Azure PostgreSQL Flexible Server: Admin password reset not taking effect (authentication always fails)

Given the checks already completed, the supported next steps are:

1. Try the same admin username and password from a different client such as psql or pgAdmin.
   • This helps confirm whether the failure is client-specific or a broader authentication problem.
   • Since the issue already reproduces in both Cloud Shell and DBeaver, that points away from a single-client issue.
2. Reset the administrator password again, but first verify the server can actually accept password-based authentication.
   • In Azure Portal, the Reset password button is only enabled when:
     • server status is Ready
     • authentication method is PostgreSQL authentication only or PostgreSQL and Microsoft Entra authentication
   • If the button is disabled, hovering over it shows the reason.
3. Verify password authentication support from CLI.
   • Run:

      az postgres flexible-server show \
        --resource-group <resource_group> \
        --name <server> \
        --query authConfig.passwordAuth \
        --output tsv
   

   • If password-based authentication is not enabled, a password reset command can complete without reporting an error but still not change the administrator password.
4. If resetting from Portal continues to appear successful but authentication still fails, reset from CLI:

      az postgres flexible-server update \
        --resource-group <resource_group> \
        --name <server> \
        --admin-password <new_password>
   

   • If the server is not in the Ready state, the CLI returns an error such as:

      Server <server> is busy with other operations. Please try later
   

5. If the problem is only for a non-admin role, change that password from SQL instead:

      ALTER USER <user-name> PASSWORD '<new-password>';
   

   This requires a user with the CREATEROLE attribute and the ADMIN option on that role.
6. If the password authentication failure persists after testing with another client and resetting the admin password again, capture logs and open a support request.
   • The documented guidance is to enable log capture through Azure Monitor Log Analytics or server logs.
   • If still unresolved after following the guidance, file a support ticket.

About the specific questions:

• There is no documented method here to verify the internal state of the built-in admin role.
• There is no documented method here to force a separate “credential refresh” beyond resetting the administrator password through Portal or CLI.
• If password reset operations report success but the server still rejects the admin credentials across multiple clients, the supported path in the available guidance is log capture plus an Azure support request.

References:

• Reset administrator password in Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server
• Password authentication failed for user <user-name>