---
name: cloud-databases-gen2-isolated-compute
title: Gen 2 isolated compute
description: Cloud Databases (on Gen 2 platform) offers an isolated compute hosting model designed for enterprise-grade workloads that demand high performance, security, and dedicated resources.
last-updated: 2026-08-24
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-databases-gen2?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Gen 2 isolated compute
{: #isolated-compute}

[Gen 2]{: tag-purple}

Cloud Databases (on Gen 2 platform) offers an isolated compute hosting model designed for enterprise-grade workloads that demand high performance, security, and dedicated resources.
{: shortdesc}

The isolated compute hosting model provisions your database on a single-tenant virtual machine, providing hypervisor-level isolation and dedicated storage bandwidth. This model is ideal for workloads that demand consistent performance, security, and compliance.

All user-data management agents are also isolated, ensuring that your resources are not shared with other tenants.

## Resource management
{: #isolated-compute-resource-mgmt}

In the isolated compute model, CPU and RAM resources are fixed at the time of provisioning. You can manually scale your deployment using the IBM Cloud UI, CLI, API, or Terraform. Disk autoscaling will be supported soon, while CPU and RAM autoscaling are unavailable.

[IBM Cloud® Monitoring](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-databases-gen2?topic=cloud-databases-gen2-monitoring&format=markdown) can be integrated to help you track memory, disk space, and disk I/O utilization.

## Isolated compute capacity
{: #isolated-compute-capacity}

These management containers take up some overhead (10-12%) in your isolated compute instance, consuming a portion of the machine's CPU and RAM, with the remainder available for your database to use. A portion of the database capacity will be allocated to essential operations such as security, ensuring data integrity and protection.

## Compute profile types
{: #isolated-compute-profile-types}

Cloud Databases Gen 2 offers two types of compute profiles to match your workload requirements:

- **Fixed profiles**: Predefined vCPU and RAM combinations that run on the newest available CPU generation, delivering the highest level of consistent and predictable performance.

- **Flex profiles**: Predefined vCPU and RAM combinations designed to run across available CPU generations, with dynamic placement optimized for cost.

Both profile types run on single-tenant compute instances with hypervisor-level isolation. Storage is configured independently of the compute profile, allowing separate disk configuration.

## Compute sizing
{: #isolated-compute-sizing}

Each machine profile offers size options with defined CPU and RAM. This machine will be exclusively assigned to running your database instance. Storage is configured separately, allowing disk and IOPS customization.

Scale your database and change your machine size using your preferred method: the [Cloud Databases CLI plug-in](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-databases-gen2?topic=cloud-databases-gen2-cdb-reference&format=markdown), the [Cloud Databases API](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-databases-gen2?topic=cloud-databases-gen2-api&format=markdown), or using [Terraform](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/IBM-Cloud/ibm/latest/docs/resources/database).

## Size selections in the UI
{: #isolated-compute-sizing-ui}
{: ui}

Isolated compute offers two profile types: Fixed profiles with predefined configurations and Flex profiles with customizable resource allocation.

### Fixed profiles
{: #isolated-compute-fixed-ui}

| Host size | vCPU x RAM |
| --- | --- |
| 4x20 | 4 vCPU x 20 GB RAM |
| 8x40 | 8 vCPU x 40 GB RAM |
| 16x80 | 16 vCPU x 80 GB RAM |
| 32x160 | 32 vCPU x 160 GB RAM |
| 48x240 | 48 vCPU x 240 GB RAM |
{: caption="Fixed profile UI selections" caption-side="bottom"}

### Flex profiles
{: #isolated-compute-flex-ui}

| Host size | vCPU x RAM |
| --- | --- |
| 4x16 | 4 vCPU x 16 GB RAM |
| 8x32 | 8 vCPU x 32 GB RAM |
| 16x64 | 16 vCPU x 64 GB RAM |
| 32x128 | 32 vCPU x 128 GB RAM |

{: caption="Flex profile UI selections" caption-side="bottom"}

## Size selections in the CLI
{: #isolated-compute-sizing-cli}
{: cli}

Isolated compute offers two profile types: Fixed profiles with predefined configurations and Flex profiles with customizable resource allocation.

The host_flavor parameter defines your Compute sizing. Input the appropriate value for your desired size.

### Fixed profiles
{: #isolated-compute-fixed-cli}

| Host size | vCPU x RAM           | host_flavor value         |
|-----------|----------------------|---------------------------|
| 4x20      | 4 vCPU x 20 GB RAM   | bx3d.4x20.encrypted        |
| 8x40      | 8 vCPU x 40 GB RAM   | bx3d.8x40.encrypted        |
| 16x80      | 16 vCPU x 80 GB RAM   | mx3d.16x80.encrypted        |
| 32x160    | 32 vCPU x 160 GB RAM | bx3d.32x160.encrypted      |
| 48x240    | 48 vCPU x 240 GB RAM | bx3d.48x240.encrypted      |
{: caption="Fixed profile CLI selections" caption-side="bottom"}

### Flex profiles
{: #isolated-compute-flex-cli}

| Host size | vCPU x RAM           | host_flavor value         |
|-----------|----------------------|---------------------------|
| 4x16      | 4 vCPU x 16 GB RAM   | b3c.4x16.encrypted        |
| 8x32      | 8 vCPU x 32 GB RAM   | b3c.8x32.encrypted        |
| 16x64     | 16 vCPU x 64 GB RAM  | b3c.16x64.encrypted       |
| 32x128    | 32 vCPU x 128 GB RAM | b3c.32x128.encrypted      |

{: caption="Flex profile CLI selections" caption-side="bottom"}

## Size selections in the API
{: #isolated-compute-sizing-api}
{: api}

Isolated compute offers two profile types: Fixed profiles with predefined configurations and Flex profiles with customizable resource allocation.

The host_flavor parameter defines your Compute sizing. Input the appropriate value for your desired size.

### Fixed profiles
{: #isolated-compute-fixed-api}

| Host size | vCPU x RAM           | host_flavor value         |
|-----------|----------------------|---------------------------|
| 4x20      | 4 vCPU x 20 GB RAM   | bx3d.4x20.encrypted        |
| 8x40      | 8 vCPU x 40 GB RAM   | bx3d.8x40.encrypted        |
| 16x80      | 16 vCPU x 80 GB RAM   | mx3d.16x80.encrypted        |
| 32x160    | 32 vCPU x 160 GB RAM | bx3d.32x160.encrypted      |
| 48x240    | 48 vCPU x 240 GB RAM | bx3d.48x240.encrypted      |
{: caption="Fixed profile API selections" caption-side="bottom"}

### Flex profiles
{: #isolated-compute-flex-api}

| Host size | vCPU x RAM           | host_flavor value         |
|-----------|----------------------|---------------------------|
| 4x16      | 4 vCPU x 16 GB RAM   | b3c.4x16.encrypted        |
| 8x32      | 8 vCPU x 32 GB RAM   | b3c.8x32.encrypted        |
| 16x64     | 16 vCPU x 64 GB RAM  | b3c.16x64.encrypted       |
| 32x128    | 32 vCPU x 128 GB RAM | b3c.32x128.encrypted      |

{: caption="Flex profile API selections" caption-side="bottom"}

## Size selections in Terraform
{: #isolated-compute-sizing-terraform}
{: terraform}

Isolated compute offers two profile types: Fixed profiles with predefined configurations and Flex profiles with customizable resource allocation.

The host_flavor parameter defines your Compute sizing. Input the appropriate value for your desired size.

### Fixed profiles
{: #isolated-compute-fixed-terraform}

| Host size | vCPU x RAM           | host_flavor value         |
|-----------|----------------------|---------------------------|
| 4x20      | 4 vCPU x 20 GB RAM   | bx3d.4x20.encrypted        |
| 8x40      | 8 vCPU x 40 GB RAM   | bx3d.8x40.encrypted        |
| 16x80      | 16 vCPU x 80 GB RAM   | mx3d.16x80.encrypted        |
| 32x160    | 32 vCPU x 160 GB RAM | bx3d.32x160.encrypted      |
| 48x240    | 48 vCPU x 240 GB RAM | bx3d.48x240.encrypted      |
{: caption="Fixed profile Terraform selections" caption-side="bottom"}

### Flex profiles
{: #isolated-compute-flex-terraform}

| Host size | vCPU x RAM           | host_flavor value         |
|-----------|----------------------|---------------------------|
| 4x16      | 4 vCPU x 16 GB RAM   | b3c.4x16.encrypted        |
| 8x32      | 8 vCPU x 32 GB RAM   | b3c.8x32.encrypted        |
| 16x64     | 16 vCPU x 64 GB RAM  | b3c.16x64.encrypted       |
| 32x128    | 32 vCPU x 128 GB RAM | b3c.32x128.encrypted      |

{: caption="Flex profile Terraform selections" caption-side="bottom"}