---
title: "Pricing"
description: "Understand SFS pricing and cost examples"
---

# Pricing

## Pricing Model

Shared File-System (SFS) is charged based on the **provisioned storage capacity**, regardless of actual usage.

### Cost Structure

**₹5 per GB per month**

*   **Prorated Billing**: Charges are calculated hourly and prorated based on the duration the SFS exists
*   **Always Charged**: You continue to be charged even when no Instances are attached to the SFS

:::info Important
You pay for the **provisioned capacity**, not actual data usage. A 250 GB SFS costs the same whether it's storing 10 GB or 250 GB of data.
:::

## Example Costs

### Example 1: Small Development SFS

**Configuration:**
*   Storage Size: 100 GB
*   Duration: 30 days (1 month)

**Monthly Cost:**
```
100 GB × ₹5/GB = ₹500 per month
```

### Example 2: Medium Production SFS

**Configuration:**
*   Storage Size: 500 GB
*   Duration: 30 days (1 month)

**Monthly Cost:**
```
500 GB × ₹5/GB = ₹2,500 per month
```

### Example 3: Large HPC SFS

**Configuration:**
*   Storage Size: 2,000 GB (2 TB)
*   Duration: 30 days (1 month)

**Monthly Cost:**
```
2,000 GB × ₹5/GB = ₹10,000 per month
```

### Example 4: Partial Month Usage

**Configuration:**
*   Storage Size: 250 GB
*   Duration: 15 days (half month)

**Cost Calculation:**
```
Hourly rate: ₹5/GB ÷ 720 hours* ≈ ₹0.00694/GB/hour
250 GB × ₹0.00694/hour × 360 hours (15 days) = ₹625

*Assuming 720 hours per month (365 days ÷ 12 months × 24 hours)
```

## Cost Optimization Tips

### 1. Right-Size Your Storage

*   **Start Small**: Begin with the minimum capacity you need
*   **Monitor Usage**: Track actual usage through the monitoring dashboard
*   **Scale Up**: Resize only when approaching capacity (leaving 10-20% buffer)

:::tip Tip
Regularly check your SFS usage to ensure you're not over-provisioned. You can always resize up, but you cannot resize down.
:::

### 2. Delete Unused SFS

*   **Clean Up**: Delete SFS instances that are no longer needed
*   **Backup First**: Always backup data before deletion
*   **Regular Audits**: Periodically review all SFS instances in your project

**Example Savings:**
```
Unused 500 GB SFS deleted = ₹2,500 saved per month
```

### 3. Consolidate Data

*   **Archive to Datasets**: Move infrequently accessed data to Datasets (EOS) for lower-cost storage
*   **Clean Up Temporary Files**: Regularly remove temporary and unnecessary files


## Cost Calculator

Use the **E2E Cost Calculator** to estimate your total infrastructure costs including SFS:

> [E2E Cloud Cost Calculator](https://calculator.e2enetworks.com)


### When to Choose SFS

**Use SFS when:**
*   Multiple Instances need concurrent read/write access
*   You need a shared workspace for distributed computing
*   Performance requirements are moderate
*   Cost predictability is important (fixed provisioned capacity)

**Consider Datasets (EOS) when:**
*   You need cost-effective storage for large datasets
*   Read-only access is sufficient
*   Data is accessed sequentially
*   Storage needs are unpredictable (pay for actual usage)

**Consider PFS when:**
*   You need maximum I/O performance
*   Running HPC workloads with parallel access
*   Budget allows for premium storage solutions

## Billing Details

### How Billing Works

1. **Hourly Charges**: SFS is billed hourly based on provisioned capacity
2. **Automatic Calculation**: Charges are automatically calculated and added to your account
3. **View Usage**: Check your current costs in **Billing and Usage** section


### Important Billing Notes

:::warning Billing Continues
Charges continue as long as the SFS exists, even if:
- No Instances are attached
- No data is stored
- The SFS is not actively being used
:::

**To stop charges**: You must delete the SFS instance.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Am I charged for data transfer?**  
A: No, there are no additional charges for data transfer between SFS and compute instances.

**Q: What happens to billing when I resize?**  
A: Billing immediately adjusts to reflect the new capacity. You're charged for the new size on an hourly basis from the moment the resize completes.

**Q: Are there any hidden fees?**  
A: No. The ₹5/GB/month rate is all-inclusive. There are no additional fees for I/O operations, API calls, or data transfer within the same region.



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