You can modify the configurations of pay-as-you-go Classic Load Balancer (CLB) instances to meet your business requirements.

Overview of the pay-as-you-go billing method

Pay-as-you-go CLB instances support two metering methods: pay-by-LCU and pay-by-specification. The following table describes the metering methods supported by CLB.
Instance metering method Instance type Metering method for data transmission over the Internet
Pay-by-LCU Internet-facing Pay-by-data-transfer
Internal-facing N/A
Pay-by-specification Internet-facing Pay-by-data-transfer
Pay-by-bandwidth
Internal-facing N/A
Note For an internal-facing CLB instance, only the pay-by-data-transfer metering method is displayed in the console. However, you are not charged for the data transmission over Internet.

ᴺᵉʷChange the metering method of a CLB instance from pay-by-specification to pay-by-LCU

You can change the metering method based on your business requirements. The change does not interrupt your service.

Configuration change

  • Alibaba Cloud provides the same specifications for all pay-by-LCU CLB instances. Each pay-by-LCU CLB instance supports up to one million concurrent connections, 100,000 new connections, 50,000 queries per second (QPS), and 5 Gbit/s throughput.
    Note
    • If the specification of your current CLB instance is Super Large I or higher, and you change the metering method from pay-by-specification to pay-by-LCU, the performance of your instance may be degraded.
    • Alibaba Cloud no longer offers CLB instances of Super Large I or higher to the public. If your application requires more capacity to handle Layer 4 connections, use Network Load Balancer (NLB). If your application requires more capacity to handle Layer 7 queries, use Application Load Balancer (ALB).
      • For more information about NLB, see NLB.
      • For more information about ALB, see What is ALB?.
  • After you change the metering method, the bill is updated in 1 to 2 hours.

Effective time

If you change a pay-by-specification CLB instance to a pay-by-LCU CLB instance without modifying the metering method for data transmission over the Internet, the change immediately takes effect. If you also change the metering method for data transmission over the Internet (from pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-data-transfer), the changes take effect at 00:00:00 the next day. You cannot change the specification of the CLB instance before the changes take effect.
Instance types Before the change After the change Effective time
Internet-facing Pay-by-specification Pay-by-bandwidth Pay-by-LCU Pay-by-data-transfer At 00:00:00 the next day
Pay-by-specification Pay-by-data-transfer Pay-by-LCU Pay-by-data-transfer Immediately
Internal-facing Pay-by-specification Pay-by-data-transfer Pay-by-LCU Pay-by-data-transfer Immediately

Impacts on billing

After you change a pay-by-specification CLB instance to a pay-by-LCU CLB instance, you do not need to select a specification for the CLB instance. You are charged a Load Balancer Capacity Unit (LCU) fee based on the actual usage. For more information about LCUs and the pricing, see Pay-as-you-go.

Procedure

  1. Log on to the CLB console.
  2. Select the region where the existing instance resides.
  3. On the Instances page, find the CLB instance that you want to manage and choose More > Change Specifications in the Actions column.
  4. On the Upgrade/Downgrade page, set Instance Metering Method to Pay-By-LCU.
  5. Select Terms of Service, click Buy Now, and then complete the payment as prompted.
    You can view the new metering method on the Instance Details tab.

Change the metering method of a CLB instance from pay-by-LCU to pay-by-specification

You can change the metering method of a CLB instance from pay-by-LCU to pay-by-specification to meet your business requirements.

If you change a CLB instance from pay-by-LCU to pay-by-specification without changing the metering method for data transmission over the Internet, the change immediately takes effect. If you also change the metering method for data transmission over the Internet (for example, from pay-by-data-transfer to pay-by-bandwidth), the changes take effect at 00:00:00 the next day.
Note If you change both the metering method for data transmission over the Internet (pay-by-bandwidth or pay-by-data-transfer) and the specification of a CLB instance, the changes take effect at 00:00:00 the next day.
  1. Log on to the CLB console.
  2. In the top navigation bar, select the region where the CLB instance is deployed.
  3. On the Instances page, find the CLB instance that you want to manage and choose The More icon > Change Specifications in the Actions column.
  4. On the Upgrade/Downgrade page, set the following parameters.
    Parameter Description
    Instance Billing Method Select an instance metering method. Valid values: Pay-By-CLCU and Pay-By-Specification.

    In this example, Pay-By-Specification is selected.

    Specification Select a specification.

    The performance of a CLB instance varies based on the specification. For more information, see Instance specifications.

    SLB instance The instance type is displayed. You cannot change the instance type.
    Internet Metering Method Select a metering method for data transmission over the Internet.
    • By traffic: If you use an Internet-facing CLB instance, you are charged based on the data transfer.
    • By bandwidth: If you use an Internet-facing CLB instance, you are charged based on the maximum bandwidth.
    Note For an internal-facing CLB instance, only By traffic is displayed. However, you are not charged for the data transmission over the Internet.
    SLB bandwidth max Specify the maximum bandwidth of the CLB instance.

    This parameter is displayed if you set the metering method for data transmission over the Internet to By bandwidth.

    Configure Listener The information about listener configurations is displayed. You must specify the maximum bandwidth of each listener. The maximum bandwidth value that you set for each listener must be an integer greater than 0. In addition, the sum of the maximum bandwidth of all listeners added to the CLB instance must not exceed the maximum bandwidth of the CLB instance.

    This parameter is displayed if you set the metering method for data transmission over the Internet to By bandwidth.

  5. Select Terms of Service, click Buy Now, and then complete the payment as prompted.

Upgrade or downgrade pay-by-specification CLB instances

You can modify the specification, metering method for data transmission over the Internet, and maximum bandwidth of a pay-by-specification CLB instance.

If you upgrade or downgrade a pay-by-specification CLB instance without changing the metering method for data transmission over the Internet, the change immediately takes effect. If you also change the metering method for data transmission over the Internet (for example, from pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-data-transfer), the changes take effect at 00:00:00 the next day.
Note If you change both the metering method for data transmission over the Internet (pay-by-bandwidth or pay-by-data-transfer) and the specification of a CLB instance, the changes take effect at 00:00:00 the next day.
  1. Log on to the CLB console.
  2. In the top navigation bar, select the region where the CLB instance is deployed.
  3. On the Instances page, find the CLB instance that you want to manage and choose The More icon > Change Specifications in the Actions column.
  4. On the Upgrade/Downgrade page, set the following parameters.
    Parameter Description
    Instance Billing Method Select an instance metering method. Valid values: Pay-By-CLCU and Pay-By-Specification.

    Set the parameter to Pay-By-Specification.

    Specification Select a specification. You can upgrade or downgrade the specification.

    The performance of a CLB instance varies based on the specification. For more information, see CLB overview.

    SLB instance The instance type is displayed. You cannot change the instance type.
    Internet Metering Method Select a metering method for data transmission over the Internet.
    • By traffic: If you use an Internet-facing CLB instance, you are charged based on the data transfer.
    • By bandwidth: If you use an Internet-facing CLB instance, you are charged based on the maximum bandwidth.
    Note For an internal-facing CLB instance, only By traffic is displayed. However, you are not charged for the data transmission over the Internet.
    SLB bandwidth max Specify the maximum bandwidth of the CLB instance.

    This parameter is displayed if you set the metering method for data transmission over the Internet to By bandwidth.

    Configure Listener The information about listener configurations is displayed. You must specify the maximum bandwidth of each listener. The maximum bandwidth value that you set for each listener must be an integer greater than 0. In addition, the sum of the maximum bandwidth of all listeners added to the CLB instance must not exceed the maximum bandwidth of the CLB instance.

    This parameter is displayed if you set the metering method for data transmission over the Internet to By bandwidth.

  5. Select Terms of Service, click Buy Now, and then complete the payment as prompted.
    You can view the new specification, metering method for data transmission over the Internet, or maximum bandwidth of the CLB instance on the Instance Details tab.

FAQ

What are the items that I must take note of if I want to change a shared-resource CLB instance to a high-performance CLB instance?

  • Shared-resource CLB instances are no longer available for purchase.
  • You can change only shared-resource CLB instances to high-performance CLB instances. You cannot change high-performance CLB instances to shared-resource CLB instances.
  • When you change a shared-resource CLB instance to a high-performance CLB instance, your workloads are not affected and the IP address of the CLB instance remains unchanged. We recommend that you change a shared-resource CLB instance to a high-performance CLB instance during off-peak hours or use Alibaba Cloud DNS (DNS) to switch the user traffic to another CLB instance first.

References

API references: