Cost Effective Way on IaaS Hosting

This article introduces cost-effective strategies for hosting on IaaS, focusing on different configurations for various organizational needs and scenarios.

Nowadays, most of times we should considering PaaS or SaaS such as ACK, MA, PAI, RDS, Alibaba Cloud Mail, etc. on resource provisioning and deployment, but still having many chances to host in IaaS for some reason (Especially on lift‑and‑shift migration to Cloud), how to host in more cost effective would be a big topic as part of digital transformation.

Strategy 1: The "DIY Budget King" (ECS + SQL Express)

If your organization is technically comfortable managing your own server (RDP, patching, etc.), this is hands-down the cheapest route.

The Configuration:

• Instance Type: Use the Burstable Series (t6) or Economy Series (e).

Expert Pick: ecs.t6-c1m2.large (2 vCPU, 4GB RAM). Windows Server really needs 4GB of RAM to breathe. The t6 series offers baseline performance with burst credits, perfect for internal apps or blogs that aren't hammered 24/7.

• The Database: SQL Server Express Edition.

Why: It is free. You do not pay any SQL licensing cost.
The Catch: It has a 10GB database size limit and uses max 1GB RAM / 4 Cores. If your app fits inside this box, it can save hundreds of dollars a month.

Total Cost Driver: You only pay for the ECS instance (hardware + Windows OS surcharge).

Strategy 2: The "Hands-Free" Option (RDS Web Edition)

If your organization is looking for automated backups, monitoring, and no OS patching, RDS will become a better choice.

The Configuration:

• Service: ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server.

• Edition: Select "Web Edition".

• Architecture: Select "Basic Edition" (Single Node).

Expert Insight: Standard Edition includes High Availability (HA) mirroring. If this is a dev environment or a simple blog, you might not need real-time failover. "Basic" removes the standby node, optimize your compute cost in roughly half.
The Win: Web Edition is significantly cheaper than Standard Edition but supports powerful features like Data Compression (unlike Express).

Total Cost Driver: A small management fee + lower licensing cost.

Strategy 3: The "Enterprise Saver" (BYOL)

Do you already have a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement with Software Assurance?

The Move:

Alibaba Cloud supports License Mobility. This means you can launch a "bare" ECS instance (or use a dedicated host) and apply your existing licenses to it. You stop paying the Alibaba Cloud hourly Windows/SQL surcharge and only pay for the raw compute resources.

Note: This only applies to ECS (Self-managed), not RDS.

The Final Optimization Checklist

To squeeze the last cent out of your architecture, apply these three rules:

Storage: Select ESSD PL0 disks. They are the entry-level Enterprise SSDs. They are much cheaper than PL1 but still offer SSD performance suitable for low-traffic SQL workloads.
Bandwidth: Choose "Pay-By-Traffic" (Pay-As-You-Go) for your public IP. May be not buying a static 5Mbps bandwidth plan in a very early stage.
Commitment: If you know this resource needs to be up for a year, switch your billing from "Pay-As-You-Go" to "Subscription". This instantly knocks ~15-30% off the instance price.

Summary Table:

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are for reference only and don't necessarily represent the official views of Alibaba Cloud.

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Cost Effective Way on IaaS Hosting

Strategy 1: The "DIY Budget King" (ECS + SQL Express)

Strategy 2: The "Hands-Free" Option (RDS Web Edition)

Strategy 3: The "Enterprise Saver" (BYOL)

The Final Optimization Checklist

Summary Table:

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