Only pay-as-you-go instances (including preemptible instances) and expired subscription instances can be released. This topic describes how to manually and automatically release a pay-as-you-go instance.

Prerequisites

After an instance is released, its data cannot be recovered. We recommend that you create a snapshot to back up data before releasing an instance. For more information, see Create a snapshot.

Background information

  • For a subscription instance, you can manually release the instance after it expires. If you do not renew the instance after it expires, the instance is automatically released.
  • For a pay-as-you-go instance, if the No Fees for Stopped Instances (VPC-Connected) feature is not enabled, charges continue to incur until the instance is released.
  • You can enable instance release protection for a pay-as-you-go instance to prevent irreversible data loss resulting from accidental or incorrect operations during a manual release. For more information, see Enable and disable instance release protection.
  • If the Release Disk with Instance feature is disabled for the disk attached to an instance, the disk is automatically converted to a pay-as-you-go data disk and retained when the instance is released. For more information, see Release a disk.

Manually release an instance

You can release a pay-as-you-go instance immediately in the console.

  1. Log on to the ECS console.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instances & Images > Instances.
  3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
  4. Configure the release.
    • To release only one instance, find the instance that you want to release and choose More > Instance Status > Release in the Actions column.The status of the instance
    • If you want to release multiple instances, find the pay-as-you-go instances based on the Billing Method, select the instances to be released, and click Release at the bottom of the list.Release configuration
  5. In the dialog box that appears, select Release Now.
  6. Click Next, and then click OK.

Enable automatic release

You can enable the automatic release function and set a time to automatically release an instance. If you set the automatic release time multiple times, the latest setting works.

  1. Log on to the ECS console.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instances & Images > Instances.
  3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
  4. Configure the release.
    • To release only one instance, find the instance that you want to release and choose More > Instance Status > Release in the Actions column.
    • If you want to release multiple instances, find the pay-as-you-go instances based on the Billing Method, select the instances to be released, and click Release at the bottom of the list.
  5. In the dialog box that appears, select Scheduled Release.
  6. Turn on the automatic release switch, and specify the release date and time.
    Note The automatic release time must be at least 30 minutes later than the current time.
    Enable the automatic release switch
  7. Click Next, and then click OK.

Disable automatic release

  1. Log on to the ECS console.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instances & Images > Instances.
  3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
  4. Release configuration.
    • To disable the automatic release function for only one instance, find the instance that you want to release and choose More > Instance Status > Release in the Actions column.
    • If you want to disable the automatic release function for multiple instances, find the pay-as-you-go instances based on the Billing Method, select the instances for which you want to disable the automatic release function, and click Release at the bottom of the list.
  5. In the dialog box that appears, select Scheduled Release.
  6. Turn off the automatic release switch.
  7. Click Next, and then click OK.