Changes to cross-AZ data transfer billing
Starting October 01, 2026, OceanBase Cloud will revise its cross-AZ data transfer metering methodology to align it with AWS billing rules. Each cross-AZ transfer will be metered and billed at both ends instead of one. Both the outbound traffic from the sending component and the inbound traffic to the receiving component will be metered. The scope will also expand to include cross-AZ traffic generated by load balancing and data migration. For now, this adjustment does not include data transfer charges between clients and OceanBase components, such as database proxies, Data Migration Service, and Binlog Service.
After this revision, your cross-AZ data transfer charges may increase. The actual increase depends on your traffic patterns and how you use OceanBase clusters and supporting components. How the charges appear on your bill, as well as the billing line item name, metering method, and unit price, will remain unchanged.
This adjustment takes effect at 00:00:00 Beijing time on October 01, 2026. Starting at 01:00:00 Beijing time on October 01, 2026, log in to the console and go to Billing -> Statements under the relevant organization. Select the applicable month under Billing Cycle, and then filter by DATA_TRANSMISSION to view the data transfer charges accrued for the month to date.
History of cross-AZ data transfer billing changes
Before April 01, 2026: OceanBase did not charge for cross-AZ data transfer.
Starting April 01, 2026: As the number of OceanBase Cloud on AWS users increased, OceanBase began charging for cross-AZ data transfer to align its billing model with common industry practices and the billing line items used by cloud vendors. The charges covered only one end of data transfers between OceanBase nodes and between proxy clusters and OceanBase nodes.
Starting October 01, 2026: OceanBase will revise how it charges for data transfer on AWS to reflect the cloud vendor's actual billing model. Each cross-AZ transfer will be billed at both ends instead of one. The billing scope will also expand to include cross-AZ traffic generated by the load-balancing layer and data synchronization components. The unit price, billing line item, and how the charges appear on your bill will remain unchanged.
Note
The date on which each component is included in cross-AZ data transfer metering may vary. No separate notice will be issued.
General background on cloud vendor data transfer charges
Public cloud vendors such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure typically charge for data transfer based on usage, measured in GB or GiB depending on each vendor's billing granularity. These charges may apply to data transferred within the vendor's infrastructure or to the internet.
When you use OceanBase Cloud, the following scenarios may generate billable data transfer traffic:
- Your application accesses an OceanBase Cloud database over the public internet, Direct Connect, a VPC endpoint, or VPC Peering, subject to the cloud vendor's network pricing policy;
- Data flows between the load-balancing/access layer and OceanBase cluster components, for example, through a database proxy;
- Data is transferred between OceanBase cluster components in different Availability Zones (AZs) within the same Region, for example, for cross-AZ queries or replication links;
- You use data migration or synchronization features to move data into or out of a cluster;
- You use Binlog Service to export data in real time for data analytics;
- Backup and restore activities generate cross-AZ traffic.
Note
Whether these scenarios incur charges, and how the charges are aggregated and presented, depends on the underlying cloud vendor's billing rules and OceanBase Cloud's metering and invoicing implementation.
Billing item details and presentation
Billing line item and metering
- Billing line item name: Cross-AZ Data Transfer
- Metering and pricing model: Billed per GiB of data transferred, using a cost-pass-through model, with no markup over AWS's official standard price for regional cross-AZ data transfer.
- Unit price (list price equivalent): 0.01 USD per GiB
- This rate is consistent with AWS's standard pricing for intra-Region cross-AZ data transfer and applies across all AWS Regions where OceanBase Cloud is available.
Note
Local Zones are not supported by OceanBase Cloud and will not trigger this charge.
Aggregation scope
To simplify cost attribution across internal components, OceanBase Cloud aggregates all cross-AZ data transfer within a single cluster and presents it as one unified line item. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Cross-AZ traffic among database proxy components, load balancers, and OceanBase Database nodes;
- Cross-AZ data replication between OceanBase Database nodes;
- Cross-AZ traffic between data migration, data synchronization, or Binlog Service components and database proxies or OceanBase Database nodes.
Recommended actions
You can make the following adjustments to reduce cross-AZ traffic. Review your replica topology and cross-AZ access patterns in light of your business RPO/RTO and high-availability requirements. Monitor the Cross-AZ Data Transfer usage trends in your billing statements and correlate them with architectural changes.
Database proxy: If you use an Exclusive-tier database proxy, primary-standby deployment does not generate cross-AZ traffic between the load balancer and proxy nodes. Active-active or multi-active deployment does generate cross-AZ traffic.
OceanBase cluster: Set the tenant's primary zone to the AZ where your business application is deployed.
Data Migration Service: Whenever possible, deploy the upstream and downstream OceanBase instances so that they share at least one AZ. Otherwise, using OMS for data synchronization will generate cross-AZ traffic.
FAQ
Q1: Will my data transfer charges double after this adjustment?
Not necessarily. This adjustment adds the side of each transfer that was not previously metered and includes charges generated by load balancing, data transfer services, and Binlog Service. The actual increase depends on your traffic profile.
Q2: Will I be charged for outbound traffic from my application when using OceanBase Database?
No. OceanBase charges only for cross-AZ traffic among OceanBase cluster nodes, service components, and database proxy nodes. If your business application generates cross-AZ traffic, the cloud vendor will charge you directly.
Q3: Does access within the same AZ incur data transfer charges?
No. For the billing line item described in this notice, AWS charges only for cross-AZ traffic. Traffic within the same AZ is not charged.
Q4: How can I view itemized data transfer charges?
You can view Cross-AZ Data Transfer usage and charges in the console and your billing statements. If you have questions, contact OceanBase Cloud Support for assistance.
Contact us
Thank you for your continued support and trust in OceanBase Cloud. This adjustment aligns the metering methodology with the cloud vendor's billing rules to support accurate and transparent billing. If you have questions about this adjustment, contact your account manager or reach out through official support channels.