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ADR-0016: Azure SQL Edge for arm64 dev (prod unchanged)

  • Status: Accepted
  • Date: 2026-04-26
  • Sub-project owner: Foundation
  • Spec ref: Foundation §4.1

Context

Spec §4.1 / §5.3 calls for SQL Server 2022 in the local Docker Compose stack. Microsoft does not publish a native arm64 image for mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server. On Apple Silicon hosts, the amd64 image runs under Rosetta — 2–3× slower startup, intermittent crashes, and a blocker for arm64 CI runners.

Azure SQL Edge ships native arm64, uses the same T-SQL engine surface as SQL Server 2022 for everything Foundation needs (DDL, basic triggers, sequences, EF Core migrations). Missing features (SQL Server Agent, full-text search, some FILESTREAM features) aren't used in Foundation. Discovered during Phase 01 planning; this ADR records the decision retroactively.

Decision

  • Local dev (Foundation through sub-projects 2–9): mcr.microsoft.com/azure-sql-edge:1.0.7 in docker-compose.yml.
  • Production: SQL Server 2022 unchanged, per HLD §3.3.4.
  • Migration parity test: Sub-project 2 adds an integration test that runs EF migrations against both Azure SQL Edge and real SQL Server 2022 (the latter via Testcontainers on an amd64 CI runner). Drift is caught at PR time.

Consequences

Positive

  • Native arm64 dev — fast startup, stable.
  • Production engine unchanged.
  • Engine swap is a one-line image change in compose / helm.

Negative

  • Two engines in scope (dev vs prod); the parity test is mandatory ongoing work.
  • Engineers must avoid SQL Server-only features that Edge doesn't support (Agent, FILESTREAM specifics, full-text). For Foundation through sub-project 2, these aren't used.

Neutral / follow-ups

  • The parity test runs on every PR that touches Migrations/ or schema-relevant code.
  • If a future sub-project genuinely needs an Edge-incompatible feature, this ADR is revisited.

Alternatives considered

Option A: Run amd64 SQL Server image under Rosetta

  • Rejected: 2–3× slower; intermittent crashes; can't run on arm64 CI runners.

Option B: Use PostgreSQL in dev, SQL Server in prod

  • Rejected: too much engine drift; EF migrations would diverge; defeats the parity goal.

Option C: Skip local SQL, use a hosted dev DB

  • Rejected: violates ADR-0005; per-developer DB cost / network dependency.

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