AWS Direct Connect

Here, we will learn and understand the concept of AWS Direct Connect.

• DX or Direct Connect makes it easy to establish a dedicated network connection from premises to AWS
• Using DX, you can establish private connectivity between AWs and data center, office or collocation environment
• Requires a dedicated line such as MPLS, or other circuit ran from tel-co.
• From this line, you would have a cross connect from on-premises device direct to AWS data centers
• Using DX, can reduce network costs, increase bandwidth throughput and provide a more consistent network experience then internet based connections
• Lets you establish a dedicated network connection between network and one of the AWS DX locations
• Uses industry standard 802.1Q VLANs
• Dedicated connections can be partitioned into multiple virtual interfaces
• Same connection can be used to access public resources such as objects stored in S3 using public IP’s and private resources such as EC2 instances running in a VPC using private IP’s, all while maintaining network separation between the public and private environments
• Virtual interfaces can be reconfigured at any time to meet changing needs
• Offers more bandwidth and a more consistent network experience over using VPN based solutions
• VPC VPN connections utilize IPSec to establish encrypted network connectivity between intranet and AWS VPC over the internet
• VPN connections can be configured in minutes and are a good solution if you have an immediate need
• DX does NOT involve the internet, instead, it uses dedicated private network connections between intranet and AWS VPC

Direct Connect LAG

• A link aggregation group (LAG) is a logical interface that uses the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to aggregate multiple connections at a single AWS Direct Connect endpoint, treating them as a single, managed connection.
• LAG can be created from existing connections, or you can provision new connections.
• Existing connections (whether standalone or part of another LAG) with the LAG can be associated after LAG creation
• LAG needs
  • All connections in the LAG must use the same bandwidth.
  • Maximum of four connections in a LAG. Each connection in the LAG counts towards the overall connection limit for the Region.
  • All connections in the LAG must terminate at the same AWS Direct Connect endpoint.

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