Quick Reference FAQ
What is Zilliz?
Zilliz is the creator of Milvus—the world’s most widely adopted open-source vector database—and the provider of Zilliz Cloud, its secure, scalable, fully managed SaaS offering. Purpose-built for enterprises deploying production AI, it delivers high-throughput, low-latency vector search without infrastructure overhead.
How do I start using Zilliz Cloud?
Begin with a free tier account, select your preferred SDK, create a collection with your vector schema, load data (via API, CLI, or integrations), and execute similarity queries in milliseconds. Upgrade anytime to production-tier resources with automatic scaling and enterprise SLAs.
What is a Compute Unit (CU)?
A Compute Unit represents a pre-configured, isolated compute environment optimized for vector indexing and querying. Each CU includes dedicated CPU, memory, and storage resources—managed end-to-end by Zilliz to guarantee performance and stability.
What is a vCU?
A virtual Compute Unit (vCU) is the billing metric for consumption-based workloads. It dynamically accounts for read/write operations—searches, queries, inserts, deletes—allowing precise cost attribution aligned with actual usage patterns.
Which CU type should I choose?
Use Performance-optimized CUs for latency-sensitive applications like real-time recommendation engines. Choose Capacity-optimized CUs for large static datasets requiring high throughput but moderate latency. Opt for Extended-capacity CUs when managing petabyte-scale archives where cost efficiency outweighs sub-100ms response targets.
How many CUs do I need?
As a rule of thumb: • Performance CU → ~1.5M 768-dim vectors • Capacity CU → ~5M 768-dim vectors • Extended CU → ~20M 768-dim vectors Actual capacity varies based on dimensionality, scalar field count, and index configuration—use Zilliz’s built-in capacity estimator during setup.
Do you offer discounts?
Yes—annual billing unlocks significant savings and additional service credits. Enterprise contracts include custom commitments, reserved capacity, and dedicated support SLAs. Contact sales for tailored plans.
Can I request a new cloud region?
Absolutely. Zilliz continuously expands its global footprint. Submit your region request directly via the Contact Sales form—we prioritize deployments based on customer demand and compliance requirements.