This topic describes the pricing, billable items, billing methods, and billing examples of General-purpose NAS file systems.

Pricing of General-purpose NAS file systems

For more information, see Apsara File Storage NAS Pricing.

Billable items of General-purpose NAS file systems

You are charged for General-purpose NAS file systems based on the storage type, data volume (peak value per hour), and retention period. If you enable the lifecycle management feature for a General-purpose NAS file system (Capacity or Performance NAS file system), you are charged for the storage space occupied by the data that is dumped from the file system to an Infrequent Access (IA) storage medium. You are also charged for the read and write traffic of the IA storage medium. For more information about IA storage media, see IA storage media.

The following figure shows the billable items.Billable items of General-purpose NAS file systems
Billable itemDescriptionBilling method
Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity or Performance NAS file systems)After a General-purpose NAS file system (Capacity or Performance NAS file system) is created, you are charged based on the maximum storage usage ① of the file system per hour. The storage usage of the IA storage medium is excluded.
  • Pay-as-you-go: Storage usage fee = Maximum storage usage of a General-purpose NAS file system (Capacity or Performance NAS file system) per hour × Unit price of the Capacity or Performance NAS file system per month/30/24
  • NAS resource plans
    • Capacity NAS file system: You can use 1 GiB of base capacity in your General-purpose NAS resource plan to offset the fee for 1 GiB of storage usage from a Capacity NAS file system.
    • Performance NAS file system: You can use 5.47 GiB of base capacity in your General-purpose NAS resource plan to offset the fee for 1 GiB of storage usage from a Performance NAS file system.
  • SCUs
    • Capacity NAS file system: You can use 0.35 GiB of the SCU capacity in the Chinese mainland to offset the fee for 1 GiB of storage usage from a Capacity NAS file system.
    • Performance NAS file system: You can use 1.85 GiB of the SCU capacity in the Chinese mainland to offset the fee for 1 GiB of storage usage from a Performance NAS file system.
  • Storage plans (no longer available for purchase)
Storage usage of IA storage mediaAfter you enable the lifecycle management feature for a file system, the files that meet the rule specified in the lifecycle policy are dumped to an IA storage medium.

You are charged based on the maximum storage usage ① of the IA medium per hour. The storage usage of the General-purpose NAS file system (Capacity or Performance NAS file system) is excluded.

  • Pay-as-you-go: Storage usage fee = Maximum usage of an IA storage medium per hour × Unit price per month/30/24
  • NAS resource plans

    You can use 0.37 GiB of base capacity in your General-purpose NAS resource plan to offset the fee for 1 GiB of storage usage from an IA storage medium.

  • Storage plans (no longer available for purchase): offsets the storage usage of the file system to which the storage plan is attached.
Read traffic of IA storage mediaTraffic fees are incurred when the data in an IA storage medium is accessed. Fees are calculated based on the total amount of read and write traffic② per hour. The amount of read and write traffic is reset to 0 each time an hourly bill is generated. The amount of read and write traffic starts from 0 again for the next hour. Pay-as-you-go: Traffic fee = Cumulative value of read and write traffic per hour × Unit price
Write traffic of IA storage media
  • Note ①: Storage capacity description
    • The storage usage of a NAS file system indicates the total size of all files in the file system. The size of directories is not included. The basic storage unit is 4 KiB. If the size of a file is less than 4 KiB, the billed storage usage of the file is rounded up to 4 KiB. If the size of a file is larger than 4 KiB, the billed storage usage is rounded up to the nearest multiple of 4 KiB. For example, if the size of a file is 2 KiB, the storage usage is counted as 4 KiB. If the size of a file is 6 KiB, the storage usage is counted as 8 KiB.
    • File holes occupy storage space in Apsara File Storage NAS. You are charged for the file holes in your NAS file systems. A file hole consists of zeros that are not written to a file. You can create a file hole by running the truncate, lseek, or fallocate command.
    • After you enable the recycle bin feature, you are charged for the storage usage of the temporary files in the recycle bin based on the pricing of the original storage type during the retention period. For example, if you delete a file from a Capacity NAS file system, you are charged for the file based on the unit price of storage space in Capacity NAS file systems. Likewise, if you delete a file from an IA storage medium, you are charged for the file based on the unit price of storage space in IA storage media. For more information, see Recycle bin.
    Important Infrequently accessed files are dumped from a file system to an IA storage medium only in batches to ensure the performance of the file system. Dumped files no longer occupy the storage space of the file system. When the files are being dumped, each file has a replica in the storage space of the file system and the IA storage medium. This temporarily increases storage usage and generates additional fees. After the files are dumped, the replica and files in the file system are deleted and no longer generate additional fees.
  • Note ②: Description of read and write traffic of an IA storage medium
    • If the data in a file system meets the management rule specified in a lifecycle policy, the data is automatically dumped to an IA storage medium. No write traffic fees are generated for the data transfer.
    • If you access files in an IA storage medium, you are charged for the actual read and write traffic that is generated. If you read only a part of a file, you are charged for the read traffic that is generated.
    • When you read data from or write data to an IA storage medium, you are charged for the read and write traffic regardless of the network environment.
    • If you run a data retrieval task, you are charged for read traffic based on the size of the retrieved files.
    • If you back up files from an IA storage medium, you are charged for read traffic based on the size of the files.
    • If you use security services such as the anti-ransomware service of Security Center to scan files in an IA storage medium, you are charged for the actual read and write traffic that is generated.
    • You are not charged for managing metadata in an IA storage medium. For example, you are not charged for running the ls command to show the metadata of specified files.

Comparison of billing methods

The default billing method of General-purpose NAS file systems is pay-as-you-go. After you create a General-purpose NAS file system, you can purchase resource plans and SCUs to offset storage usage fees. The following table compares the billable items and operations that are supported by each billing method.
Note If you have resource plans, SCUs, and storage plans within your Alibaba Cloud account, storage usage fees are offset based on the following order: storage plans, resource plans, and SCUs. Then, you are charged based on the pay-as-you-go billing method. The following figure shows the offset order. Offset order
Billing methodBillable itemPurchaseOffset the storage usage fees of General-purpose NAS file systems of different storage typesOffset the storage usage fees of multiple NAS file systemsOffset only the storage usage fees of NAS file systemsRenewUpgradePurchase multiple
Pay-as-you-goAll billable items of General-purpose NAS file systemsN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Resource plans (recommended)
  • Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file system (Capacity NAS file system or Performance NAS file system)
  • Storage usage of IA storage media
SupportedSupportedSupportedSupportedSupportedSupportedSupported
Storage plan (no longer available for purchase)
  • Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity or Performance NAS file systems)
  • Storage usage of IA storage media
Not supportedNot supportedNot supportedSupportedSupportedSupportedNot supported
SCUStorage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity or Performance NAS file systems)SupportedSupportedSupportedNot supportedNot supportedNot supportedSupported

Billing examples

Note
  • The following billing examples are for reference only. The actual prices are subject to the data published on the Apsara File Storage NAS Pricing page.
  • Storage usage fees are calculated in USD per GiB-month, as stated on the Apsara File Storage NAS Pricing page. When you use the pay-as-you-go billing method, fees are calculated based on the following formula: Fees = Actual capacity × Unit price per hour. Therefore, when you calculate fees charged based on the actual storage usage, you must convert the unit to USD per GiB-month. For example, if the unit price of a Capacity NAS file system is USD 0.06 per GiB-month, the unit price settled on an hourly basis is approximately USD 0.000083333 per GiB-hour (0.06/30/24).

Example 1: Billing of a Capacity NAS file system

  • Constant storage capacity (for example, the maximum storage capacity per hour is 90 GiB)
    Mr. Wang has created a Capacity NAS file system in the China (Hangzhou) region. The maximum storage usage per hour in January 2021 is 90 GiB. The following tables list the monthly fees that were generated by the file system based on resource plans and the pay-as-you-go billing method.
    • If Mr. Wang uses only the pay-as-you-go billing method, the total fee is USD 5.4.
      Billable itemFee
      Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity or Performance NAS file systems)90 GiB × USD 0.06 per GiB-month = USD 5.4
    • If Mr. Wang uses a resource plan to offset fees, the total fee is USD 4.57.
      Billable itemFeeDescription
      Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity or Performance NAS file systems)USD 4.57 (a General-purpose NAS resource plan with a base capacity of 100 GiB for one month)To make sure that the base capacity of a General-purpose NAS resource plan can offset the storage usage fees of a General-purpose NAS file system, you can use the calculator to estimate the base capacity that you need.

      For each type of NAS file system, the storage usage fees are offset based on a specific conversion coefficient. For more information, see Offset rules of resource plans.

  • Fluctuating storage capacity (for example, the maximum storage capacity for one hour is 100 GiB, and the maximum storage capacity for each of the remaining hours is 90 GiB)
    Mr. Wang has created a Capacity NAS file system in the China (Hangzhou) region. The maximum storage capacity for one hour is 100 GiB, and the maximum storage capacity for each of the remaining hours is 90 GiB in June 2021. The following tables list the monthly fees that were generated by the file system based on resource plans and the pay-as-you-go billing method.
    • If Mr. Wang uses only the pay-as-you-go billing method, the total fee is USD 5.40081173.
      Billable itemFeeDescription
      Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity or Performance NAS file systems)

      90 GiB × [(30 × (24-1)] × USD 0.000083333 per GiB-hour + 100 GiB × USD 0.000083333 per GiB-hour = USD 5.40081173

      		Storage fees are calculated in USD per GiB-month, as stated on the Apsara File Storage NAS Pricing page. When you use the pay-as-you-go billing method, fees are calculated based on the following formula: Fees = Actual capacity × Unit price per hour. Therefore, you must convert the unit price for the storage fees to USD per GiB-month.

      For example, if the unit price of a Capacity NAS file system is USD 0.06 per GiB-month, the unit price settled on an hourly basis is approximately USD 0.000083333 per GiB-hour (0.06/30/24).

    • If Mr. Wang uses a resource plan to offset fees, the total fee is USD 4.57.
      Billable itemFeeDescription
      Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity or Performance NAS file systems)CNY 30 (a General-purpose NAS resource plan with a base capacity of 100 GiB for one month)To make sure that the base capacity of a General-purpose NAS resource plan can offset the storage usage fees of a General-purpose NAS file system, you can use the calculator to estimate the base capacity that you need.

      For each type of NAS file system, the storage usage fees are offset based on a specific conversion coefficient. For more information, see Offset rules of resource plans.

Example 2: Billing of a Performance NAS file system and a Capacity NAS file system

Mr. Zhang has created a Performance NAS file system and a Capacity NAS file system in the China (Hangzhou) region. The maximum storage usage per hour for the Performance NAS file system in January 2021 is 20 GiB. The maximum storage usage per hour for the Capacity NAS file system in January 2021 is 90 GiB. The following tables list the monthly fees that were generated by the file systems based on resource plans and the pay-as-you-go billing method.

  • If Mr. Zhang uses only the pay-as-you-go billing method, the total fee is USD 11.4.
    Billable itemFee
    Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity NAS file systems or Performance NAS file systems)
    • Storage usage fee of the Capacity NAS file system = 90 GiB × USD 0.06 per GiB-month = USD 5.4
    • Storage usage fee of the Performance NAS file system = 20 GiB × USD 0.3 per GiB-month = USD 6
  • If Mr. Zhang uses a resource plan to offset fees, the total fee is USD 9.14.
    Billable itemFeeDescription
    Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity NAS file systems or Performance NAS file systems)USD 9.14 (a General-purpose NAS resource plan with a base capacity of 200 GiB for one month)To make sure that the base capacity of a General-purpose NAS resource plan can offset the storage usage fees of a General-purpose NAS file system, you can use the calculator to estimate the base capacity that you need.

    For each type of NAS file system, the storage usage fees are offset based on a specific conversion coefficient. For more information, see Offset rules of resource plans.

Example 3: Billing of a Performance NAS file system and an IA storage medium

Mr. Zhang has created a Performance NAS file system named File System A in the China (Beijing) region. The storage usage of File System A in January 2021 is 100 GiB per hour. In the storage usage, 10 GiB of data is stored in a General-purpose NAS file system, and 90 GiB of data is stored in an IA storage medium. The read traffic of the IA storage medium is 1 GiB and the write traffic of the IA storage medium is 2 GiB within the month. The following tables list the fees that are generated for File System A within the month based on resource plans and the pay-as-you-go billing method.

  • If Mr. Zhang uses only the pay-as-you-go billing method, the total fee is USD 5.11767.
    Billable itemFee
    Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity NAS file systems or Performance NAS file systems)10 GiB × USD 0.3 per GiB-month = USD 3
    Storage usage of IA storage media90 GiB × USD 0.02322 per GiB-month = USD 2.0898
    Read traffic of IA storage media1 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.00929
    Write traffic of IA storage media2 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.01858
  • Combination of resource plans and the pay-as-you-go billing method

    If Mr. Zhang has purchased a General-purpose NAS resource plan with a base capacity of 100 GiB for one month in the China (Beijing) region, the total fee is USD 4.59787.

    Billable itemFeeDescription
    Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity NAS file systems or Performance NAS file systems)USD 4.57 (a General-purpose NAS resource plan with a base capacity of 100 GiB for one month)To make sure that the base capacity of a General-purpose NAS resource plan can offset the storage usage fees of a General-purpose NAS file system, you can use the calculator to estimate the base capacity that you need.

    For each type of NAS file system, the storage usage fees are offset based on a specific conversion coefficient. For more information, see Offset rules of resource plans.

    Storage usage of IA storage media
    Read traffic of IA storage media1 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.00929Only the pay-as-you-go billing method is supported.
    Write traffic of IA storage media2 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.01858Only the pay-as-you-go billing method is supported.

Example 4: Billing of a Capacity NAS file system and an IA storage medium

Mr. Zhang has created a Capacity NAS file system named File System A in the China (Beijing) region. The storage usage of File System A in January 2021 is 1,000 GiB per hour. In the storage usage, 200 GiB of data is stored in a General-purpose NAS file system, and 800 GiB of data is stored in an IA storage medium. The read traffic of the IA storage medium is 1 GiB and the write traffic of the IA storage medium is 2 GiB within the month. The following tables list the fees that are generated for File System A within the month based on storage plans and the pay-as-you-go billing method.

  • If Mr. Zhang uses only the pay-as-you-go billing method, the total fee is USD 30.60387.
    Billable itemFee
    Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity NAS file systems or Performance NAS file systems)200 GiB × USD 0.06 per GiB-month = USD 12
    Storage usage of IA storage media800 GiB × USD 0.02322 per GiB-month = USD 18.576
    Read traffic of IA storage media1 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.00929
    Write traffic of IA storage media2 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.01858
  • Combination of storage plans and the pay-as-you-go billing method

    If Mr. Zhang has purchased a 500 GiB storage plan for one month in the China (Beijing) region, the total fee is USD 25.202192.

    Billable itemFeeDescription
    Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity NAS file systems or Performance NAS file systems)USD 22.85 (a 500 GiB storage plan for one month)For each type of NAS file system, the storage usage fees are offset based on a specific conversion coefficient. For more information, see Storage plans (no longer available for purchase).
    Storage usage of IA storage media[800 GiB - (500 GiB - 200 GiB) × 2.333] × USD 0.02322 = USD 2.324322
    Read traffic of IA storage media1 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.00929Only the pay-as-you-go billing method is supported.
    Write traffic of IA storage media2 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.01858Only the pay-as-you-go billing method is supported.

Example 5: Billing of a Performance NAS file system, a Capacity NAS file system, and an IA storage medium

Mr. Zhang has created a Performance NAS file system named File System A in the China (Beijing) region. The lifecycle management feature is enabled for the file system. The storage usage of File System A in January 2021 is 220 GiB per hour. In the storage usage, 20 GiB of data is stored in a Performance NAS file system and 200 GiB of data is stored in an IA storage medium. The read traffic of the IA storage medium is 1 GiB, and the write traffic of the IA storage medium is 2 GiB within the month. Mr. Zhang also has a Capacity NAS file system named File System B. The storage usage of File System B in January 2021 is 100 GiB per hour. The following tables list the fees that are generated for File System A within the month based on resource plans and the pay-as-you-go billing method.

  • If Mr. Zhang uses only the pay-as-you-go billing method, the total fee is USD 16.67187.
    Billable itemFee
    Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity NAS file systems or Performance NAS file systems)
    • Storage usage fee of the Performance NAS file system = 20 GiB × USD 0.3 per GiB-month = USD 6
    • Storage usage fee of the Capacity NAS file system = 100 GiB × USD 0.06 per GiB-month = USD 6
    Storage usage of IA storage media200 GiB × USD 0.02322 per GiB-month = USD 4.644
    Read traffic of IA storage media1 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.00929
    Write traffic of IA storage media2 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.01858
  • Combination of resource plans and the pay-as-you-go billing method

    If Mr. Zhang has purchased a 100 GiB resource plan for one month and a 200 GiB resource plan for one month in the China (Beijing) region, the total fee is USD 13.73787.

    Billable itemFeeDescription
    Storage usage of General-purpose NAS file systems (Capacity NAS file systems or Performance NAS file systems)USD 4.57 (a 100 GiB General-purpose NAS resource plan for one month) + USD 9.14 (a 200 GiB General-purpose NAS resource plan for one month) = USD 13.71To make sure that the base capacity of a General-purpose NAS resource plan can offset the storage usage fees of a General-purpose NAS file system, you can use the calculator to estimate the base capacity that you need.

    For each type of NAS file system, the storage usage fees are offset based on a specific conversion coefficient. For more information, see Offset rules of resource plans.

    Storage usage of IA storage media
    Read traffic of IA storage media1 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.00929Only the pay-as-you-go billing method is supported.
    Write traffic of IA storage media2 GiB × USD 0.00929/GiB = USD 0.01858Only the pay-as-you-go billing method is supported.

References