This topic describes the billing method, expiration policy, and renewal process for Cloud Hardware Security Module (Cloud HSM).
Billing method
Cloud HSM is a pre-paid service that uses a subscription model. The total cost is calculated as follows: Total cost = Unit price × Quantity × Subscription period.
Unit price
Virtual HSM: For pricing details, see the Virtual HSM buy page.
Dedicated HSM: For pricing details, see the Dedicated HSM buy page.
Quantity: You can purchase any number of HSM instances. For high availability, Alibaba Cloud recommends that you purchase at least two HSM instances.
Subscription period: Choose a subscription period that meets your needs.
Expiration policy
Time period | Description |
Before expiration | Alibaba Cloud sends you renewal reminders by SMS and email 7, 3, and 1 day before your subscription expires. |
Within 15 days after expiration | The HSM instance becomes unavailable, but its data is retained. You can renew your subscription to reactivate the instance. |
On day 16 after expiration | All data in the HSM instance is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. To use Cloud HSM again, you must purchase a new instance. We recommend that you create a backup before your instance expires. Also, pay attention to the expiration date of your backup data. For more information, see Data backup and recovery (for HSMs in the Chinese mainland) and Data backup and recovery (for HSMs outside the Chinese mainland). Warning If you do not back up your HSM instance data or if your backup data expires, the data is permanently lost after the instance is deleted. To prevent data decryption failures that may affect your business, back up your data regularly. |
Overdue payments
Cloud HSM uses a pre-paid subscription model, so overdue payments do not occur. However, you must ensure that your account has a sufficient balance to purchase new instances or renew.
Renewal
To renew your subscription in the Expenses and Costs console, see Renew an expired resource. To renew in the Cloud Hardware Security Module console, follow these steps.
Log on to the HSM Management Console. In the top navigation bar, select the destination region.
On the instance list page, click Renew in the Actions column for the target instance.
On the Renew page, set the Subscription Period and read the Terms of Service.
Click Buy Now and complete the payment.
Cancellation
Cloud HSM subscriptions cannot be canceled after purchase.
Viewing bills
You can view and export your bills for Cloud HSM in the Expenses and Costs console. For more information, see Monthly bill overview (This topic is unpublished and redirected).