Since the launch of Alibaba Cloud's public cloud services in 2011, the classic network has provided the foundational network infrastructure for ECS instances, serving a vast number of customers. In 2014, Alibaba Cloud introduced a new suite of cloud products based on the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) architecture, offering customers a more secure, stable, flexible, and high-performance option. Over the years, VPC has become the default choice for a majority of cloud users. Therefore, Tair (Redis OSS-compatible) is phasing out its instances that use the classic network architecture.
To minimize the disruption to your workloads, we have reserved ample time for you to plan, test, and migrate your instances to a VPC. Alibaba Cloud will provide the necessary tools, documentation, and support to assist you with this migration.
Timeline and impact
From 00:00:00 on October 30, 2024: renewals, configuration changes, and billing method changes will be disabled
For all instances that use the classic network, operations such as renewals, configuration changes, and billing method changes will be disabled. You will not be able to renew any subscription-based classic network instances.
From 00:00:00 on February 28, 2025: service will be discontinued
For instances configured for hybrid access mode (with both classic network and VPC access), the classic network endpoint will be deleted, but the VPC endpoint will be retained.
For instances that only have a classic network endpoint, the classic network endpoint will be deleted, and the instance will be randomly migrated to a VPC and VSwitch within your account.
If you are still using the classic network at this time, your network connectivity will be impacted. We strongly recommend that you complete the network migration yourself beforehand.
Instances that are deployed exclusively on a VPC and do not use the classic network are not affected.
Instances that are migrated to a VPC and have their classic network endpoints released before the specified dates will also not be affected.
The forced disablement of the classic network will be rolled out in batches. We will notify you of the specific schedule by SMS, email, and internal messages. Until then, you will be unable to renew or change the configuration of your instances.
Billing for your instances will continue as normal after February 28, 2025, or after the classic network is forcibly disabled. If you no longer need an affected instance, you must release it manually.
Find affected instances
You can find instances that use the classic network in the console or by using an API operation:
In the console
Log on to the console and go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the instance that you want to manage resides. Then, find the instance and click the instance ID.
In the Basic information section, check if the Network Type is Classic Network.
By using an API operation
You can call the DescribeInstances API operation and specify
CLASSICfor the NetworkType parameter to query all classic network instances in a region.
If an instance has been migrated to a VPC but still retains its classic network endpoint (in hybrid access mode), its Network Type is displayed as VPC. If you receive an email notification about the classic network EOL for such an instance, it means that you have not yet deleted the classic network endpoint, and the instance is still subject to the EOL plan (for example, you will be unable to renew it or change its configuration). To avoid service disruptions, you must go to the Instances page, click the instance ID to open the instance details page, and then delete the classic network endpoint or modify its expiration date in the Connection information section.
Recommendations
Migrate your Tair (Redis OSS-compatible) instance from the classic network to a VPC. For detailed instructions, see Switch to a VPC.
During the migration, you can choose whether to retain the classic network endpoint:
Do not retain: The new VPC endpoint inherits the address of the original classic network endpoint. You do not need to modify the connection string in your client, but the client can connect to the instance only through the VPC.
ImportantThis change will cause a transient connection interruption of a few seconds. We recommend that you perform this operation during off-peak hours and ensure your application has a reconnection mechanism.
Retain: The instance will have both a classic network endpoint and a VPC endpoint, with the classic network endpoint remaining unchanged. This configuration enables hybrid access mode. You can use this mode to update your applications and smoothly migrate traffic to the VPC by manually changing the connection string in your clients.
If you choose to retain the classic network endpoint, you must release it after you complete the migration of your client connections. For detailed instructions, see Release a classic network endpoint.
If the classic network endpoint is not released, you cannot perform operations such as renewal, configuration changes, or billing method changes on the instance.
FAQ
Q: Why can't I renew my instance after migrating it to a VPC?
A: Although the instance has been migrated to a VPC, the restrictions still apply if the classic network endpoint has not been released. Please release the classic network endpoint and try again.
Q: Does releasing the classic network endpoint affect the public endpoint?
A: No, it does not affect the public endpoint.
Q: Is this announcement related to the Classic deployment mode?
A: No. This announcement is not related to the Classic deployment mode. It only affects instances with the classic network type. Instances that use a VPC are not affected.