PolarDB:Custom purchase

Enterprise edition

1. Go to the custom purchase page for PolarDB clusters and configure the following parameters.

   Category	Parameter	Description
   Billing method		Subscription: a prepaid billing method. You select and pay for fixed-specification resources in advance. The longer the subscription period, the greater the discount. This billing method is suitable for services with stable and long-term workloads. Pay-as-you-go: a postpaid billing method. You select fixed-specification resources when creating the cluster and are charged based on actual usage. This billing method is suitable for services with fluctuating or unpredictable workloads. Note If the current billing method of your PolarDB cluster does not meet your business requirements, you can change the billing method at any time based on your actual needs.
   Region		Select the region for the cluster. You cannot change the region after the cluster is purchased. For more information, see Regions and zones. Note Make sure that the PolarDB cluster and the ECS instance that you want to connect to are in the same region. Otherwise, they cannot communicate over the internal network, which degrades performance. You can create the PolarDB cluster in the same zone as the ECS instance or in a different zone. Creating the PolarDB cluster and the ECS instance in the same zone reduces network latency and improves access speed. Instances in different zones within the same VPC can communicate over the internal network, so selecting a different zone does not affect normal business access.
   Creation Method		Select a method to create the PolarDB cluster. Create the master cluster: Creates a new PolarDB cluster. Restore from Recycle Bin: Restores a deleted cluster from a backup in the recycle bin. Original Version: The version of the deleted cluster. Deleted Clusters: The name of the deleted cluster. Backup History: Select the backup to restore. Migrate from RDS: Clones data from an RDS instance and synchronizes incremental data. This method is mainly used for migration. Before the final migration switchover, the PolarDB cluster is read-only and Binlog is enabled by default. For more information, see Solution overview. Source RDS Version: The version of the source RDS instance. You can select PostgreSQL 9, PostgreSQL 10, PostgreSQL 11, PostgreSQL 12, PostgreSQL 13, PostgreSQL 14, PostgreSQL 15, or PostgreSQL 16. Source RDS Instance: The available source RDS instances. Read-only instances are not supported. Note Other options are used to create databases of other engines.
   Engine and Version	Database Engine	Select a Database Engine. PolarDB for PostgreSQL supports the following database engines: PostgreSQL 17 PostgreSQL 16 PostgreSQL 15 PostgreSQL 14 PostgreSQL 11
   	Service Edition	Set Service Edition to Enterprise Edition.
   	Edition	This is set to Cluster Edition (Recommended).
   	Database Type	Two specification types are supported: General-purpose and Dedicated. Dedicated: Each cluster exclusively uses its allocated compute resources, such as CPU, without sharing them with other clusters on the same server. This provides more stable and reliable performance. General-purpose: Idle compute resources, such as CPUs, are shared among clusters on the same server. This resource sharing is more cost-effective.
   	CPU Architecture	This is set to X86.
   Network and Zone	Primary Zone	Select the Primary Zone for the cluster. A zone is an independent physical area within a region. All zones in a region provide the same level of service performance. You can create the PolarDB cluster and the ECS instance in the same zone or in different zones. If the selected zone has insufficient resources, you can select another zone in the same region. PolarDB and ECS instances only need to be in the same region and VPC to communicate over the internal network—they do not need to be in the same zone. Resource availability changes dynamically, so you can also retry the original zone later.
   	Network Type	Configure the VPC and vSwitch. The network type is fixed to VPC. Make sure that the PolarDB cluster and the ECS instance that you want to connect to are in the same VPC. Otherwise, they cannot communicate over an internal network, which degrades performance. If you have created a VPC that meets your network planning requirements, select that VPC. For example, if you have an ECS instance and the VPC where the instance resides meets your requirements, select that VPC. If you have not created a VPC that meets your network planning requirements, you can use the default VPC and vSwitch: Default VPC: The default VPC is unique in your selected region. The CIDR block of the default VPC uses a 16-bit subnet mask, such as 192.168.0.0/16, and provides up to 65,536 private IP addresses. The default VPC does not count against your VPC quota. Default vSwitch: The default vSwitch is unique in your selected zone. The CIDR block of the default vSwitch uses a 20-bit subnet mask, such as 192.168.0.0/20, and provides up to 4,096 private IP addresses. The default vSwitch does not count against the quota of vSwitches that you can create in a VPC. If the default VPC and vSwitch do not meet your requirements, you can create a VPC and a vSwitch. For more information, see Create and manage a VPC.
   	HA Mode	Select a HA Mode. Dual-AZ (Hot Standby Storage Cluster Enabled): PolarDB deploys a primary cluster (including redundant compute nodes and primary storage) and a hot standby storage cluster in the current region. The primary cluster and the hot standby storage cluster each maintain three data replicas, for a total of six replicas. This deployment provides a higher SLA guarantee. Single-AZ (Hot Standby Storage Cluster Disabled): Only the primary cluster with three data replicas is retained. The storage unit price is half of that for a cluster with a hot standby storage cluster enabled. The SLA of the cluster is also lower. Note For more information about hot standby storage clusters and their solutions, see High-availability mode.
   	Secondary Zone	Select a Secondary Zone. This parameter is required only if you set HA Mode to Dual-AZ (Hot Standby Storage Cluster Enabled). Automatic Allocation is supported.
   Specification and Proxy	Node specification	Select the compute node specification for the cluster. Note For more information about compute node specifications, see Compute node specifications for Enterprise Edition.
   	Nodes	By default, two nodes (one primary node and one read-only node) are displayed. You can select two nodes (one primary node and one read-only node) or one node (a primary node).
   Storage	Storage Type	PolarDB supports two storage types: PSL5 and PSL4. PSL5: This is the legacy storage type for PolarDB, delivering high performance, reliability, and availability. PSL4: A new storage type for PolarDB that uses the self-developed Smart-SSD technology from Alibaba Cloud. This technology compresses and decompresses data at the physical SSD level, reducing per-unit storage costs with a slight trade-off in performance. Note You cannot change the storage type of an existing cluster. To change the storage type, we recommend that you purchase a new cluster with the desired storage type and then migrate the data from the original cluster to the new one. For a detailed comparison of the two storage types, see How to choose between PSL4 and PSL5.
   	Storage Billing Method	PolarDB supports two storage billing methods: Pay by Capacity (Pay-as-you-go) and Subscription. Pay by Capacity (Pay-as-you-go): This is a serverless method. You do not need to select a storage capacity at the time of purchase. The storage capacity automatically scales as your data grows, and you are charged only for the actual storage space that your data occupies. Subscription: You pre-pay for a specific amount of storage for the cluster. For more information about how to purchase storage with these two billing methods, see Storage billing methods. Note This parameter is available only when the main Billing Method is set to Subscription.
   	Storage Capacity	The storage capacity to pre-purchase. The storage capacity can range from 10 GB to 500 TB. The value must be a multiple of 10 GB. Note This parameter is available only when Billing Method is set to Subscription and Storage Billing Method is set to Subscription.
   	Storage Fee	You do not need to configure this parameter. The system charges you based on the actual data usage on an hourly basis. For more information, see Specifications and pricing. Note You do not need to select a storage capacity when you create the cluster. The storage capacity automatically and elastically scales as the amount of data changes.
   Advanced Options (Optional)	Cluster Name	Select whether to have the Cluster Name automatically generated or to specify a custom name. If you select to have the Cluster Name automatically generated, the system creates a name after the cluster is created. You can modify this name later. If you specify a custom Cluster Name, the name must meet the following requirements: It cannot start with http:// or https://. It must be 2 to 256 characters long. It must start with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, or a Chinese character, and can contain digits, periods (.), underscores (_), and hyphens (-).
   	Resource Group	Select a resource group. Note A Resource Group is a container that allows you to manage a group of related resources under a single Alibaba Cloud account. A resource can belong to only one resource group. For more information, see Resource groups and permissions.
   	Enable TDE	Specifies whether to enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE). If you enable TDE, PolarDB encrypts the data files of the cluster. The encryption is transparent to your applications but may cause a 5% to 10% performance loss. Note TDE cannot be disabled after it is enabled. TDE depends on Key Management Service (KMS). After you enable TDE, you must configure a service-linked role to authorize PolarDB to access KMS.

2. On the right side of the page, confirm that all configurations, such as Billing Method, Region, Deployment mode, and Resource Group, meet your business requirements. Then, configure the following parameters:

   Parameter	Description
   Quantity	Select the number of clusters to purchase. Note You can create up to 50 clusters at a time. This is suitable for scenarios such as launching multiple game servers in batches. You can purchase a maximum of 50 clusters with your Alibaba Cloud account.
   Subscription Duration	This parameter is required only when the billing method is Subscription. Select the subscription Subscription Duration and specify whether to enable auto-renewal. Note We recommend that you enable auto-renewal to prevent service interruptions caused by overdue payments.

   Check the total fee and the detailed fee breakdown for items such as compute specifications, storage, and network. Click Buy Now, which indicates that you have read and agreed to the terms of service and any product-specific terms selected on this page. On the Pay page, confirm the order, select a payment method, and click Pay.

After purchase, cluster creation takes 10 to 15 minutes. You can then view the newly created cluster in the cluster list.

Standard edition

1. Go to the custom purchase page for PolarDB and configure the following parameters.

   Section	Parameter	Description
   Billing Method		Subscription: A prepaid billing method. You pay in advance for resources with fixed specifications. Longer subscription periods offer greater discounts. This method is suitable for services with stable, long-term workloads. Pay-as-you-go: A postpaid billing method. You select resources with fixed specifications and are billed based on usage duration. This method is suitable for services with flexible workloads. Serverless: A pay-as-you-go model. When you create a cluster, you do not need to select fixed resource specifications or pay for the cluster in advance. This model refers to the dynamic and elastic scaling capability of a PolarDB cluster, which allows the cluster to adjust based on changes in the service workload. It is generally suitable for scenarios with fluctuating services, uncertain workloads, or unpredictable business. Note If you find that the current billing method for your PolarDB cluster does not meet your business requirements, you can change the billing method at any time.
   Region		Select the region for the cluster. The region cannot be changed after the cluster is created. For more information, see Regions and zones. Note Ensure that your PolarDB cluster is created in the same region as the ECS instances that connect to it. Otherwise, they cannot communicate over the internal network and must use a public network, which degrades performance. You can choose to create PolarDB and ECS in the same zone or in different zones. Creating PolarDB and ECS in the same zone can reduce network latency and improve access speed. Instances in different zones within the same VPC can communicate over the internal network, so selecting a different zone does not affect normal business access.
   Creation Method		Select how to create the PolarDB cluster. Create the master cluster: Creates a new PolarDB cluster. Restore from Recycle Bin: Creates a new cluster by restoring a backup of a deleted cluster from the recycle bin. Original Version: The version of the deleted cluster. Deleted Clusters: The name of the deleted cluster. Backup History: Select the backup that you want to restore. Migrate from RDS: Clones data from an RDS instance and maintains incremental synchronization. This method is primarily used for migration. Before the final cutover, the PolarDB cluster is read-only, and binlog is enabled by default. Source RDS Version: The version of the source RDS instance. You can select PostgreSQL 9, PostgreSQL 10, PostgreSQL 11, PostgreSQL 12, PostgreSQL 13, PostgreSQL 14, PostgreSQL 15, or PostgreSQL 16. Source RDS Instance: Select the source RDS instance. Read-only instances cannot be selected. Note Other options are used to create databases of other engines.
   Engine and Version	Database Engine	Select a Database Engine. The following database engines are supported: PostgreSQL 16 PostgreSQL 15 PostgreSQL 14
   	Service Edition	Set Service Edition to Standard Edition.
   	Database Type	Two editions are supported: General-purpose and Dedicated. Dedicated: Each cluster exclusively uses its allocated compute resources, such as CPU, and does not share them with other clusters on the same server. This provides more stable and reliable performance. General-purpose: Idle compute resources, such as CPU, are shared among different clusters on the same server. This resource sharing is more cost-effective.
   	CPU Architecture	Select the CPU Architecture. Valid values: X86 and Yitian ARM. X86: The X86 architecture uses Intel processors and a high-performance network for improved performance and stability, meeting the demanding requirements of enterprise applications for service stability and compute performance. Yitian ARM: The Yitian ARM architecture uses Alibaba Cloud's self-developed Yitian 710 processor chips and 25 GE smart NICs to provide powerful compute capabilities. Paired with a high-performance network, it meets the cost, security, and stability requirements for cloud services in government, internet, and other enterprise sectors.
   Network and Zone	Primary Zone	Select the Primary Zone for the cluster. A zone is an independent physical area within a region. There are no substantial differences between zones. You can create the PolarDB cluster in the same zone as an ECS instance or in a different zone. If the selected zone has insufficient resources, you can select another zone in the same region. PolarDB and ECS instances only need to be in the same region and VPC to communicate over the internal network—they do not need to be in the same zone. Resource availability changes dynamically, so you can also retry the original zone later.
   	Network Type	Configure the VPC and vSwitch. The network type is fixed to VPC. Ensure that the PolarDB cluster is in the same VPC as the ECS instances that need to connect to it. Otherwise, they cannot communicate over the internal network, which degrades performance. If you have already created a VPC that meets your network requirements, select that VPC. For example, if you have an ECS instance in a VPC that meets your requirements, select that VPC. If you have not created a suitable VPC, you can use the default VPC and vSwitch: Default VPC: The default VPC is unique in your selected region. Its CIDR block uses a 16-bit subnet mask, such as 192.168.0.0/16, and can provide up to 65,536 private IP addresses. It does not count against your VPC quota. Default vSwitch: The default vSwitch is unique in your selected zone. Its CIDR block uses a 20-bit subnet mask, such as 192.168.0.0/20, and can provide up to 4,096 private IP addresses. It does not count against the vSwitch quota within the VPC. If the default VPC and vSwitch do not meet your requirements, you can create them yourself. For more information, see Create and manage a VPC.
   	High availability mode	Select a HA Mode. Multi-AZ (Storage Hot Standby Cluster Enabled): PolarDB deploys a primary cluster (with redundant compute nodes and primary storage) and a storage hot standby cluster within the same region. The primary cluster and the storage hot standby cluster each maintain three data replicas, for a total of six replicas. This deployment provides a higher SLA guarantee. Single-AZ (Storage Hot Standby Cluster Disabled): Only the primary cluster (with three data replicas) is retained. The storage cost is half that of the Multi-AZ mode, but the SLA is lower. Note For more information about storage hot standby clusters and solutions, see High availability modes.
   	Secondary Zone	Select a Secondary Zone. This parameter is required only when HA Mode is set to Multi-AZ (Storage Hot Standby Cluster Enabled). Automatic Allocation is supported.
   Specification and Proxy	Node specifications	Select the compute node specifications. Note For more information about compute node specifications, see Compute node specifications for Enterprise Edition.
   	Nodes	The default is two nodes: one primary and one read-only. You can also select a single primary node.
   	PolarProxy type	The following PolarProxy types are supported: Enterprise General-purpose and Enterprise Dedicated. This parameter is linked to the cluster edition. Enterprise General-purpose: Complements the general-purpose cluster edition. It shares physical CPU resources and provides rapid elastic scaling based on workload. Enterprise Dedicated: Complements the dedicated cluster edition. It uses dedicated physical CPU resources for greater performance stability.
   	PolarProxy Specifications	You can either disable the database proxy or configure its specifications. Supported specifications range from 4C (4 vCPU) to 64C (64 vCPU). Auto Match is also supported.
   Storage	Storage Type	Select a Storage Type. Enhanced SSD (ESSD) is a high-performance cloud disk from Alibaba Cloud. It uses a distributed block storage architecture and technologies such as 25GE networks and Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) to provide up to 1 million random IOPS per disk and lower single-path latency. ESSDs are categorized into the following performance levels (PLs): PL0 ESSD: An ESSD at PL0. ESSD PL1: Compared to PL0, an ESSD at PL1 delivers five times the IOPS and approximately twice the throughput. ESSD PL2: Compared to PL1, an ESSD at PL2 delivers approximately twice the IOPS and throughput. ESSD PL3: Compared to PL2, an ESSD at PL3 delivers up to ten times the IOPS and five times the throughput. It is suitable for workloads that require extremely high concurrent I/O performance and stable read/write latency. ESSD AutoPL: Unlike other PLs, ESSD AutoPL decouples IOPS from capacity, allowing for flexible configuration and on-demand adjustments to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO). For more information about ESSD performance, see ESSDs. Important When an ESSD's storage is full, the disk is locked and becomes read-only.
   	Storage Billing Method	The storage billing method matches the cluster's billing method. Note This parameter can be configured only when the Billing Method is set to Subscription.
   	Storage Capacity	Specify the Storage Capacity, which can range from 20 GB to 64 TB and be adjusted in 10 GB increments.
   Advanced Options (Optional)	Cluster Name	You can either use an auto-generated Cluster Name or specify a custom name. If you use an auto-generated name, the system creates a name after the cluster is created. You can modify the auto-generated Cluster Name later. A custom Cluster Name must meet the following requirements: Cannot start with http:// or https://. Must be 2 to 256 characters in length. Must start with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, or a Chinese character, and can contain digits, periods (.), underscores (_), and hyphens (-).
   	Resource Group	Select a destination resource group from the ones you have created. Note A resource group is a container for managing related resources under a single Alibaba Cloud account. A resource can belong to only one resource group. For more information, see Resource groups and permissions.
   	Enable TDE	Select whether to enable TDE encryption. When TDE is enabled, PolarDB encrypts the cluster data files. This process is transparent to applications and causes a 5% to 10% performance loss. Note TDE cannot be disabled after it is enabled. TDE depends on Key Management Service (KMS). After enabling TDE, you must configure a service-linked role to authorize PolarDB to access KMS.

2. In the right-side pane, confirm that all configuration items, such as billing method, region, deployment mode, and resource group, meet your business requirements. Then, configure the following parameters:

   Parameter	Description
   Quantity	Select the number of clusters to purchase. Note You can create up to 50 clusters at a time, which is suitable for scenarios such as launching multiple game servers in batches. You can purchase a maximum of 50 clusters with your Alibaba Cloud account.
   Subscription Duration	This parameter is required only if the billing method is Subscription. Select the cluster's Subscription Duration and specify whether to enable auto-renewal. Note We recommend that you enable auto-renewal to prevent service interruptions due to missed payments.

   Review the total fee and cost breakdown (for items such as compute specifications, storage, and network). After you read and agree to the terms of service and any product-specific terms, click Buy Now. On the Pay page, confirm the order details, select a payment method, and then click Pay.

   After you complete the purchase, cluster creation takes 10 to 15 minutes. You can then view the new cluster in the cluster list.

   Note

   • When the status of a node in the cluster is Creating, the cluster is being provisioned and is unavailable. The cluster is ready to use only when its status changes to Running.

   • Ensure you have selected the correct region; otherwise, you will not find the newly created cluster.