How to Offer Ceph Object Storage as a Service with Automated Billing

Ceph Object Storage has become a popular choice for cloud providers and data centers looking to deliver S3-compatible object storage at scale. Its flexibility, performance, and open-source foundation make it ideal for building private and public object storage platforms.

However, when providers want to offer Ceph Object Storage as a service, a key challenge arises:

How do you meter usage, bill customers, and manage subscriptions for object storage?

Ceph is a powerful storage backend—but it does not include native customer billing, invoicing, or self-service capabilities. To commercialize Ceph Object Storage, providers need an additional billing and automation layer.

Why Billing Is a Challenge in Ceph Object Storage

Ceph Object Gateway (RGW) handles storage and API compatibility, but it does not provide:

  • Customer-level billing

  • Usage-based invoicing

  • Subscription management

  • Payment handling

  • Customer self-service portals

As a result, many providers rely on scripts or manual calculations to bill customers—an approach that does not scale and often leads to revenue leakage.

Common Billing Models for Ceph Object Storage

Before automation, providers typically choose one or more pricing models.

1. Storage-Based Billing

Customers are billed based on:

  • Total storage used (GB/TB per month)

✔ Simple
❌ Does not account for access or bandwidth

2. Usage-Based Billing (Preferred Model)

Customers are billed based on:

  • Storage consumed

  • API requests

  • Data transfer (ingress/egress)

This mirrors public cloud object storage pricing and is why many providers search for Ceph object storage billing solutions.

3. Tiered Storage Plans

Providers offer predefined plans such as:

  • Standard / Infrequent Access

  • Hot / Cold storage

  • Bundled storage + bandwidth

This model works best when combined with automated subscriptions and metering.

How Providers Offer Ceph Object Storage Today

Option 1: Manual Usage Tracking

Usage data is collected from Ceph and converted into invoices manually.

❌ Time-consuming
❌ Error-prone
❌ No real-time visibility for customers

Option 2: Generic Billing Systems

Traditional billing tools are not designed for object storage.

❌ No native Ceph or S3 awareness
❌ Limited usage metering
❌ Poor customer experience

Option 3: Cloud Platforms with Billing Automation

Modern providers use a cloud management and billing platform to sit on top of Ceph.

This is where Stack Console fits perfectly.

How Stack Console Enables Ceph Object Storage as a Service

Stack Console provides a billing, automation, and customer management layer for Ceph Object Storage.

With Stack Console, providers can:

  • Offer Ceph Object Storage as a Service through a white-label portal

  • Meter storage usage and bandwidth

  • Support usage-based and subscription billing

  • Automate invoicing and payments

  • Manage customers, projects, and quotas

  • Offer S3-compatible object storage commercially

Instead of treating Ceph as backend infrastructure, Stack Console helps turn it into a revenue-generating cloud service.

Automating Provisioning and Billing for Object Storage

With Stack Console in place:

  • Object storage services can be provisioned per customer or project

  • Billing starts automatically based on usage or plan

  • Storage growth and data transfer are reflected in real-time billing

  • Providers eliminate manual invoicing workflows

This ensures accuracy, transparency, and scalability.

Why a Self-Service Portal Matters for Object Storage

Customers expect the same experience they get from hyperscalers.

Using Stack Console, providers can offer a self-service portal where customers can:

  • Access object storage services

  • View usage and costs

  • Download invoices

  • Manage subscriptions

  • Raise support tickets

This significantly reduces operational overhead while improving customer satisfaction.

What to Look for in Ceph Object Storage Billing Software

When evaluating solutions, ensure they support:

  • Ceph RGW / S3-compatible storage

  • Usage-based billing (storage + bandwidth)

  • Subscription management

  • White-label customer portals

  • Multi-tenant security and isolation

Stack Console is designed specifically to address these requirements for data centers and cloud providers.

Final Thoughts

Ceph Object Storage is a powerful foundation for scalable storage, but billing and automation determine commercial success.

By using Stack Console with Ceph, providers can transform object storage infrastructure into a fully managed, billable Object Storage as a Service offering—capable of competing with public cloud storage while maintaining full control and margins.

Planning to offer Ceph Object Storage as a Service?
See how Stack Console helps you automate billing, subscriptions, and customer access for object storage.

Try the Live Demo →

Sachin Kulkarni

Sachin Kulkarni

About Author

Cloud consultant specializing in cloud orchestration, automation, and modern infrastructure. Writes about real-world cloud challenges, solutions, and best practices for providers.