQL installation is complete. You can now proceed with baseline testing of MySQL in the next section.