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AWS Direct Connect

AWS Direct Connect is a service that lets you establish a dedicated network connection between your premises and AWS. This can help you reduce your network costs, increase bandwidth throughput, and provide a more consistent network experience than internet-based connections.

In this blog post, I will explain the benefits and use cases of AWS Direct Connect, how it works, and how you can get started with it.

Benefits of AWS Direct Connect

AWS Direct Connect offers several advantages over using the public internet to access AWS services.

Some of the benefits are:

  • Lower network costs: You can reduce your data transfer costs by paying lower rates for AWS Direct Connect data transfer compared to internet data transfer. You can also save on your internet service provider (ISP) fees by reducing your bandwidth requirements.
  • Higher bandwidth throughput: You can increase the performance of your applications by using a dedicated network connection that supports higher bandwidth and lower latency than the internet. You can choose from multiple connection speeds, ranging from 50 Mbps to 100 Gbps, depending on your needs.
  • More consistent network experience: You can avoid network congestion and variability that can affect the quality and reliability of your internet-based connections. You can also use AWS Direct Connect to access AWS services in any AWS Region globally, using the same connection.
  • Enhanced security: You can bypass the public internet and use a private network connection that is more secure and compliant with your organization’s policies and regulations.

Use cases of AWS Direct Connect

AWS Direct Connect can be used for various scenarios that require high-performance, low-latency, or secure network connectivity to AWS.

Some of the common use cases are:

  • Hybrid cloud: You can use AWS Direct Connect to extend your on-premises network to AWS and create a hybrid cloud environment. This can enable you to migrate workloads to AWS, run applications that require low-latency access to on-premises resources, or leverage AWS services for backup, disaster recovery, or data analytics.
  • Data transfer: You can use AWS Direct Connect to transfer large amounts of data to or from AWS in a fast and cost-effective way. This can be useful for data migration, data ingestion, data warehousing, or data processing.
  • Streaming: You can use AWS Direct Connect to stream high-quality video or audio content to or from AWS with minimal buffering or latency. This can be beneficial for media and entertainment, gaming, or live events.
  • VPN: You can use AWS Direct Connect to establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection between your premises and AWS. This can provide an additional layer of security and encryption for your network traffic.

How AWS Direct Connect works

AWS Direct Connect works by establishing a physical connection between your network equipment and an AWS Direct Connect location. An AWS Direct Connect location is a facility where AWS has equipment that can connect to the AWS network. There are more than 100 AWS Direct Connect locations across 28 countries.

To use AWS Direct Connect, you need to do the following steps:

  • Request a connection: You need to request a connection from the AWS Management Console or the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI). You can choose the connection speed, the AWS Direct Connect location, and the AWS Region where you want to access AWS services.
  • Establish a physical connection: You need to work with an AWS partner or a network service provider to establish a physical connection between your network equipment and the selected AWS Direct Connect location. You can either use a cross-connect within the same facility or a leased line from another location.
  • Create a virtual interface: You need to create a virtual interface from the AWS Management Console or the AWS CLI. A virtual interface is a logical connection that enables you to access public or private AWS services over your physical connection. You can create either a public virtual interface or a private virtual interface, depending on your use case.
  • Configure routing: You need to configure routing between your network and the virtual interface using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). BGP is a protocol that enables you to exchange routing information with other networks. You also need to configure firewall rules and security groups to control the traffic between your network and AWS.

How to get started with AWS Direct Connect

If you want to get started with AWS Direct Connect, you can follow these steps:

  • Check the availability of AWS Direct Connect locations in your region: You can visit the AWS Direct Connect website and see the list of available locations in your region. You can also see the list of AWS partners and network service providers that can help you establish a physical connection.
  • Sign up for an AWS account: If you don’t have an AWS account yet, you can sign up for one here. You will need an AWS account to request a connection and create a virtual interface.
  • Request a connection: You can request a connection from the AWS Management Console or the AWS CLI.