Create a Hosted AWS Connection

The process for adding an AWS connection depends on whether you are using an AWS access key:

  • Provision with a key - From the PacketFabric portal you can provision the connection, automatically accept it from the AWS side, and create an associated VIF.
  • Provision without a key - From the PacketFabric portal, you only provision the Cloud Router connection. When that is completed, you must return to the AWS Management Console to accept the connection and create the VIF.

Provision using an AWS access key

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you will need the following:

  • You will be asked for your AWS account number. This is available under your user name in the upper right of the AWS Management Console.
  • An access key tied to the account you listed above. See AWS Credentials.
  • At least one AWS VPC with subnets already created.

Create a connection

  1. Log in to the PacketFabric portal. Select Hosted Cloud from the menu on the left.

  2. From the Hosted Clouds page, click Create Hosted Cloud in the upper right.

    NOTE: Read Only users do not see this action. If you need to create a connection and have Read Only permissions, contact your account administrator.

Complete the following fields:

Select Cloud Provider

Select AWS.

Select Source

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

If there is nothing to select, provision a new port.

Configuration
OnRamp
The AWS on-ramp location. This cannot be changed after it is provisioned.
Zone
Select an availability zone.
The zone refers to the physical interconnect diversity between PacketFabric and AWS (e.g. different routers).
Allocating connections within different zones supports redundancy.
Speed
The speed you want for your connection.
Amazon account ID
Enter your Amazon account ID.
This allows PacketFabric to send API requests to Amazon on your behalf.
Source VLAN
This is the VLAN ID that faces your source interface (your source network).
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 autopopulates with 16.
NOTE: You cannot specify the VLAN ID facing AWS; it is automatically configured on your behalf. However, this does not affect your ability to use the AWS hosted connection.
NOTE: This field is not available if provisioning a marketplace-to-cloud connection. In that case, the marketplace provider will specify the VLAN when accepting the connection.
Description
Enter a description for the connection.
This description appears in the Name column when viewing your connections in the AWS portal:
alt_text
Provision AWS side of the connection
Select this option.
When selecting this option, note the following limitations:
  • You cannot specify a different AWS account owner for the VIF. The VIF must be owned by the same AWS account ID you specify above.
  • If the on-ramp and zone you selected above does not support instant provisioning (meaning there is a lead time for the on-ramp), you will need to create the VIF in the AWS Management Console after the on-ramp is available. See Requesting hosted locations.
  • This is not supported when selecting a marketplace provider as a source port.

Virtual Interface (VIF) type

  • Header row

    • VIF
    • Description

  • r1

    • Private VIF
    • Access a single Amazon VPC using a Direct Connect Gateway and a Virtual Private Gateway.

  • r2

    • Transit VIF

    • Access one or more Amazon VPCs using a Direct Connect Gateway and a Transit Gateway.

      Note that when provisioning through PacketFabric, you will only be able to select one VPC. You can use the AWS Management Console to attach additional VPCs to the Transit Gateway.

  • r3

    • Public VIF
    • Use public IP addresses to access AWS public services (such as S3) that are not in your VPC. Public VIFs are not attached to gateways.
AWS settings
AWS credentials
Select a set of credentials tied to the AWS account ID you entered above or enter new ones.
If you do not have any credentials set up, see AWS Credentials for information on obtaining them.

Under the billing section on the right, select a term and the appropriate billing account to use. You can also optionally specify a PO number to associate with the service. The PO number will be included on your monthly invoice.

Click Place order.

Download a sample router config

Once the connection is provisioned, you can go to the details page of the Hosted connection.

From the Cloud Settings tab, click Download sample config:

Download sample config button

From here you can select your router (or similar) and get a sample configuration file.

Provision without an AWS access key

Prerequisites

You will be asked for your AWS account number. This is available under your user name in the upper right of the AWS Management Console.

Create a connection

  1. Log in to the PacketFabric portal. Select Hosted Cloud from the menu on the left.

  2. From the Hosted Clouds page, click Create Hosted Cloud in the upper right.

    NOTE: Read Only users do not see this action. If you need to create a connection and have Read Only permissions, contact your account administrator.

Complete the following fields:

Select Cloud Provider

Select AWS.

Select Source

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

If there is nothing to select, provision a new port.

Configuration
OnRamp
The AWS on-ramp location. This cannot be changed after it is provisioned.
Zone
Select an availability zone.
The zone refers to the physical interconnect diversity between PacketFabric and AWS (e.g. different routers).
Allocating connections within different zones supports redundancy.
Speed
The speed you want for your connection.
Amazon account ID
Enter your Amazon account ID.
This allows PacketFabric to send API requests to Amazon on your behalf.
Source VLAN
This is the VLAN ID that faces your source interface (your source network).
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 autopopulates with 16.
NOTE: You cannot specify the VLAN ID facing AWS; it is automatically configured on your behalf. However, this does not affect your ability to use the AWS hosted connection.
NOTE: This field is not available if provisioning a marketplace-to-cloud connection. In that case, the marketplace provider will specify the VLAN when accepting the connection.
Description
Enter a description for the connection.
This description appears in the Name column when viewing your connections in the AWS portal:
alt_text
Provision AWS side of the connection
Leave this unselected.
  • If you choose to proceed, see the instructions under Provision AWS side below.
  • If you skip this option, continue to Billing and then follow Complete setup in AWS when the connection has finished provisioning.

Under the billing section on the right, select a term and the appropriate billing account to use. You can also optionally specify a PO number to associate with the service.

Click Place order.

Complete setup in AWS

If you chose not to select Provision AWS side of the connection, you will need to complete your setup in the AWS Management Console.

Accept the connection

  1. Sign in to AWS.

  2. From the AWS Management Console, click the Services menu and select Networking & Content Delivery > Direct Connect.

    alt_text

  3. Click Connections.

    alt_text

  4. Locate and select the connection you created in the PacketFabric portal.

  5. Click Accept in the upper right.

    screenshot of the AWS direct connect Accept button

  6. Click Confirm.

Create an AWS virtual interface

You will need to create a virtual interface (VIF) to associate with this connection. For more information, see the following AWS documentation: Amazon - Creating a Virtual Interface

Next steps (marketplace-to-cloud users)

Your connection remains disconnected until the other party accepts your request. Billing does not begin until the other party accepts and your circuit is provisioned.

You can cancel the request or view status under Network > Connection Requests. Click Sent Requests.

alt_text

For more information, see Connection Requests.

Terraform

Updated on 27 Sep 2023