Reserved Instances

Reserved Instances (RI) for Db2 on Cloud allow you to commit to a 1-year or 3-year term in exchange for a discounted compute price compared to the standard On Demand pricing model.

Prerequisites

Before switching to a Reserved Instance license, ensure that you meet the following requirements:

  • An active Db2 on Cloud instance on the Performance plan.

Restrictions

Before committing to a Reserved Instance, be aware of the following restrictions:

  • Term commitment: Once you select a 1-year or 3-year reservation, you cannot delete the instance until the term expires.
  • Plan changes: You cannot change plans during the reservation term.

Review the restrictions carefully before committing. Reserved Instance terms are binding and cannot be cancelled early.

Selecting a Reserved Instance during provisioning

You can select a Reserved Instance license type when provisioning a new Db2 on Cloud instance.

During the provisioning process, locate the Reserved Instance/BYOL dropdown. By default, the license is set to Default license. Select Reserved Instance (1 year) or Reserved Instance (3 year) from the dropdown, then continue with the rest of the provisioning steps.

Selecting a Reserved Instance during provisioning
Select Reserved Instance (1 year) or Reserved Instance (3 year) from the Reserved Instance/BYOL dropdown during provisioning

Configuring a Reserved Instance in the UI

You can also change your license type to a Reserved Instance on an existing Db2 on Cloud instance through the console.

Step 1: Navigate to the license settings

From your Db2 on Cloud instance dashboard:

  1. Click the Settings icon in the left sidebar (wrench icon), or select Settings from the top navigation bar.
  2. Select the License sub-tab.
  3. Click the Change button on the right side to modify your license type.

Navigating to Settings > License > Change
Navigate to Settings > License and click Change

Step 2: Select the Reserved Instance license type

On the License selection page, select either the 1-Year Reserve (license included) or 3-Year Reserve (license included) radio button, then click Save.

Selecting a Reserved Instance license option
Select a Reserved Instance option

Step 3: Confirm the license change

A confirmation dialog appears showing the details of your license change:

  1. Verify the Change from and Change to columns reflect the correct transition.
  2. Click Proceed to apply the change.

The discount takes effect immediately. An Expiration date is displayed on the License settings page indicating when the reservation term ends.

Confirming the license change
Confirm the license change to a Reserved Instance

Step 4: Verify successful update

After clicking Proceed, you are returned to the License settings page. A green success banner confirms that the license has been successfully updated. The new Reserved Instance pricing is now active on your instance.

License successfully updated
License successfully updated confirmation

Important notes

  • Immediate effect: The discount takes effect immediately upon confirmation. Your next billing cycle reflects the new Reserved Instance pricing.
  • Expiration date: After committing, the License settings page displays an expiration date for your reservation term.
  • No service disruption: Changing the license type does not affect your database instance availability. There is no downtime associated with this change.
  • Increase Term: You can switch to a longer reservation term, but you cannot switch back to On Demand or BYOL until the reservation term expires.
  • Pause and Resume: Instances on a Reserved Instance term will continue to be billed at the regular rate, even if they are paused.