Upgrade from the Open plan

Sign up for IBM Cloud

Skip this step if you already have an IBM Cloud account. Follow these steps to sign up for IBM Cloud:

1. Go to the IBM Cloud registration page. Fill in the form and accept the terms.
2. Verify your identity by providing the additional account information as required.

Next, create a Qiskit Runtime instance.

Create a Qiskit Runtime instance

To create a Qiskit Runtime service instance, complete the following steps:

1. Go to Quantum instances and click Create instance at the top right.
2. Complete the following on the creation page:
   • Select Standard plan and specify a name for the instance.
   • If you have a promotional code, enter it in Apply promo code in the panel on the right and click Apply.
   • The Standard plan includes access to Q-CTRL Automated Error Suppression at no extra cost. To use automated error suppression, choose it as your Performance management strategy. To learn more, see the Q-CTRL documentation..
   • Accept the terms and click Create. You are redirected to the new instance's details page.

Set the maximum cost limit

If you successfully created a Qiskit Runtime instance in the previous step, you were redirected to the instance details page. Otherwise, open it by going to the Instances page, and clicking on the instance you created.

To set the maximum cost limit, complete the following steps:

1. Click Edit in the Cost limits panel.
2. In the Maximum total cost limit field, enter the maximum cost allowed in this instance, then click Save.

If the instance usage reaches this limit, any running jobs are canceled and the instance will not incur additional charges. See Manage costs for more information.

Manage users and access

Skip this step if you are an individual user setting up Qiskit Runtime for your own use. In these instructions, the owner of this account also administrates the Qiskit Runtime instances that the rest of the company's users will use. In more complex configurations, there could be more roles and many different ways to manage the users, as explained in Plan Qiskit Runtime for an organization.

As the account owner or administrator, you add the people in your organization to the IBM Cloud account and then assign them access permissions to use the Qiskit Runtime instance created in step 3.

To share a Qiskit Runtime instance with other users, complete the following steps:

1. Go to Manage > Access (IAM) in the IBM Cloud console.

2. On the left panel in the Manage access section, click Access groups, then click Create on the right side.

3. In the Create access group window that opens, add a name and description that represent the group of users that you will invite. For example, the company name. Click Create.

4. In the access group just created, click the Access tab, then click Assign access at the top right.

5. In the Create policy page that opens, define these elements:

   • Service - In the search field look for Qiskit Runtime and select it. Click Next.
   • Resources - Select Specific resources, and in the rest of the dropdowns, choose the following:
     • For Attribute type, select Service Instance.
     • For Operator, select string equals.
     • For Value, select the instance you created. Click Next.
   • Roles and actions - Select the following values:
     • For Service access, select Reader.
     • For Platform access, select Viewer.
     • For Custom access, select User actions for Qiskit Runtime. Click Next.
   • Conditions (optional). Click Review.

   At the bottom, click Add. You should see the policy on the right panel. Click Assign at the bottom of the right panel. You have successfully created an access group.

6. On the left panel in the Manage identities section, click Users. Then, at the top right click Invite users.

   • Enter the email addresses of your users separated by commas, spaces, or line breaks.
   • Select Access groups as the way to assign access.
   • In the access groups table, select the one you already created and click Add. You will see the Access summary on the right panel. Click Invite at the bottom of the Access summary panel.

Users will receive an email with an invitation to use this account with the access defined in step 3 for the shared instance. After they accept the invitation, they will see a new account in their account switcher at the top of any page on IBM Cloud. After selecting the new account, they will see the shared instance.

Differences between the Open and Standard plans

There are a few functional differences between IBM Quantum and the IBM Cloud Qiskit Runtime service that you should consider. The biggest difference is that IBM Cloud only supports the Qiskit IBM Runtime client. However, this provider supports backend.run(). See Migrate backend.run() from qiskit_ibm_provider to qiskit_ibm_runtime for details.