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To check whether your Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) A1 instance was downgraded, inspect its current shape and OCPU and memory allocation in the Console, then compare those figures with a record you saved earlier. Oracle documents that A1 Flex allocations can be changed and that idle Always Free instances may be reclaimed; the cited policies do not establish that Oracle silently reduces an individual instance’s CPU or RAM.
Check the instance’s current shape and allocation
- In the OCI Console, open Compute → Instances and select the instance.
- Record the displayed lifecycle state, shape, OCPUs, and memory, along with the time you checked. Save a screenshot if you may need to investigate the change.
- Confirm whether the shape is
VM.Standard.A1.Flex. Oracle describes A1 Flex as configurable when an instance is created or resized; a shape change affects OCPUs, memory, network bandwidth, and maximum VNIC count. See Oracle’s shape-change documentation.
To determine whether the allocation changed, compare the current values with a previous screenshot, Terraform or other configuration state, or another record you control. The current Console view shows the current configuration, not what this particular instance had before.
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Check the tenancy’s Always Free allocation and limits
Open Governance & Administration → Tenancy Management → Limits, Quotas and Usage, then inspect Compute/A1 usage and limits. Oracle says Always Free compute must be in the tenancy’s home region. The A1 Always Free allocation is up to 2 OCPUs and 12 GB of memory total per tenancy, which can be divided across one or two A1 instances. Other A1 instances may use part of that allowance. See Oracle’s Always Free resources page.
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Do not treat tenancy limits as a history of one VM’s shape. Oracle explains that the limits page reports what the tenancy is currently signed up for, and that limits depend on the payment model; A1 core and memory quotas can also be scoped by availability domain. Those account-level figures provide context, but do not prove that a specific instance was resized. See Limits by Service and Compute Quotas.
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Distinguish a changed shape from reclamation or trial-end action
| What you observe | What to check | What Oracle documents |
|---|---|---|
| Instance is running, but its displayed OCPUs or memory are lower than in your earlier record | Compare the current shape and allocation with your saved configuration or other prior record | A1 Flex can be resized; Oracle’s cited policy does not establish silent per-instance reductions |
| Instance is stopped, disabled, or missing | Review account notifications, Free Trial status, and recent account or resource changes | Idle Always Free instances may be reclaimed; after a Free Trial ends, over-limit A1 instances are disabled and then deleted after 30 days unless the account is upgraded |
| Limits or usage differ from what you expected | Check the home region, other A1 instances, and availability-domain scope | Tenancy limits and quotas describe account-level capacity, not an individual VM’s past allocation |
Oracle’s Free Trial guidance describes the trial-end case: if A1 provisioning exceeds what an Always Free tenancy can retain, existing A1 instances are disabled and then deleted after 30 days unless the account is upgraded. A disabled or deleted instance is not the same event as a running VM with a lower configured shape. See Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Free Tier.
Understand what the idle-instance policy does—and does not—say
Oracle states: “Idle Always Free compute instances may be reclaimed by Oracle.” For an Always Free compute instance, the documented idle conditions are evaluated over a seven-day period: CPU utilization at the 95th percentile below 20%, network utilization below 20%, and, for A1 shapes, memory utilization below 20%. Oracle publishes reclamation as a possibility, not as a rule that automatically lowers an instance’s configured OCPUs or memory. Low usage or slower performance alone does not show that reclamation occurred or that the shape changed. The thresholds and statement are on Oracle’s Always Free resources page.
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Gather evidence if the numbers still do not match
- Instance OCID and region
- Current lifecycle state, shape, OCPU count, and memory allocation
- The time you observed the discrepancy and any earlier record showing different values
- Free Trial or account status and relevant account notifications
Use those details for an Oracle support or account inquiry if the discrepancy remains. Public policy pages describe the available shapes and account-level rules, but do not establish an individual tenancy’s change history.
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