Create a Dedicated AWS Connection

Prerequisites

An AWS account.
Review the following pages to decide which site you want to set up your connection.
- AWS Direct Connect Pricing
- AWS Direct Connect Partners (scroll down for a list of partner sites)

Overview

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

Complete the following steps:

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

Create a Dedicated Cloud Connection

From the Dedicated Clouds page, click Create Dedicated Connection in the upper right:

Create a Dedicated Connection

Complete the following fields:

Select Cloud Provider

Select AWS.

Destination Port

Select the cloud on-ramp port. This is the port that will have a cross connect to AWS.

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

Configuration

Select one of the following:

Metro: Your source ports are in the same metro market as your PacketFabric-AWS connection (the destination port you selected in the previous step). This means that you can only access this dedicated cloud on-ramp from your other PacketFabric ports within the same metro/city.

For example, your source port 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 ports are 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 region.

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).

Speed: The on-ramp port capacity.
Create as a LAG: Select this option to create a single-member LAG (enabling LACP).
Autonegotiation: This option is only available for 1Gbps ports.
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.
Description: Enter a name for the connection.

Billing

Select a term and the appropriate billing account to associate with this service.

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:

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.

From the PacketFabric portal, go to the Dedicated Cloud page.
Click the connection to open its side panel. Click Create Cross Connect.
Provide a description for the cross connect.
Upload the LOA in the field provided.
Click Next
The Billing 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.
Select a billing account.
Click Place 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.