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Billing overview

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This topic describes the billable items, billing methods, and activation process for Performance Testing Service (PTS).

Billable items

Billing unit

Virtual User Minute (VUM) is the billing unit for Alibaba Cloud Performance Testing Service. VUM is the core metric for measuring resource consumption during stress testing.

Calculation method

The following table describes the parameters.

Parameter

Description

Example

Number of source IPs used

If the IP extension feature is not used:

  • In concurrent mode: Number of IPs = Maximum concurrency / 500 (rounded up)

  • In RPS mode: Number of IPs = Maximum RPS / 4,000 (rounded up)

  • In concurrent mode: For example, if the maximum concurrency is 1,200, the number of IPs is 3 (1,200 / 500 = 2.4, rounded up).

  • In RPS mode: For example, if the maximum RPS is 10,000, the number of IPs is 3 (10,000 / 4,000 = 2.5, rounded up).

If the IP extension feature is used, the number of source IPs is the value of the Specify number of IPs configuration item.

For example, if you set Specify number of IPs to 3, the number of source IPs is 3.

500

Concurrent users: Each source IP has a concurrency capacity of 500 virtual users, regardless of the concurrency that you configure for the stress test.

Static field.

Stress testing duration

The stress testing duration is measured in minutes. Durations less than one minute are billed as a fraction of a minute.

For example, if the total duration of your stress testing scenario is 5 minutes and 40 seconds, the 40 seconds are converted to 0.67 minutes. Therefore, the total billable duration for this stress test is 5.67 (5 + 0.67) minutes.

Sample rate

The default log sample rate is 1%. Additional VUMs are consumed only when the configured sample rate is higher than 1%.

For example, increasing the sample rate to 20% results in 1.2× VUM. The maximum rate of 100% results in 2× VUM.

Example

For example, if the default sample rate is used, a 20 minute stress test with 500 concurrent users consumes the following VUMs: 1 × 500 × 20 × 1 = 10,000 VUM.

Free quota and offers

Starting May 11, 2023, new users receive a free quota of 5000 VUM when they activate the pay-as-you-go billing method for PTS. This quota is sufficient for typical daily stress testing.

  • The free quota is valid for 30 days from the activation date. Any unused portion of the quota expires after this period.

  • Stress testing tasks first consume the free quota. Usage that exceeds the quota is billed according to pay-as-you-go billing rules.

  • The free quota has a concurrency limit of 1000. Stress testing tasks that exceed this limit incur charges according to the billing rules.

Billing methods

Pay-as-you-go

  • Scenarios: Short-term, low-frequency, or burst testing needs.

  • Pricing: The unit price is higher than that of resource plans. You are billed in real time for what you use.

Resource plan (subscription)

  • Plan types: Available in Basic and Premium editions.

  • Scenarios: Long-term, high-frequency stress testing. The larger the resource plan, the lower the cost per VUM.

  • Rules:

    • When you purchase a plan, you can specify its effective time. Unused resources automatically expire when the plan ends.

    • You can purchase multiple plans. Usage is deducted from your resource plan quota first. Any usage that exceeds the quota is billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. For more information, see Usage notes.

Enable the PTS service

  1. Enable the service

    Log on to your Alibaba Cloud account and go to the Enable Performance Testing page. Read and agree to the Performance Testing Service Agreement, and then click Enable Now.

  2. Start stress testing

    After you enable the service, go to the PTS console to create a stress testing scenario.

  3. Billing details

    • Default billing method: The pay-as-you-go billing method is enabled by default. After each stress test, the fees for the consumed VUMs are calculated and automatically deducted from your account balance.

    • Note: Stress tests with high concurrency or long durations can result in high fees if you do not have a resource plan. To avoid unexpected costs, you can purchase a resource plan or estimate your VUM consumption in advance. For more information about the billing rules for resource plans, see Billing details.

Cost optimization suggestions

  • Plan the scale of your stress tests in advance to estimate your VUM requirements and avoid resource waste.

  • Combine resource plans with pay-as-you-go billing. Use resource plans for frequent testing and pay-as-you-go for burst demands.

  • Simplify stress testing scenarios by reducing redundant links and script complexity.

  • Monitor bandwidth usage in the PTS console in real time during stress tests. Promptly adjust the number of IP addresses.

  • After a stress test is complete, stop the task manually or automatically to prevent charges for idle resources.

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