Modify pay-as-you-go instances

Pay-as-you-go billing methods

The pay-as-you-go model includes two instance billing methods: pay-by-usage and pay-by-specification (discontinued). The relationship among the instance billing method, instance type, and public network billing method is shown in the following table.

Instance billing method	Instance type	Public network billing method
pay-by-usage	public network	pay-by-data-transfer
pay-by-usage	private network	Not applicable
pay-by-specification (discontinued)	public network	pay-by-data-transfer
	public network	pay-by-bandwidth
	private network	Not applicable

Switch from pay-by-specification to pay-by-usage

Switching a pay-by-specification instance to pay-by-usage does not cause service interruptions. You can perform this operation when needed.

Rules

You do not need to specify an instance specification for a pay-by-usage instance. A single instance provides up to 1,000,000 concurrent connections, 100,000 new connections per second (CPS), 50,000 queries per second (QPS), and a 5 Gbps bandwidth peak.
Note
- If you are using an instance of the Super I specification or higher, switching the billing method from pay-by-specification to pay-by-usage may degrade its performance. Proceed with caution.
- By default, CLB instance specifications higher than Super I are unavailable. For Layer 4 workloads that require more concurrent connections, use Network Load Balancer (NLB). For Layer 7 workloads that require higher QPS, use Application Load Balancer (ALB).
  - For more information about NLB, see What is Network Load Balancer (NLB)?.
  - For more information about ALB, see What is Application Load Balancer (ALB)?.
Due to the billing method change, data display in the Billing Management console may be delayed by one to two hours.

Effective time

When you switch a pay-by-specification instance to pay-by-usage, the change takes effect immediately if the public network billing method is not modified. If the public network billing method is also changed (for example, from pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-data-transfer), all changes take effect at 00:00:00 the next day. Before the changes take effect, you cannot modify other configurations.

Instance type	Before change		After change		Effective time
public network	pay-by-specification	pay-by-bandwidth	pay-by-usage	pay-by-data-transfer	Takes effect at 00:00:00 the next day
public network	pay-by-specification	pay-by-data-transfer	pay-by-usage	pay-by-data-transfer	Effective immediately
private network	pay-by-specification	Not applicable	pay-by-usage	Not applicable	Effective immediately

Billing impact

After you switch an instance from pay-by-specification to pay-by-usage, you no longer need to specify an instance specification, and you are charged LCU fees based on actual usage. For more information about LCU definitions and pricing, see Pay-as-you-go.

Scenarios

The pay-by-usage billing method is suitable for workloads with periodic or highly fluctuating traffic.

Procedure

Log on to the CLB console.
Select the region where the instance is deployed.
On the Instances page, find the instance you want to manage and choose > Modify Configuration in the Actions column.
On the Upgrade/Downgrade page, set Instance Billing Method to Pay-by-usage.
Read and select the terms of service, click Create Now, and then complete the payment.

You can view the new billing method of the instance on the Instance Details tab.

Scale a pay-by-specification instance

Item	Description
Modification rules	You can modify the instance specification, public network billing method, and bandwidth for a pay-by-specification instance.
Effective time	When you scale up or down a pay-by-specification instance, the changes take effect immediately if the public network billing method is not modified. If the public network billing method is also changed (for example, from pay-by-bandwidth to pay-by-data-transfer), all changes take effect at 00:00:00 the next day. Note If you modify the instance specification and change the public network billing method (between pay-by-bandwidth and pay-by-data-transfer), both the specification change and the billing method change take effect at 00:00:00 the next day.
Billing impact	After you modify these configurations, billing is based on the new settings. For more information about billing rules, see Pay-as-you-go.
Scenarios	If the current instance specification, bandwidth, or public network billing method no longer meets your business needs, you can scale the instance up or down.

Log on to the CLB console.
In the top navigation bar, select the region where the instance is deployed.
On the Instances page, find the instance you want to manage and choose > Modify Configuration in the Actions column.

On the Upgrade/Downgrade page, configure the following parameters.

Parameter	Description
Instance Billing Method	Select an instance billing method. Valid values: Pay-by-specification and Pay-by-usage. To scale a pay-by-specification instance up or down, set this parameter to Pay-by-specification.
Load Balancer Specification	Select an instance specification. You can scale up or down the instance specification. Different instance specifications provide different performance metrics. For more information, see Instance types.
SLB Instance	The current instance type is displayed and cannot be changed.
Public Network Billing Method	Select a billing method for the public network connection. Pay-by-data-transfer: Bills public network instances based on data transfer. Pay-by-bandwidth: Bills public network instances based on a fixed bandwidth. Note For private network instances, only the pay-by-data-transfer option is displayed. No data transfer fees are charged for private network instances.
Peak Bandwidth	Select a bandwidth value. This parameter is available only when Public Network Billing Method is set to Pay-by-bandwidth.
Listener settings	You must set a peak bandwidth for each listener. The value must be an integer greater than 0, and the sum of peak bandwidths for all listeners cannot exceed the instance's bandwidth. This parameter is available only when Public Network Billing Method is set to Pay-by-bandwidth.

Read and select the terms of service, click Create Now, and then complete the payment.

You can view the updated instance specification, public network billing method, or bandwidth on the Instance Details tab.

FAQ

Switching from performance-shared to performance-guaranteed instances

Based on their specifications, CLB instances are either performance-guaranteed or performance-shared. You can no longer create performance-shared instances.
After you switch a performance-shared instance to a performance-guaranteed instance, you cannot switch it back.
Switching a performance-shared instance to a performance-guaranteed instance does not affect your services or change the instance's IP address. We recommend that you perform this switch during off-peak hours or use DNS to balance the load between instances before the switch.

Modify the configuration of pay-as-you-go instances