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@oazabir
Created January 6, 2026 07:40
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Alibaba Cost

Required cluster size To tolerate two node failures and still have ≥64 vCPUs and ≥128 GB:

  • 12 nodes × (8 vCPU, 16 GB) = 96 vCPUs and 192 GB
  • After losing 2 nodes → remaining 80 vCPUs and 160 GB

Block Storage (approximate)

  • Using a published example of block storage from Alibaba Cloud pricing references:

    • ~$11.20/mo per 100 GB (Enhanced SSD PL0 level estimate)
    • For 3 TB = 30 × 100 GB → ~$336/mo
    • (Actual ESSD storage pricing depends on performance tier; this is a reasonable baseline.)

Total monthly cluster cost estimate

  • Compute: 12 × 170.49 ≈ $2,045.88
  • Block storage: ~$336
  • Estimated total: ≈ $2,380 / month

This is an approximation; actual Alibaba console pricing may vary slightly by region and storage type.


Annual Spend Profile (12 Months without Credits)

Category Monthly 12 Mo Total
Compute (12 × 8 vCPU ECS) ~$2,046 ~$24,552
3 TB Block Storage ~$336 ~$4,032
Total Estimated Spend ~$2,380 ~$28,584

Alibaba Startup Credits Application

Your startup credit tiers and returns:

Tier Spend Threshold Return
Tier 0 Any $200
Tier 1 Spend $1,000 in first 3 months Get $1,000
Tier 2 Spend next $6,000 in next 3 months Get $4,000
Tier 3 Spend next $20,000 in next 6 months Get ~$30,000
Tiers 4 & 5 Higher amounts (beyond 12 mo spend) Less applicable given our usage

1) Months 1–3

  • Spend: 3 × $2,380 = $7,140

  • Credits:

    • Tier 0: $200
    • Tier 1: $1,000 (since spend > $1,000)
  • Net at end of Q1 = $7,140 − $1,200 = $5,940

2) Months 4–6

  • Spend: 3 × $2,380 = $7,140

  • Cumulative spend now ~ $14,280

  • Eligible for Tier 2: Spend in this period ≥ $6,000

    • Credit: $4,000
  • Net after Q2 additional credits = $14,280 − (previous credits $1,200 + $4,000) = $9,080

3) Months 7–12

  • Spend: 6 × $2,380 = $14,280

  • Cumulative spend ~ $28,560

  • Eligible for Tier 3 (spend > $20,000 in 6-mo window)

    • Credit: ≈ $30,000
  • Net after Tier 3 credits = $28,560 − (credits $30,000) = −$1,440


Final Payable Summary After 12 Months

Line Item Amount
Projected Spend (12 Months) ~$28,584
Startup Credits Applied ~$35,200*
Net Payable to Alibaba Cloud ~$0 (plus residual credits)

*Total credits used are $200 (Tier 0) + $1,000 (Tier 1) + $4,000 (Tier 2) + $30,000 (Tier 3) = $35,200. Because your 12-month spend ($28.6k) is below total credited return, you would not owe anything additional and would have **credits left over ($6.6k)**.


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