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    E-MapReduce:Create an instance

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    E-MapReduce:Create an instance

    Last Updated:Jun 18, 2026

    Create a StarRocks instance to obtain a fully managed, high-performance environment. This lets you run large-scale data analytics and queries without building or maintaining your own infrastructure.

    Procedure

    1. Go to the E-MapReduce Serverless StarRocks instance list page.

      1. Log on to the E-MapReduce console.

      2. In the navigation pane on the left, choose EMR Serverless > StarRocks.

      3. In the top menu bar, select the required region.

    2. On the Instances page, click Create Instance.

    3. On the E-MapReduce Serverless StarRocks page, configure the instance.

      Note

      The available configuration parameters depend on the instance type that you select. The BE type is for compute-storage integrated instances, and the CN type is for compute-storage separated instances.

      Configuration item

      Description

      Product Type

      The following types are supported:

      • Subscription: A prepaid billing method. Reserve resources in advance at discounted prices.

      • Pay-as-you-go: A postpaid billing method. You are billed per billing cycle based on actual resource usage.

      Region

      The physical location of the instance.

      Important

      You cannot change the region after the instance is created. Select the region with care.

      Network and zone

      Select a virtual private cloud (VPC), a zone, and the corresponding vSwitch.

      • VPC: An isolated network environment that you define in Alibaba Cloud.

        Select an existing VPC, or click Create a VPC to go to the VPC console and create one. For more information, see Create and manage a VPC.

        Note

        • When you create a VPC, you must select an IPv4 CIDR block from one of the following three private network ranges defined in RFC 1918:

          • 10.0.0.0/8 (10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255)

          • 172.16.0.0/12 (172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255)

          • 192.168.0.0/16 (192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255)

        • If your Serverless StarRocks instance needs to access the Internet (for example, to import data or query foreign tables), make sure its VPC has Internet access. You can deploy an Internet NAT gateway in the VPC and enable the SNAT feature. For more information, see Use the SNAT feature of an Internet NAT gateway to access the Internet.

      • Zone: The zone where the instance is located.

      • vSwitch: A vSwitch is a basic network module of a VPC that connects different cloud resources.

        Select an existing vSwitch, or click . Create vSwitch to go to the VPC console and create one. For more information, see Create and manage a vSwitch.

      Instance Type

      Select an instance type based on your scenario:

      • Shared-nothing: Suitable for scenarios that require high query performance, such as OLAP multidimensional analysis, high-concurrency queries, and real-time data analytics. Data is stored on cloud disks or local disks for high read and write efficiency.

        If you select this edition, you will configure Instance Specification as FE Specifications and BE Specifications.

      • Shared-data: Suitable for cost-sensitive scenarios with moderate query performance requirements, such as OLAP multidimensional analysis, real-time data analytics, and data warehouses. Uses a compute-storage separated architecture.

        If you select this edition, you will configure Instance Specification as FE Specifications and CN Specifications.

      Multi-zone Disaster Recovery
      This parameter applies only to compute-storage separated instances.

      Disabled by default. When enabled, the system provides real-time backup and disaster recovery across zones, improving data reliability and high availability.

      Important

      Enabling this feature incurs additional resource and cost overhead:

      • The system requires extra FE nodes for coordinating and managing cross-zone backup jobs.

      • If you enable multi-zone backup, the underlying storage will use zone-redundant storage, which incurs additional data storage fees.

      Two configuration patterns are available: two zones or three zones. Select a pattern based on your business needs.

      Enable this feature if you have high requirements for data security and disaster recovery. Otherwise, the default disabled state is sufficient.

      For more information, see Disaster recovery management and Data storage (multi-zone) fees.

      Instance Edition

      Supports Basic Edition and Standard Edition editions. For more information, see Instance edition details.

      Note

      The Starter edition is only available in the Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou regions.

      Kernel Version

      The community version number of StarRocks.

      The latest minor version used is also displayed below, for example: 3.3.13-1.1.1-1.7.13.

      FE Specifications

      • Specification type: The specification type of FE nodes varies with the Instance Edition of StarRocks.

        • Basic Edition: Supports Standard Specifications.

        • Standard Edition: Supports Standard Specifications and Memory-optimized Specifications specifications.

      • Compute CUs: Select the number of compute units (CUs).

        Select the appropriate CU specification as needed. For more information about CU fees, see Billable items.

      • Data Disk: Only PL1 ESSD is supported. The data disk size ranges from 100 GB to 65000 GB, with a step size of 100.

        For more information about cloud disks, see Enterprise SSDs.

      • HA: Enabled by default. The Standard edition supports high availability. After you enable high availability, the number of StarRocks FE nodes increases from 1 to 3 to reduce the risk of failures.

        Important

        We strongly recommend that you enable high availability for production environments.

      • Number of Nodes: The number of FE nodes. The value can be an odd number from 1 to 11.

      • Load balancing: Supports the following methods.

        • Built-in Private Zone: Balances traffic through PrivateZone domain name resolution at no extra cost. Suitable for lightweight or cost-sensitive scenarios.

          Recommended for non-production environments or services with low load balancing requirements.

        • Load balancing SLB: Provides high-performance load balancing through the SLB service. Recommended for production environments with high performance and reliability requirements.

          The feature to remove the FE leader from query traffic is available only after SLB is activated.

          You must activate the SLB service, which incurs extra fees. For more information, see CLB billing overview.

      BE Specifications
      This parameter applies only to compute-storage integrated instances.

      • Specification type: The specification type of BE nodes varies with the Instance Edition of StarRocks.

        • Basic Edition: Supports Standard Specifications.

        • Standard Edition: Supports the following specifications.

          • Standard Specifications: The default and recommended option. 1 CU = 1 CPU core + 4 GiB of memory. This specification uses ESSD for StarRocks storage.

          • Memory-optimized Specifications: 1 RCU = 1 CPU core + 8 GiB of memory. This specification is suitable for memory-intensive scenarios, such as running a large number of complex queries or handling high-concurrency requests. It uses ESSD for StarRocks storage.

          • Network-enhanced Specifications: 1 NCU = 1 CPU core + 4 GiB of memory, offering more than double the network bandwidth of the standard specifications. This specification is suitable for scenarios that involve scanning large amounts of data from external tables. It uses ESSD for StarRocks storage.

          • High-performance Storage: You need to select detailed specifications for this type. It uses a local SSD for StarRocks storage and is ideal for scenarios with stringent I/O performance requirements.

          • High-specification Storage: You need to select detailed specifications for this type. It uses a local HDD for StarRocks storage. This type is ideal for storing very large data volumes at a lower cost, but it has lower I/O performance.

      • Compute CUs: Select the number of compute units (CUs).

        Select the appropriate CU specification as needed. For more information about CU fees, see Billable items.

      • Data Disk: Supports PL0 ESSD, PL1 ESSD (recommended), PL2 ESSD, and PL3 ESSD. For more information, see Enterprise SSDs.

        The cache disk size ranges from 100 to 65000 GB. The number of cache disks is 1 by default. The value can range from 1 to 8, with a step size of 1.

        Note

        You can enter the required storage capacity, and the system automatically recommends a configuration. If the capacity you select exceeds the recommended threshold, a prompt is displayed to help you adjust for optimal performance.

      • Number of Nodes: The number of BE nodes. The value can range from 3 to 50.

      CN Specifications
      This parameter applies only to compute-storage separated instances.

      • Specification type: The specification type of CN nodes varies with the Instance Edition of StarRocks.

        • Basic Edition: Supports Standard Specifications.

        • Standard Edition: Supports the following specifications.

          • Standard Specifications: The default and recommended option. 1 CU = 1 CPU core + 4 GiB of memory. This specification uses ESSD for StarRocks storage.

          • Memory-optimized Specifications: 1 RCU = 1 CPU core + 8 GiB of memory. This specification is suitable for memory-intensive scenarios, such as running a large number of complex queries or handling high-concurrency requests. It uses ESSD for StarRocks storage.

          • Network-enhanced Specifications: 1 NCU = 1 CPU core + 4 GiB of memory, offering more than double the network bandwidth of the standard specifications. This specification is suitable for scenarios that involve scanning large amounts of data from external tables. It uses ESSD for StarRocks storage.

          • High-performance Storage: You need to select detailed specifications for this type. It uses a local SSD for StarRocks storage and is ideal for scenarios with stringent I/O performance requirements.

          • High-specification Storage: You need to select detailed specifications for this type. It uses a local HDD for StarRocks storage. This type is ideal for storing very large data volumes at a lower cost, but it has lower I/O performance.

      • Compute CUs: Select the number of compute units (CUs).

        Select the appropriate CU specification as needed. For more information about CU fees, see Billable items.

      • Data Disk: Supports ESSD PL0, ESSD PL1 Cloud Disk (Recommended), ESSD PL2, ESSD PL3, Elastic temporary disk (standard edition), and Elastic temporary disk (Advanced Edition). For more information about cloud disk and elastic ephemeral disk fees, see Billable items.

        For more information, see Enterprise SSDs and Elastic ephemeral disks.

        Note

        • You can enter the required storage capacity, and the system automatically recommends a configuration. If the capacity you select exceeds the recommended threshold, a prompt is displayed to help you adjust for optimal performance.

        • Only Standard Specifications, Memory-optimized Specifications, and Compute enhanced specifications support elastic ephemeral disks. Elastic ephemeral disks have limitations on regions and zones.

      • Number of Nodes: The number of CN nodes. The value can range from 1 to 100.

      Data Storage
      This parameter applies only to compute-storage separated instances.

      Data storage fees are charged based on actual usage in GB/hour. For billing details, see Billable items.

      Instance Name

      The instance name. It must be 1 to 64 characters in length and can contain Chinese characters, letters, digits, hyphens (-), and underscores (_).

      Administrator

      The administrator user for managing StarRocks. The default is admin and cannot be changed.

      Password and Confirm Password

      The password for the built-in administrator user of the StarRocks instance. Keep this password safe, as it is required to manage the instance. If you forget it, you can reset it. For more information, see How do I reset the password of an instance?

      The password must be 8 to 30 characters long and contain at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one digit, and one special character: @#$%^*_+-.

      RAM Role

      This role grants the StarRocks instance permission to access data in Object Storage Service (OSS).

      Data Lake Service

      In the Data Lake Service area, enable this feature to attach a Data Lake Formation (DLF) catalog to the instance.

      • Bind the DLF Data Catalog: Select a created DLF data catalog from the drop-down list.

      • Select the DLF data type:

        • Paimon: Suitable for high-performance data lake scenarios.

        • Iceberg: Suitable for large-scale data analytics scenarios.

      • Associate RAM user/RAM role : Select a Resource Access Management (RAM) user or role that is authorized to access the DLF data catalog and associate it with the default admin user.

      (Optional) Advanced Settings

      • Data Disk Encryption: You can enable this feature only when creating a Shared-nothing instance. When enabled, data in transit and data at rest on the data disk are encrypted.

        Note

        • To use this feature, you must activate Key Management Service (KMS) and create a key. For more information, see Purchase a dedicated KMS instance and Create a key.

        • Only cloud disk types are supported. Elastic ephemeral disks and local disks are not supported.

      • Activate Manager Agent: Manager Agent connects StarRocks Manager to the instance and is deployed in the FE by default. If your FE is under heavy load or you need higher StarRocks Manager stability, you can activate independent Manager Agent resources. For more information, see Manage Manager Agent.

        Important

        Manager Agent resources are billed based on CUs. For billing details, see Billable items.

      • Resource Group: You can use the default resource group, select an existing one, or click Create Resource Group. to go to the Resource Management console and create one. For more information, see Create a resource group.

        Note

        A resource group lets you organize and manage resources under a single Alibaba Cloud account, simplifying resource grouping and authorization. For more information about resource groups, see What is a resource group.

      • Tags: You can attach tags when you create a cluster, or add them after the cluster is created. This helps you identify and manage your cluster resources.

    4. In the Instance Overview area on the right, accept the service agreement, click Create Instance, and then complete the payment as prompted.

      If you purchase a subscription instance, you can select a Purchase Duration. If you have a coupon, you can apply it.

      After you complete the payment, return to the instance list page to view the new instance. The instance is successfully created when its Status changes to Running.

    Instance edition details

    Important

    You cannot convert an instance from one edition to another. Choose the instance edition carefully during creation.

    Item

    Starter

    Standard

    Scenarios

    For evaluating StarRocks features and functional testing only. Not recommended for production use.

    Suitable for all StarRocks scenarios, including testing and production environments.

    Resource limits

    The limits are as follows:

    • FE configuration: 1 node, 4 CUs, 50 GB data disk.

    • BE configuration: 1 node, 8 CUs, 50 GB data disk, PL1 ESSD.

    No limits are specified.

    Stability

    High availability is not supported. No Service-Level Agreement (SLA) is provided, and stability is not guaranteed.

    When high availability is enabled, an SLA is provided to guarantee stability.

    Instance management operations

    • Supports renewal, auto-renewal, release, configuration modification, and alert settings.

    • Does not support scale-out, scale-in, upgrade, downgrade, automatic minor version upgrades, or major engine version upgrades.

    Supports all operations.

    References