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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 TypeDescriptionBilling 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.
Key Principle: IP-Only Monetization
  • 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​

DimensionOpenStack (Neutron)CloudStack (ACS)
Private / Guest NetworksNo charge (unmetered tenant networks)Optional/Compulsory package charges if enable_network_billing = true
Public / Shared NetworksShared provider network (no charge for network)Shared networks managed by admin; optional shared IP billing
Primary MonetizationIP Address Packages (Floating IPs)Network Packages (Isolated/L2) + IP Address Packages