Common questions about purchasing ECS instances, choosing instance types, payment methods, and spot instances.
Instance purchase
Spot instances
FAQ
How do I choose an ECS instance that suits my business?
How do I check if I can purchase an instance in a specific region or zone?
You can go to the Instance Types Available for Each Region page to view the instance types available in each region.
What should I do if resources are sold out when I try to purchase an instance?
If resources are sold out, try the following adjustments:
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Change the region
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Change the zone
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Change the resource configuration
Instance resources are dynamic. Alibaba Cloud replenishes resources based on availability. If no resources are available after adjustment, wait and try again.
How do I pay for an ECS instance?
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Online payment: Log on to the Expenses and Costs console, choose , and click Top-up/Remittance in the Asset Information section. After you top up your account, pay with your cash account balance. Payment is processed immediately.
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Bank transfer: How do I make an offline remittance or a corporate bank transfer?
How long does it take to create an ECS instance?
Creating an instance typically takes 1 to 2 minutes. After creation:
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For a Linux instance, connect to it directly. See Log on to a Linux instance using Workbench.
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For a Windows instance, the OS initializes with
sysprep. Do not restart the instance during initialization. After initialization, connect to the instance. See Log on to a Windows instance using Workbench. Initialization time depends on whether the instance is I/O optimized:-
For an I/O optimized Windows instance, initialization typically takes 2 to 3 minutes.
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For a non-I/O optimized Windows instance, initialization typically takes 10 minutes.
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I paid for an instance, but it was not created. Why?
The system may have automatically refunded the payment due to insufficient resources in the zone. Check My Orders to confirm.
If so, create the instance in a different zone.
You can go to the Instance Types Available for Each Region page to view the instance types available in each region.
After I purchase an instance, why is the memory size different from the one defined in the instance type?
The instance type defines total memory, which includes memory reserved for system overhead, such as BIOS-reserved memory, kernel operations, and the hypervisor. The real-time available memory is therefore less than the defined size. The exact overhead varies slightly across instance families due to different technology stacks.
Which ECS instance types support spot instances?
All pay-as-you-go instance types support spot instances. If a specific instance type is unavailable due to resource constraints, try a different one.
Which regions support spot instances?
All regions support spot instances. If a spot instance is unavailable in a specific region due to resource constraints, select a different region.
How do I bid for a spot instance?
When you create a spot instance, set a maximum hourly price. If your bid exceeds the current market price, the instance runs and is billed at the market price. See Create a spot instance.
What is the relationship between the maximum bid for a spot instance and the current market price?
If your maximum bid exceeds the current market price, the spot instance is created and billed at the market price. During the protection period, the instance is not released even if the market price exceeds your bid.
After the protection period ends, the system checks the market price and inventory every 5 minutes. If the price exceeds your bid or inventory is insufficient, the spot instance is released.
Can I see the current market price before I purchase a spot instance?
Yes. When you create a spot instance in the console, the market price range and price history appear after you select an instance type. The total cost, including instance type, storage, and network bandwidth, is displayed at the bottom of the page. The instance type price reflects the current market price.
Can I view the price history of a spot instance type? If so, how?
Yes. When you create a spot instance in the console, price history appears after you select an instance type. You can also call the DescribeSpotPriceHistory operation to query the price history.
How many spot instances can an account purchase?
Spot instance quota is measured in vCPUs, not instance count. When you create a spot instance, the available vCPU quota appears after you select an instance type. See Instance limits.