Virtual Machine States and Billing Status
Learn about the states and corresponding billing status of Hyperstack virtual machines.
The hourly cost of virtual machines depends on their power state because it determines the resources allocated to the VMs. Normal billing occurs for VMs in the ACTIVE and SHUTOFF states because all resources remain allocated, while HIBERNATED VMs incur partial charges only for data from the root disk saved to persistent storage and any attached public IP address. VMs in transtion states like HIBERNATING or RESTORING do not incur charges. Additionally, VMs in ERROR state resulting from failed operations are also charge-free.
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VM states and billing status summary
The table below describes the billing costs of virtual machine states.
| Power State | Description | Billing |
|---|---|---|
ACTIVE | The VM is running, and all resources are allocated. This is the standard working state. | Billed |
SHUTOFF | When a VM is stopped, it transitions to a SHUTOFF state, where billing continues for all resources, as they remain reserved exclusively for that VM. To prevent ongoing billing costs, ensure the virtual machine is either HIBERNATED or DELETED. | Billed |
HIBERNATED | When a VM is HIBERNATED, its configuration and root disk data are saved, and all hardware resources from the VMs flavor are de-allocated. Billing continues only for any attached public IP address and the data from the root disk saved to persistent storage. | Partially Billed |
DELETED | The VM is permanently removed, and all resources are de-allocated. | Not Billed |
To learn how to manage the state of your virtual machine, click here.
Hibernated VMs and billing
Hibernating your VMs when not in use helps save on costs, as the hardware resources from the VMs flavor are de-allocated during hibernation. Charges will only accrue for the VM’s root disk data saved to persistent storage and the public IP address if attached.
When a virtual machine is HIBERNATED, the data from the root disk is transferred to a Shared Storage Volume (SSV), our persistent storage solution. This ensures that all necessary operating system data and essential system files required to reboot the VM to its pre-hibernation state are saved. The persistent storage is billed based on the amount of data saved from the root disk, at a rate of $0.000096774 per GB per hour (approximately $0.10 per TB per hour). To learn about Hyperstack's resource pricing policies click here.
Please note that data from a VM's ephemeral storage is NOT automatically saved when hibernated and must be manually saved to an SSV to retain the data. To learn more, click here.
The hibernation of VMs can take some time, with the duration varying based on the virtual machine type and the amount of data stored. We appreciate your patience as we strive to enhance this process for a smoother experience.
When a virtual machine is HIBERNATING, options for further state modification are disabled until the VM reaches a fully HIBERNATED state.
Transitional VM states and billing
The table below outlines the user-initiated transitional states of virtual machines. There are NO charges for VMs in transitional states. Additionally, the ERROR state, which occurs due to failed operations on the VM, incurs no charges.
| Power state | Description | Billing |
|---|---|---|
HIBERNATING | The VM is transitioning into a HIBERNATED state. | Not Billed |
RESTORING | The VM operating system and software are restarting from HIBERNATION and returning to an ACTIVE state. | Not Billed |
STARTING | The request to start the VM has been accepted. | Not Billed |
STOPPING | The VM is being stopped. This is the transition state between ACTIVE and SHUTOFF. | Not Billed |
REBOOTING | The VM is being restarted, simulating the process of unplugging and rebooting a physical machine. | Not Billed |
CREATING | The request to create the VM has been accepted. | Not Billed |
BUILD | The VM is being built with the specified configuration. | Not Billed |
DELETING | The VM is being deleted. | Not Billed |
ERROR | The VM is stuck in an error state. The last operation on the virtual machine was unsuccessful. | Not Billed |