Overview
HCP Consul offers various tiers, including the Development (Dev) Tier, which is designed for testing and development of usage of HCP Consul Dedicated. This article highlights the key differences, limitations, and service level agreements (SLAs) associated with the HCP Consul Dev Tier cluster.
Key Differences: HCP Consul Dev Tier vs. Standard Tier
| Feature | Dev Tier | Standard Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Server Cluster Size | Single-node cluster | Multi-node (HA configuration) |
| Server Fault Tolerance | No built-in fault tolerance | High Availability (HA) |
| Scaling | No scaling options | Automatic scaling |
| Network Peering | Supported in limited capacity | Fully supported |
| Backups & Snapshots | Manual snapshots only | Automatic backups |
| Access Controls (ACLs) | Limited (Testing purposes) | Full ACL support |
| Service Mesh | Available but limited testing capacity | Full production-grade features |
| Data Centers | Single data center | Multi-data center support |
The following size options are available for development tier clusters:
| Cluster size | Service instances |
| Extra small | 1 - 50 |
Limitations of the HCP Consul Dev Tier
-
Single Node Server Cluster:
- The Dev tier provides a single-node server cluster, meaning there is no redundancy or high availability. If the server node experiences any issue, it could result in downtime.
-
No Automatic Scaling:
- The Dev tier does not include automatic scaling or cluster resizing. It’s designed for minimal workloads, not for handling large-scale traffic or production-level applications.
-
Backup and Disaster Recovery:
- While manual snapshots are possible, automatic backups and more advanced disaster recovery features are only available in the Standard and Enterprise tiers.
-
Limited Peering:
- Peering is available but in a limited capacity, often requiring manual intervention for configurations, unlike the Standard tier, which fully supports seamless peering.
-
No SLA for Uptime:
- The Dev tier does not include any SLA for uptime. As it is meant for development and testing, production-grade uptime guarantees are not applicable. For SLA-backed uptime guarantees, users need to upgrade to a Standard or Enterprise tier.
-
Basic ACLs:
- The Dev tier includes ACLs for basic testing, but these should not be relied upon for robust production security.
SLA Details
| SLA | Dev Tier | Standard/Enterprise Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Uptime Guarantee | No SLA for uptime | 99.9% (Standard) / 99.99% (Enterprise) |
| Support Response | Best-effort basis | Full support with SLAs |
| Issue Resolution | Best-effort basis | Based on response SLAs |
Use Case Recommendations
-
Ideal for:
- Testing and development purposes.
- HCP Non-production workloads.
-
Not recommended for:
- HCP Production workloads.
- Applications requiring high availability, fault tolerance, or scaling capabilities.
Next Steps for Production Use
For users looking to leverage HCP Consul for production environments, upgrading to the Standard or Enterprise tiers is recommended. These tiers provide multi-node clusters, SLAs, automated scaling, and full support.
Additional Info:
-
HCP Consul Pricing and Tiers:
https://cloud.hashicorp.com/products/consul/pricing -
HCP Consul Documentation:
https://developer.hashicorp.com/consul/cloud -
HCP Consul SLA:
https://cloud.hashicorp.com/terms-of-service -
HCP Consul Getting Started:
https://developer.hashicorp.com/consul/docs/cloud/getting-started - HCP SLA:
https://portal.cloud.hashicorp.com/sla