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documentation.suse.com / Public Cloud Guide / Getting started
Applies to SUSE Linux Enterprise

1 Getting started

  

SUSE—together with the cloud service providers—offers different products and plans to cater to a variety of use cases. Find out which works best for you.

1.1 Products

  

The following SUSE products are available for public cloud:

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications

  • SUSE Manager Server

  • SUSE Manager Proxy

  • openSUSE Leap

Note

To constantly adjust and improve SUSE's offerings, availability of products and versions is subject to change and may differ between cloud frameworks.

1.2 Cloud service providers

  

SUSE publishes product images in the following cloud service provider (CSP) frameworks:

  • Amazon Web Services

  • Microsoft Azure

  • Google Cloud

Tip

SUSE images are also available in other providers' frameworks. These images are generally created and published by the provider.

Please note that this list may change. If you are interested in becoming a SUSE partner, visit https://www.suse.com/partners/cloud-service-providers/ for more information.

1.3 Plans

  

SUSE—together with the cloud service providers—offers different plans to cater to a variety of use cases. While details differ depending on the cloud framework, usually there are two types of subscriptions.

Bring your own subscription (BYOS)

Bring your own subscription (BYOS) images are useful if you already have a support contract with SUSE and want to move your workloads to the public cloud. An instance launched from a BYOS image is equivalent to a physical machine that just received a SUSE Linux Enterprise Server installation from the SLES installation image. After creation, use registercloudguest to register the instance with the SUSE-operated update infrastructure in the cloud framework or use the SUSEConnect to register the system with SUSE Customer Center using the entitlements you already have. Connect your system to your own running RMT or SUSE Manager infrastructure in the same way you connect systems in your data center.

BYOS instances make it easier to manage extensions such as LTSS or kernel live-patching. Extensions for PAYG instances can only be used in conjunction with SUSE Manager.

Pay as you go (PAYG)

Pay as you go (PAYG) images are used to create on-demand instances. When an instance is first booted, it automatically registers with a local update server. Once the system finishes booting, it is ready to use.

Create an instance when you need it and delete it when you are done. While in use, you have access to updates from SUSE through the automatically configured repositories. You only pay for the resources you use. Upcharges over the basic cloud prices may apply, depending on the image and framework.

PAYG instances include support through the cloud service provider. For some PAYG versions, you can also purchase SUSE Priority Support. For details, refer to Section 1.4, “Support”.

In summary, if you already have a direct relationship with SUSE you generally want to start out with BYOS. You can still use PAYG for on-demand excess capacity.

Table 1.1: Feature comparison
  

Plan

Bring your own subscription (BYOS)

Pay as you go (PAYG)

Customer relationship

with CSP and SUSE

with CSP

Pricing

per instance and license

per use

Registration

with the local update server, your RMT or SUSE Manager infrastructure, or directly with the SUSE Customer Center

with a local update server upon instance creation

Support

full support by SUSE

by CSP; by SUSE only with priority support

Extended ESPOS1 or LTSS2 support

available

only if included in image base product

Extensions

no limitations

only with SUSE Manager

1 ESPOS: Extended Service Pack Overlay Support
2 LTSS: Long-Term Service Pack Support
Important
Important: Switching plans

Switching from BYOS to PAYG or vice-versa is only possible on Microsoft Azure through the Hybrid Benefit program. For all other cloud providers, you remain on the plan you initially selected for as long as the instance is running. The only way to switch plans is to start with the other image and rebuild your system.

For more information on the Microsoft Azure Hybrid Benefit program, refer to https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/hybrid-benefit/.

Important
Important: Do not register PAYG instances with the SUSE Customer Center

Registering PAYG instances with the SUSE Customer Center or your own RMT server will create conflicts that are not easily solved. Only register BYOS instances. PAYG instances are automatically registered against the correct update server.

1.4 Support

  

Regardless of the public cloud you use and the plan you choose, SUSE has you covered with support. Support is dependent on whether you "bring your own subscription" (BYOS) or you use SUSE Linux Enterprise "on-demand" (PAYG). For more information about BYOS and PAYG, refer to Section 1.3, “Plans”.

BYOS

BYOS instances are supported by SUSE under the terms of your SUSE subscription. For an overview of SUSE's support subscriptions, refer to https://www.suse.com/support/.

PAYG

Regular PAYG instances include support through the cloud service provider which in turn is supported by SUSE. If you have a problem, always contact your CSP for assistance. They provide 1st and 2nd level support, and will work with SUSE for L3 support as required.

Important
Important: Microsoft Azure basic images

Microsoft Azure also offers a basic PAYG image that only includes updates. Instances created from this image are not eligible for support.

PAYG with SUSE Priority Support

SUSE offers 24x7 priority support for the PAYG versions of the following products:

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5

  • Rancher Prime

  • NeuVector Prime

You can transact priority support through the Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure marketplaces, where you will see two different listings: EU and UK only and non-EU and non-UK only. Two listings are needed as there are different regulations to comply with, but the images and the support offering are identical. Select the correct listing for your organization's CSP account:

For a complete list of countries that are eligble to transact priority support through the CSP's marketplaces, and the correct listing for each country, refer to Appendix B, Geographical availability.

Important
Important: Other countries

If the billing or tax address of your organization's CSP account is located in a country not listed in Appendix B, Geographical availability, you currently cannot transact priority support through the CSP's marketplaces.

SUSE is committed to making priority support available in more countries. In the meantime, you can still use SUSE PAYG products with regular support from the CSP. If you want support by SUSE, use a BYOS version.

For more information, refer to the SUSE Technical Support Policy and the support statement for SUSE Linux Enterprise in Appendix A, Support.

For information on how to contact the SUSE support team and report problems, refer to the SUSE Technical Support Guide.

1.5 Supported instance types

  

To find out what types of instances are supported by each provider, refer to the SUSE Public Cloud Instance Support Matrix. Select your SUSE Linux Enterprise product and your cloud provider to see a list of supported instance types.