By default, DataWorks Data Agent imposes no token usage limits. After the free quota is exhausted, pay-as-you-go billing is triggered. To control costs by managing token quotas, administrators can set tenant-level and user-level token caps in Management Center, with independent billing cycles for each level.
Overview
Token quotas operate on two independent levels. You can enable them separately or in combination:
|
Quota level |
Billing cycles |
Restricted scope |
|
Tenant quota |
Monthly, Weekly |
Entire tenant (all RAM users and roles) |
|
User quota |
Weekly, Every 5 hours |
Individual RAM user or role |
The two levels are enforced independently. A limit on either level triggers a block. If neither level is enabled, token usage is unrestricted and pay-as-you-go billing is triggered after the free quota is exhausted.
Due to latency in token accounting, actual usage may slightly exceed the quota.
Permissions
|
Operation |
Required permissions |
|
Configure quotas (tenant quotas and user quotas) |
Tenant administrator or a RAM user that is granted the |
|
View quota status |
No restriction. All users can view the quota status. Each user can only view the tenant quota and the user quota of the current account. |
Configure tenant quotas
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Log on to the DataWorks Management Center. In the left-side navigation pane, choose .
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In the Tenant Quota card, turn on the tenant quota switch.
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In the Actions column, click Adjust Limit.
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Enable or disable the Monthly and Weekly cycles, and set the usage cap for each enabled cycle.
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Click OK.
After the configuration is complete, the table displays the consumption and cap for each cycle, a usage progress bar, the cycle start and end time, and the next reset time.
Configure user quotas
Adjust quotas individually
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In the User Quota card, turn on the user quota switch.
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In the user list, find the target user and click Adjust Limit in the Actions column.
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In the dialog box, enable the Weekly cycle and set the weekly usage cap.
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Click OK.
The 5-hour quota is automatically calculated by dividing the weekly quota by 7.
Adjust quotas in bulk
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In the user list, select multiple users.
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Click Batch Adjust Limit.
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Set the weekly usage cap that applies to all selected users.
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Click OK. The same configuration is applied to all selected users.
View quota status (member view)
Regular members can view the following information on the Token Quotas page:
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Tenant usage: The current token consumption and cap of the tenant. If the tenant quota is not enabled, Unrestricted is displayed.
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Personal status: The quota status of the current account, such as Normal, Restricted, or Unrestricted.
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Personal usage details: The 5-hour and weekly consumption and cap of the current account.
The member view does not provide configuration options. All configuration changes can be performed only by administrators (tenant administrator or a RAM user that is granted the AliyunDataWorksFullAccess policy).
Billing cycles
|
Level |
Supported cycles |
Description |
|
Tenant quota |
Monthly, Weekly |
Administrators can enable or disable the monthly and weekly cycles separately and set independent usage caps. |
|
User quota |
Weekly, Every 5 hours |
The weekly cap is manually set by administrators. The 5-hour cap is automatically calculated by dividing the weekly cap by 7 and cannot be set independently. |
Cycle reset rules:
-
Monthly: Follows the Alibaba Cloud billing cycle. The cycle resets at 00:00:00 on the anchor day each month, based on the subscription start date.
-
Weekly: Follows the Alibaba Cloud billing cycle. The cycle resets at 00:00:00 on the anchor day each week, based on the subscription start date.
-
Every 5 hours: Starts from the cycle start time and resets automatically after 5 hours.
-
Manual reset: Administrators can manually reset the weekly cycle for a user. The current cycle ends immediately and a new cycle begins.
The cycle end time, the next cycle start time, and the next reset time refer to the same point in time. There is no service gap between cycles.
Monthly cycle calculation
If you purchase the service on day N of a month, the first cycle expires and resets at 00:00:00 on day N+1 of the next month. Each subsequent cycle runs from 00:00:00 on day N+1 of one month to 00:00:00 on day N+1 of the next month. If day N+1 does not exist in the next month, the cycle rolls over to the 1st of the following month at 00:00:00.
Example: If you purchase the service on July 30, the first cycle expires at 00:00:00 on August 31. Billing cycles are as follows:
-
Cycle 1: 2026-07-30 14:47:13 to 2026-08-31 00:00:00 (covers through August 30)
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Cycle 2: 2026-08-31 00:00:00 to 2026-10-01 00:00:00 (September 31 does not exist; rolls over to October 1)
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Cycle 3: 2026-10-01 00:00:00 to 2026-11-01 00:00:00
Quota enforcement
When usage reaches the cap, the system blocks Data Agent calls through an access control mechanism.
Tenant-level quota triggered: All users are blocked from using Data Agent.
User-level quota triggered: Only the affected user is blocked from using Data Agent.
After a quota is triggered, administrators can restore access in the following ways:
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Adjust the cap: Increase the usage cap. The new cap takes effect immediately.
-
Wait for a reset: After the current billing cycle ends, the usage counter resets to zero and access is restored.
Limits
|
Item |
Description |
|
Tenant billing cycles |
Supports monthly and weekly cycles. Each cycle can be enabled or disabled independently. |
|
User billing cycles |
Weekly (manually set) + every 5 hours (automatically calculated as weekly cap / 7). |
|
5-hour user quota |
Cannot be set independently. Automatically derived from the weekly cap. |
|
Combined enforcement |
Tenant quotas and user quotas are enforced independently. A limit on either level triggers a block. |
|
Member management |
Adding or deleting users is not supported. The user list is automatically synchronized from RAM users and roles. |
FAQ
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Q: How are tenant quotas and user quotas enforced when both are enabled?
A: The two levels are enforced independently. A limit on either level triggers a block immediately. For example, if the tenant quota is not triggered but a user reaches the personal cap, only that user is blocked. Conversely, if the tenant quota is triggered, all users are blocked.
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Q: How is the 5-hour quota calculated?
A: The 5-hour quota equals the weekly quota divided by 7. It cannot be set independently. When you change the weekly cap, the 5-hour cap is updated automatically.
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Q: What happens to running tasks after the cap is reached?
A: After the cap is reached, Data Agent can no longer be used. Due to latency in token accounting, actual usage may slightly exceed the quota.