Elastic Compute Service:Upgrade or downgrade the instance type of a subscription ECS instance

Prerequisites

The instance whose type you want to change must meet the following conditions:

• The current instance family supports instance type changes. For more information, see Limitations and pre-checks for changing instance types.

• The instance must be in the Running (Running) or Stopped (Stopped) state.

• The target instance type is available in the current zone. You can check the availability on the Instance Types Available for Each Region page.

  Note

  • If you want to change the instance type across zones, see Change the instance type across zones.

  • If you want to migrate an ECS instance to another region, use one of the following methods:

    • Use Server Migration Center (SMC) to migrate the ECS instance from one region to another. For more information, see Cross-account and intra-account ECS instance migration.

    • You can create a custom image from the current instance, copy the custom image to the destination region, and then create an instance from the custom image. For more information, see Create a custom image from an instance, Copy a custom image, and Create an instance from a custom image or a shared image.

Limits

The following limits apply when you change an instance type:

• You must specify a target instance type that includes both vCPU and memory. You cannot change only the vCPU or only the memory.

• You can change the instance type only for the current billing cycle. Temporary changes are not supported.

• You cannot change the instance type if another configuration change, such as changing the instance type, modifying bandwidth, or a temporary bandwidth upgrade, is in progress for the instance.

• If you have renewed a subscription instance to a lower-tier type for the next billing cycle, you cannot upgrade the instance until that new cycle begins.

• You cannot downgrade a subscription instance if a renewal to a lower-tier type is pending. You must wait for the renewal to complete before you can perform a real-time downgrade.

• Downgrades are subject to a monthly quota that is based on your historical consumption. The specific quota is displayed on the configuration change page. You cannot perform more downgrades after you exceed the quota. The quota is automatically reset on the first day of the next month.

• You cannot downgrade a subscription instance and upgrade its attached disks in the same operation. To downgrade an instance and upgrade its disks, such as upgrading an ultra disk to an Enterprise SSD (ESSD), you must first upgrade the disk and then downgrade the instance.

Billing

• When you upgrade an instance type, you must pay an upgrade fee.

  $$\text{Upgrade fee}=\left(List\; price\; per\; unit\; of\; the\; new\; instance\; type\times Remaining\; duration\; of\; the\; new\; order-List\; price\; per\; unit\; of\; the\; old\; instance\; type\times Remaining\; duration\; of\; the\; original\; order\right)\times Discount$$

  Note

  • Remaining duration of the new order: The period from the time the upgrade is submitted to the expiration date of the new order.

  • Remaining duration of the original order: The period from the time the upgrade is submitted to the expiration date of the original order.

  • Discount: The system automatically calculates the optimal discount based on the upgraded resource configuration and the remaining service duration.

  For more information about upgrade fees, see Calculation logic for upgrade fees.

• When you downgrade an instance type, you may receive a refund. The refund amount is the price difference between the original and new configurations for the remaining subscription period. For more information, see Rules for unsubscribing from resources.

Procedure

1. Go to ECS console - Instances.

2. In the top navigation bar, select the region and resource group of the resource that you want to manage.

3. Click the ID or name of the target instance to open its details page. Under All Actions, select Change Instance Type.

   Note

   You can also perform batch operations on the instance list page to change the instance types of multiple instances. On the instance list page, select multiple instances, choose More > Upgrade/Downgrade > Change Instance Type at the bottom of the page, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

4. Select a target instance type.

   Note

   The instance types available to you are displayed on the page.

5. Change the instance type.

   Upgrade the instance type

   The steps vary based on the current state of the instance.

   • The instance is Stopped:

     1. Confirm the estimated cost, read and agree to the terms of service, and then click Confirm Change And Pay.

        

     2. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the payment.

     3. Start the instance to apply the change.

        After the payment is complete, the console displays the new instance type, but the change has not yet taken effect. You must start the instance for the change to take effect.

   • The instance is Running:

     1. Set the restart time.

        If you select a scheduled restart and set a time, you can view or modify the scheduled time in the ECS console by choosing Events > Configuration Change Restart Events.

        Warning

        • Restarting an instance causes it to stop, which may interrupt your services. Perform this operation during off-peak hours.

        • For some instance types, a message such as no timed execution. cannot scheduled downgrade is displayed when you set a restart time. This message indicates that the instance does not support scheduled restarts and must be stopped before its type can be changed.

     2. After you confirm the changes, click Confirm Change And Pay or Confirm Change And Restart Instance.

        

     3. Restart the instance.

        After you click Confirm Change And Pay and complete the payment, the console displays the new instance type, but the change does not take effect until you restart the instance.

   Downgrade the instance type

   1. The steps vary based on the current state of the instance.

      • The instance is Stopped: confirm the changes, select Read And Agree To The Elastic Compute Service Terms Of Service, and then click Confirm Change.

        

      • The instance is Running:

        1. Confirm the changes, select I Have Read And Agree To The Elastic Compute Service Terms Of Service, and click Stop Instance And Continue.

           

        2. In the Stop Instance dialog box, select a Stop Mode, and click Confirm.

           

   2. Start the instance to apply the change.

      For more information, see Start an instance.

References

• DescribeResourcesModification: Queries the available resources in a specific zone for an instance type or system disk upgrade or downgrade.

• ModifyInstanceSpec: Modifies the instance type and public bandwidth of a pay-as-you-go ECS instance.

• DescribeInstanceModificationPrice: Queries the price for upgrading the instance type or adding a data disk to a subscription ECS instance.