Add a Google Partner Interconnect to a Cloud Router

Process overview

The basic steps to adding a Google connection to a PacketFabric Cloud Router are as follows:

  1. From the Google side: Create a Google Cloud Router with ASN 16550.
  2. From the Google side: Create a VLAN attachment.
  3. From the PacketFabric side: Create a Cloud Router connection.
  4. From the Google side: Accept the connection.
  5. From both sides: Configure BGP.

Create a VLAN attachment in Google Cloud Console

  1. Click the menu in the upper right to open the product list.

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  2. Scroll down to Networking and select Hybrid Connectivity > Interconnect.

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  3. If you already have previous VLAN attachments, click Add VLAN Attachment. Otherwise, click Get Started.

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  4. Select Partner Interconnect and then click Continue.

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  5. Click I already have a service provider.

  6. Complete the following fields:

    • Header row

      • Field
      • Description

    • r1

      • Redundancy
      • Select whether you are creating a single attachment, redundant attachments, or adding a redundant attachment.

    • r1

    • r1

      • Region

      • Select the region in which you want to connect. PacketFabric on-ramps can serve all of Google’s U.S. regions and northamerica-northeast-1 (Montreal).

        Internationally, all of Google’s European regions are accessible from our London on-ramp.

        Our Sydney on-ramp serves Google’s australia-southeast-1 regions.

    • r1

      • Cloud Router

      • Note - This refers to Google’s Cloud Router product, which is not related to the PacketFabric Cloud Router.

        If you have already configured a Cloud Router for the selected region, you can select it. If you are creating redundant VLAN attachments, each attachment requires its own Cloud Router.

        Otherwise, create a new cloud router.

        IMPORTANT: You must select or create a Cloud Router with its Google ASN set to 16550. This is a Google requirement for all Partner Interconnects.

    • r1

      • VLAN attachment name
      • Enter a name for this VLAN attachment.

    • r1

      • Description
      • Optionally, enter a description for this VLAN attachment.

    • r1

      • Maximum transmission unit (MTU)
      • Select an MTU for the VLAN attachment. PacketFabric supports up to 9000 bytes MTU.

  7. Click Create.

  8. Copy the pairing key. You need this when creating your hosted connection from the PacketFabric portal.

  9. Leave the Enable option unselected.

  10. Click OK.

Create a PacketFabric Cloud Router connection

  1. Log in to the PacketFabric portal and select Network > Cloud Routers.

  2. Click the Cloud Router to open its side panel.

  3. Select Create Connection.

    screenshot of the cloud router actions menu

  4. Select Google Cloud.

Configure

Complete the following fields and then click Next.

Google On-Ramp and Capacity
Create a NAT-capable connection
Select this option if you want to be able to enable NAT for the connection. This ensures the connection will provision on a device that allows NAT.
On-Ramp
This is the Google on-ramp location you would like to use. This cannot be changed after it is provisioned.
Capacity
This is the speed/capacity you are setting for your VLAN attachment.
NOTE: The capacity you select determines the hourly price Google charges you for your VLAN attachment. See Google’s Partner Interconnect Pricing for more information.
Connection Details
Pairing Key
Enter your GCP pairing key. This is generated when you create a VLAN attachment.

IMPORTANT: Ensure your pairing key ends with /1 or /2. You’ll get a provisioning error if it ends with /any.

The trailing /1 and /2 indicate which interconnect path your PacketFabric circuit should follow. The primary VLAN attachment ends in /1 and the redundant attachment ends in /2.

VLAN attachment name
Enter the exact VLAN attachment name you provided to Google.
Connection description
Enter a description for the connection.

Billing

Select a billing account and then click Place Order.

The connection should provision within a few minutes.

Activate the connection in Google Cloud Console

  1. Once provisioning is complete on the PacketFabric side, return to the Google Cloud Console.

  2. Refresh the page. Note that the VLAN attachment status is now Activation needed.

    Screenshot of the activation status and action in Google Cloud Console

    NOTE: If you do not see the Activation needed status, wait a a few minutes and then refresh the page again.

  3. Click Activate.

  4. Click Accept.

This might take a few minutes to process.

Next steps

Configure the BGP session for this connection.

Create a Google Connection on a Cloud Router - POST

Updated on 17 May 2022