FAQ about ACK cluster resource billing - Container Service for Kubernetes

This topic provides answers to some frequently asked questions about resource billing in Container Service for Kubernetes (ACK) clusters.

What are the billable items in ACK?

The billable items in Container Service for Kubernetes (ACK) include cluster management and cloud resources. The cloud resources include Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances and network resources provided by Alibaba Cloud. For more information, see Billing rules.

Cluster management: A cluster management fee is charged only for ACK Pro clusters. No cluster management fee is charged for ACK Basic clusters or ACK dedicated clusters. For more information about the billing of ACK Pro, see Billing of ACK Pro clusters.
Note
If you use Container Registry to manage images, refer to the billing rules of Container Registry in Billing rules.
Cloud resources: The Alibaba Cloud resources that are used in ACK clusters. For more information, see Cloud service fee.

Why do applications fail to restart after I change the billing method of a data disk mounted to an ECS instance from pay-as-you-go to subscription when I change the billing method of the ECS instance from pay-as-you-go to subscription?

Subscription resources cannot be released or restarted on demand. Resources used in ACK clusters are restarted or released based on business requirements. Therefore, you cannot use subscription data disks in ACK clusters. Otherwise, the application on the ECS instance that uses subscription data disks cannot be restarted or upgraded.

To reduce the storage cost, we recommend that you use storage resource plans. For more information, see Overview of storage capacity units.

Am I charged for a cluster that is being deleted or fails to be deleted?

If a cluster is in the Deleting state or fails to be deleted, you are not charged a cluster management fee for the cluster. However, you are charged for cloud resources in the cluster. For more information about the lifecycle of clusters, see Cluster lifecycle. For more information about the billing of ACK managed clusters and ACK dedicated clusters, see Billing.

How is an ACK cluster in the Inactive or Unavailable state billed?

When your cluster is in the Inactive or Unavailable state, you are still charged for cluster management and cloud resources. For more information about the billing, see Billing.

When am I not charged a cluster management fee for a cluster?

You are not charged a cluster management fee for a cluster that is in the Initializing, Create Failed, Deleting, Delete Failed, or Deleted state. However, you are charged for the cloud resources used by the cluster. You cannot view a deleted cluster. For more information about the lifecycle of clusters, see Cluster lifecycle. For more information about the billing of ACK managed clusters and ACK dedicated clusters, see Billing.