Create a Dedicated AWS Connection

Prerequisites

Overview

A dedicated cloud interconnect provides a secure, private, high-bandwidth connection between you and AWS.

Complete the following steps:

  1. From the PacketFabric portal, create a dedicated cloud connection.
  2. From the AWS portal, create a Direct Connect connection in the same location as your dedicated cloud connection.
  3. Wait up to 72 hours for Amazon to review and approve the connection.
  4. From the AWS portal, download the LOA-CFA and use it to order a cross connect in the PacketFabric portal.
  5. From the PacketFabric portal, create a virtual circuit from your source interface to the PacketFabric-AWS Direct Connection connection.
  6. From the AWS portal, create a virtual interface to complete your Direct Connect connection.

Create a Dedicated Cloud Connection

  1. Log in to the PacketFabric portal. From the dashboard, click Cloud Connectivity under Create Services:

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  2. Select Dedicated Cloud Connectivity.

  3. Select Amazon Web Services.

Complete the following fields:

Select Transport Product Type

Select one of the following:

  • Metro: Your source interface is in the same metro market as your PacketFabric-AWS connection. This means that you can only access this dedicated cloud on-ramp from your other PacketFabric interfaces within the same metro/city.

    For example, your source interface is in Equinix DC2 (Ashburn, VA; WDC1), and your PacketFabric-AWS connection is in CoreSite VA1 (Reston, VA; WDC2). Both are in the Washington D.C. metro market.

  • Long-haul: Your source interface is not in the same metro market as your PacketFabric-AWS connection. This means you can access this dedicated cloud on-ramp from any PacketFabric interface (within the same country).

    For example, your source interface is in Digital Realty NJR2 (Clifton, NJ; NYC12), and your PacketFabric-AWS connection is in CoreSite VA1 (Reston, VA; WDC2).

Destination Interface

Select the destination interface. The destination interface is the PacketFabric interface that connects to AWS.

TIP: Make a note of your selection. You will select the same site when creating your AWS Direct Connect connection.

Destination Details
Select Speed
The speed/capacity you are using for your AWS connection.
Create as a LAG
Select this option to create a single-member LAG (enabling LACP).
Select Availability Zone
Select a zone.
The zone refers to the physical interconnect diversity between PacketFabric and AWS (e.g. different routers).
Allocating connections within different zones supports redundancy.
Product Confirmation
Product Description
Enter a name for the connection.
Billing and Term Selection
Select the appropriate billing account to associate with this service.
From the Select Term menu, select a contract length for this connection.

Review your information. When everything is correct, click Place Order.

Create an AWS Direct Connect connection

Follow Amazon’s instructions to set up a Direct Connect connection: Creating a Connection - AWS Direct Connect.

Note the following when creating your Direct Connect connection:

  • The location you select must be the same site you selected under Destination Interface when you set up your PacketFabric dedicated cloud interconnect.

  • When creating your connection, ensure that you select PacketFabric as your service provider: alt_text

    NOTE: If you do not see PacketFabric in the service provider drop-down list, first check to ensure the location matches the one you selected in the PacketFabric portal.
    Once this has been verified, select Other and manually enter PacketFabric as your service provider.

Build a cross connect

Amazon reviews your request and you are notified when it has been approved.

Once approved, log in to the AWS portal and download your LOA-CFA. You can upload this to the PacketFabric portal to order the cross connect.

  1. From the PacketFabric portal, click Network at the top of the page.

  2. Select Cloud Connectivity > Dedicated Cloud Connectivity.

  3. Click the overflow menu next to the connection and select Cross Connect:

    Physical connections tab for interconnect

  4. The Create a Cross Connect page provides the NRC (non-recurring costs), MRC (monthly recurring costs), and any additional costs (such as a disconnection fee). These fees vary by site.

  5. In the Description field, enter a brief name for the cross connect.

  6. Click the upload icon to upload the LOA that Amazon sent you earlier.

  7. Click Order.

You are redirected to the connection details page. From here you can track the progress of the cross connect installation. For more information, see Cross Connects.

Add a virtual circuit

  1. From the PacketFabric portal, click Network at the top of the page.

  2. Select Cloud Connectivity > Dedicated Cloud Connectivity.

  3. Click Create in the upper right and then select Add Virtual Circuit.

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Complete the following fields:

Select Source Interface

Select the source interface. The source interface is the PacketFabric interface directly connected to your network.

You must have at least one interface before continuing. If there is nothing to select, you need to create a new interface.

Cloud Provider Interface

Select the PacketFabric cloud connection you created earlier.

Select Virtual Circuit Speed

Select the speed/capacity for your virtual circuit. The speeds that are displayed are those that are compatible with the speeds you selected for your source and destination interfaces.

Product Confirmation
Product Description
Enter a name for the connection.
Billing and Term Selection
Select the appropriate billing account to associate with this service.
From the Select Term menu, select a contract length for this connection.
Configuration

  • Source VLAN ID: This is the VLAN ID that faces your source interface (your source network).

  • Destination VLAN ID: The VLAN ID that faces your AWS virtual interface.

    TIP: Record this number. You will be asked to provide it when creating your AWS virtual interface.

You can manually enter the ID or click Next Available. If you click Next Available, we find the highest in-use VLAN ID and increment by one. For example, if the highest in-use ID is 15, this field auto populates with 16.

Select Make Source Untagged or Make Destination Untagged if you do not plan on using VLAN tagging.

NOTE: For cloud connections, we recommend using the same VLAN ID for both the destination and source.

Review your information. When everything is correct, click Place Order.

Create an AWS virtual interface

Follow Amazon’s instructions to set up a virtual interface: Creating a Virtual Interface- AWS Direct Connect.

Note the following when creating your virtual interface:

  • For the VLAN field, enter the Destination VLAN ID you provided for your virtual circuit.

  • Under Additional Settings > Jumbo MTU (MTU size 9001), you can optionally select Enabled. All PacketFabric connections support jumbo MTUs.

Next steps

Once your AWS virtual interface has finished provisioning, click the VIF name to view its details. From here you can gather peering information to configure your router.

TIP: Click Download router configuration to download a .txt file with all the necessary router configuration specifications. alt_text

Updated on 15 Jan 2021