If your project uses multiple Alibaba Cloud accounts, you can share resources to manage the physical locations of ECS instances and ensure high availability. You can share a deployment set from one account with other accounts. This ensures that instances created by different accounts follow the same deployment policy.
Deployment set sharing uses the Alibaba Cloud Resource Sharing service. The sharing process is as follows:
The sharer creates a Resource Share in the Resource Sharing console. The sharer adds the deployment set and the specified Alibaba Cloud accounts to the resource share.
The principal accepts the invitation. Then, the principal can create ECS instances in the shared deployment set.
Notes
If a principal has ECS instances in the deployment set, the sharer cannot cancel the sharing.
The core properties of the deployment set, such as the deployment policy and region, are configured by the sharer. All members share the same configuration and cannot modify it independently. This ensures consistent and controllable resource usage.
Billing
Sharing deployment sets using the Resource Sharing service is free of charge.
Instances in a deployment set are billed to the account that created them. When a principal creates an ECS instance using a shared deployment set, the principal's account is charged for all related fees. The sharer's account is not charged.
Permissions for sharers and principals
After a deployment set is shared, the permissions for the sharer and the principal are different. The following table describes the differences.
Operation | Sharer (Owner) | Shared user |
View basic information of the deployment set | Supported | Support |
Create instances in the deployment set | Supported | Supported |
Modify basic information of the deployment set | Supported | Not supported |
Create a new share | Supported | Not supported |
View sharing records of the deployment set | Supported | Not supported |
Delete the deployment set | Support | Not supported |
Cancel the sharing relationship | Supported (The principal must release the instances first) | Not supported |
View all instances in the deployment set | Not supported (Can only view instances under their own account) | Not supported (Can only view instances under their own account) |
User guide for sharers (deployment set owners)
Preparations
Before you share the deployment set, complete the following preparations:
Create a deployment set in the destination region.
Obtain the Alibaba Cloud account ID of the principal.
Share a deployment set
You can complete the sharing operation in the Resource Sharing console.
Log on to the Resource Sharing console.
In the navigation pane on the left, choose .
In the upper-left corner of the top menu bar, select the region of the resource.
Click Create Resource Share. On the Create Resource Share page, complete the configuration. The key steps are as follows:
Select the deployment set to share.
Set the principal: Enter the Alibaba Cloud account ID of the principal in the Principal ID field and click Add.
After you confirm the configuration, click OK.
After the resource share is created, you are redirected to its details page. On the Principals tab, the status of the account that you added is Associating.
User guide for principals (deployment set users)
Preparations
You have received a resource sharing invitation.
Accept a sharing invitation
Log on to the Resource Sharing console.
In the navigation pane on the left, choose .
In the upper-left corner of the top menu bar, select the region of the resource.
Find the target resource share and click Accept in the Actions column.
After you accept the invitation, the status of the resource share changes from Pending to Enabled. The shared deployment set is then available on the ECS Console - Deployment Sets page.
Create an instance in a shared deployment set
After you accept the invitation, you can create instances in the shared deployment set.
On the ECS Console - Deployment Sets page, select the region and resource group of the target deployment set.
Find the target deployment set and click Create Instance in the Actions column.
FAQ
After a deployment set is shared, can the sharer view or manage the ECS instances created by the principal?
No. You can only view instances in the current account.
If the sharer cancels the sharing or deletes the deployment set, what happens to the instances created by the principal?
You cannot cancel the sharing if the recipient's deployment set contains instances.
Can I share a deployment set with multiple Alibaba Cloud accounts at the same time?
Yes, you can. You can add multiple Alibaba Cloud account IDs when you create a resource share or add new principals to an existing resource share. If you have enabled Resource Directory, you can also directly share the deployment set with an organization in your resource directory.
Can a principal re-share a shared deployment set with a third party?
No, a principal cannot. Only the original owner of the resource (the sharer) has the permission to share it.
Does sharing a deployment set increase the instance quota?
No, it does not. After a deployment set is shared, the sharer and principals share the instance quota of the deployment set.