OpenStack Network Packages & Billing
In CMP OpenStack deployments, network provisioning is non-billed. Neither private (tenant) networks nor shared public (external) networks incur a network infrastructure package charge.
Instead, network-related monetization in OpenStack is applied exclusively at the IP address level (via floating IPs / public IP packages).
Network Billing Model Overview
| Network Type | Description | Billing in CMP |
|---|---|---|
| Private Networks (Tenant / VXLAN / Geneve / VLAN) | Project-isolated networks created by customers or provisioned for VMs/routers. | No billing. Free of charge. |
| Public Networks (External / Shared Neutron) | External provider networks with router:external = true and shared = true mapped via Settings → Orchestrator → Networks. | No network fee. Shared across projects without network-level charges. |
| IP Addresses (Floating IPs / Allocated Public IPs) | Public IPv4 addresses allocated from external network pools to VMs, VIPs, or routers. | Billed. Configured via IP Address Packages. |
- No Network Packages Required: In OpenStack, you do not need to configure hourly or monthly rate card package charges for network creation or throughput.
- Shared External Networks: Public networks are configured once by the cloud administrator under Settings → Orchestrator → Networks (see OpenStack Public Networks). Because they are shared across all tenant projects in a region, there is no per-tenant network package fee.
- Monetization Point: Billing applies strictly to the IP addresses assigned to or consumed by instances, routers, or load balancers.
How Networks Function in CMP
1. Private Networks
Customers create private networks inside their projects (or during VM provisioning) via Neutron. These provide internal layer-2 connectivity and inter-VM traffic within the project. CMP does not apply any meter or rate card charge to customer private networks.
2. Public Networks
Administrators register shared external Neutron networks under Settings → Orchestrator → Networks. Once saved:
- CMP automatically creates a corresponding public network across every customer project in that region.
- Customers can select this network when creating VMs, provisioning Kubernetes clusters, or launching Octavia Load Balancers.
- Multiple public networks can be added (for instance, when an existing IP pool is exhausted).
- Since these are shared across all tenants, CMP does not bill for the network entity itself.
Where Billing is Configured: IP Address Packages
Since network usage is monetized via public IP consumption rather than network entities, all pricing configuration is handled under IP Address packages:
- Path: Settings → Billing Setup → Rate Cards → [Rate Card] → Packages → IP Address
- Target Resource: External floating IP pools / public IPs allocated from the OpenStack public networks.
- Refer to the OpenStack IP Address Packages guide for setup steps, pricing structures, and rate card mappings.
Comparison: OpenStack vs. CloudStack Networks
| Dimension | OpenStack (Neutron) | CloudStack (ACS) |
|---|---|---|
| Private / Guest Networks | No charge (unmetered tenant networks) | Optional/Compulsory package charges if enable_network_billing = true |
| Public / Shared Networks | Shared provider network (no charge for network) | Shared networks managed by admin; optional shared IP billing |
| Primary Monetization | IP Address Packages (Floating IPs) | Network Packages (Isolated/L2) + IP Address Packages |