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Create a managed database instance

Provisioning a managed database is a one-form job. You pick an engine and version, a flavor, a network, a name, and a first user. A couple of minutes later you have a private endpoint your apps can talk to.

This page walks the wizard end to end and calls out the choices that are hard to change later.

Before you start​

Have these ready — the wizard is short but it doesn't let you jump back to fix a bad choice cleanly.

You needWhy
The engine and versionMySQL 8.0/8.4, MariaDB 11.4, PostgreSQL 16/17/18. Locked once the instance is created — there is no version change afterwards, so pick the version you want to stay on. See Overview.
A flavorm1.small, m1.medium, m1.largex or m1.large. Changeable later, at the cost of a few minutes of downtime. See Overview → Flavor guide.
A private networkThe instance will get its address here. Put it on the same private network as the app VMs that will talk to it, so traffic never leaves the private plane.
A first database name and userYou'll create the first application user during the wizard. Extra users and databases can be added later from the instance detail page.
A strong passwordWritten down somewhere safe. The console will not let you retrieve it later — you'll have to reset it.

Open the wizard​

From the left navigation of console.thewahda.com, go to Databases → Instances. The list page shows every managed database in the current project.

The Instances list. Click Create Instance to start the wizard.

Click Create Database Instance in the top-left.

Step 1 — Details​

Four steps across the top: Details → Networking → Initialize Databases → Advanced. Pick zone, name, standalone-vs-replica, disk, engine, flavor.
FieldWhat to enter
Availability ZoneLeave the default (in-north-az1). Pick a specific AZ only for a multi-AZ layout.
Database Instance NameRecognizable label — app-prod-mysql, analytics-pg-17. Letters, digits, -, _, .. Keep it stable; it appears in dashboards, alerts, and log lines.
Instance TypeStandalone for a fresh primary. Switch to Replica when you're adding a read-only copy of an existing instance — see Read replicas.
Database Disk (GiB)The dedicated persistent storage for the database files. Include headroom for a full backup restore plus write growth (see the tip below). You can grow the disk later; you can't shrink it.
Datastore Typemysql, mariadb, or postgresql. Locked after creation.
Datastore VersionThe supported versions for the datastore you picked. 8.0 or 8.4 for MySQL; 11.4 for MariaDB; 16, 17, or 18 for PostgreSQL. Also locked.
Database Flavorm1.small / m1.medium / m1.largex / m1.large. Filter with the tabs (All Flavors, X86 Architecture, Heterogeneous Computing, Custom). You can change it later with Resize Flavor, but that restarts the database (see below), so size for the workload you expect.

:::tip Sizing storage Include enough headroom for a full-size backup restore plus a few days of write growth. If your working set is 30 GB and grows at 1 GB/day, 40 GB will be tight in a month — pick 80. Growing later is cheap; running out at 2am isn't. :::

Step 2 — Networking​

Which private network the instance's endpoint will live on. This is a locked choice.

FieldNotes
NetworkThe private network your app VMs are on. If you're using the default project network, pick that. The platform picks a free address on it.

The database instance's own firewall accepts the engine's port (3306 for MySQL/MariaDB, 5432 for PostgreSQL) from the private network. Outbound rules on the client VM's security group still apply.

:::caution No public IP Managed database instances are private by default and cannot have a floating IP attached. If you need to reach the DB from outside the cloud, put an app VM or a jump host on the same private network and connect through it, or run a VPN. :::

Step 3 — Initialize Databases​

The wizard lets you create the first database and its owning user in one shot.

FieldNotes
Initial DatabasesThe first schema name (app_prod, analytics). Lowercase, no spaces, digits and underscores fine. For PostgreSQL this becomes the initial database; for MySQL/MariaDB, the initial schema.
Initial Admin UserThe first application user (app, analytics_ro), granted access to that database. Keep it separate from any engine superuser — never let your app connect as root.
Password / Confirm PasswordSet a strong one. Store it in your secret manager immediately — the console will not show it again, and there is no reset: a lost password means deleting the user and creating it again.

Additional databases and users can be added later from the instance detail page's Databases and Users tabs.

Step 4 — Advanced (optional)​

You can leave both blank and change them after creation.

FieldNotes
Configuration GroupAttach a configuration group so the instance boots with tuned parameters. Only groups matching this instance's datastore + version show up. See Configuration groups.
LocalityAffinity / Anti-Affinity placement hint. Leave it unset for a single instance.

After you click Create​

Click Create in the bottom-right of Step 4. The instance moves through:

  1. BUILD — the platform provisions the compute behind the endpoint and lays down the storage. 30–90 seconds.
  2. BACKUP / RESTORE_BACKUP — transient states you may see if the instance is being cloned or restored from a backup.
  3. ACTIVE — ready for connections. The endpoint address for your app appears on the instance's detail page.

If it stalls on BUILD for more than 10 minutes, email info@thewahda.com with the instance ID.

Connect for the first time​

Grab the endpoint from Databases → Instances → <your-instance> → Detail, in the Connection Information section: Host, Database Port, and ready-made Connection Examples you can paste.

From a VM on the same private network​

MySQL / MariaDB

mysql -h <endpoint> -P 3306 -u <username> -p <initial-db>

PostgreSQL

psql -h <endpoint> -p 5432 -U <username> -d <initial-db>

You'll be prompted for the password you set in Step 3.

Smoke test​

Once connected, run one query to prove the round-trip works.

-- MySQL / MariaDB
SELECT VERSION(), NOW();

-- PostgreSQL
SELECT version(), now();

You should see the engine version you picked and the current server time.

After the instance is up​

  • Attach a configuration group if you didn't during creation. Parameter tuning (innodb_buffer_pool_size, shared_buffers, max_connections) makes a big difference on m1.medium and m1.large.
  • Take a backup right now, and decide how often you'll take one. A production database with no proven backup path is a foot-gun.
  • Consider a read replica if you'll ever have analytics or reporting queries competing with your app's writes.
  • Wire your app to the endpoint. Store the endpoint, port, database name, user and password in your app's secret manager — never in source.

Resize the flavor later​

Outgrew m1.medium? Open Databases → Instances, the instance's row action menu → Configuration Update → Resize Flavor, pick the new flavor and confirm.

:::caution This is a restart, not a live change A flavor change stops the database, resizes the server underneath it through the compute layer (a shutdown and a boot with the new flavor), then starts the database again and waits for it to report healthy. Expect a few minutes without connections. The instance shows RESIZE while this happens and returns to ACTIVE when done. Do it in a maintenance window, and make sure your app reconnects on its own rather than failing hard. Managed database services elsewhere work the same way — an instance-class change is always a restart. :::

Only the flavor changes; the data, the endpoint address, users, databases and the attached configuration group all stay as they are. To grow the disk instead, use Configuration Update → Resize Volume — the disk is extended in place and the database keeps serving.

Troubleshooting​

SymptomWhere to look
Stuck in BUILD past 10 minutesRare. Grab the instance UUID from the URL and email info@thewahda.com.
Instance goes ACTIVE but the app can't connectCheck that the app VM is on the same private network as the DB. Check the app-side security group allows egress on 3306 / 5432.
Access denied for the first userPassword mismatch, or the user has no access to that database. Check the Users tab — Grant Databases Access fixes the latter; for a wrong password, delete the user and create it again.
Too many connections right after launchDefault max_connections is conservative. Attach a configuration group that raises it; restart the instance.
Ran out of storageGrow the disk: row action menu → Configuration Update → Resize Volume. You can't shrink it back, so grow in reasonable steps.
Can't remember the passwordThe console can't show it and can't reset it — delete the user from the Users tab, create it again with a new password, re-grant its databases, and roll the app's secret.

Next steps​