AWS Direct Connect: Overview, Component, Features

AWS Direct Connect connects your on-premises network to AWS via a dedicated network link. With this connection established, you can bypass your internet service provider and develop virtual interfaces that link directly to the AWS Cloud. This can offer a more reliable network experience.

We shall talk about the following topics in this blog:

• Overview
• How does it work?
• Component
• Features
• Use cases
• Benefits
• Difference between AWS Direct Connect & Site to Site VPN
• Monitoring
• Pricing
• FAQs

What is AWS Direct Connect

It utilizes a regular Ethernet fiber-optic cable to connect your internal network to an AWS Direct Connect site. The cable is attached to your router on one end and to an AWS Direct Connect router on the other. By passing internet service providers in your network path, you can construct virtual interfaces to public AWS services using this connection (for instance, to Amazon S3 or Amazon VPC).

AWS Direct Connect locations give users access to AWS in the region they are connected to. To access public AWS services in all other public Regions, you can use a single connection in a public Region or AWS GovCloud (US).

How does it work?

The quickest route to your AWS resources is through the AWS Direct Connect cloud service. Your network traffic never enters the open internet while it is in transit because it stays on the AWS global network. This lowers the likelihood of encountering bottlenecks or unanticipated latency increases.

You can deploy a dedicated connection from AWS at more than 100 AWS Direct Connect locations worldwide, or you can select a hosted connection offered by an AWS Direct Connect Delivery Partner. You can establish private network connections between the offices and data centers in your global network by sending data between AWS Direct Connect sites using AWS Direct Connect SiteLink.

Components

• Connections – To build a network connection from your premises to an AWS Region, create a connection at an AWS Direct Connect location. You can connect to all of the AZs in the area using Direct Connect.
• Virtual interfaces – To enable access to AWS services, create a virtual interface. Access to public services like S3 is made possible by a public virtual interface. Access to your VPC is made possible using a private virtual interface.

1. You must set up a public virtual interface and create a Border Gateway Protocol session in order to access public resources in a distant Region.

2. You can set up a Direct Connect gateway in any public Region. Use it to connect VPCs in your account that are situated in various Regions to your Direct Connect connection using a private virtual interface.

3. Request and set up two dedicated connections to AWS to offer failover. One or two routers in your network may be the final destination of these connections. Various setup options are available:

• Active/Active (BGP multipath) – This is the default configuration, where both connections are active. If one connection becomes unavailable, all traffic is routed through the other connection.
• Active/Passive (failover) – One connection is handling traffic, and the other is on standby. If the active connection becomes unavailable, all traffic is routed through the passive connection.

5. Autonomous System numbers (ASN) are employed to identify networks that provide the Internet with a fully defined external routing policy.

Features

• Reduces bandwidth costs − It sends the data straight to and from AWS, which lowers the cost in both directions.
  
• Compatible with all AWS services − It supports all of the AWS online services, including Amazon S3, Amazon EC2, Amazon VPC, etc.
• Private connectivity to Amazon VPC − Additionally, it is utilized to create a high-bandwidth private virtual link from your home network to Amazon VPC.
• Elastic − It offers connections ranging from 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps and allows you to create as many connections as you need.
• Easy and simple − It is easy to sign up using the AWS Management Console.

Use Cases

1. Build hybrid networks: Connect your on-premises and AWS networks to create cross-environment apps without sacrificing performance.
2. Extend your existing network: You can use SiteLink to transport data between your locations once you’ve connected your network to Direct  Connect. Data moves over the quickest route possible while utilizing SiteLink.
3. Manage large datasets: For real-time analysis, quick data backup, or broadcast media processing, make sure seamless and reliable data transfers are performed on a large scale.

Benefits

1. Optimal performance: AWS compute nodes in the area are closer geographically, resulting in fewer network hops and up to 44% less latency.
   
2. Reduced costs: Reduced network expenses and cost reductions of between 60% and 70% on data egress rates.
   
3. Increased security: From your on-premises network to your Amazon VPC, a private and secure interface is provided.
   
4. Reliability: Reduced unpredictability of up to 60% when connecting at the edge of the AWS network backbone.

Difference Between AWS Direct Connect & Site to Site VPN

Monitoring

1. Your Direct Connect resources can potentially have tags applied to them in order to be managed or categorized. You define both the key and the optional values that make up a tag.
2. All AWS Direct Connect API calls are recorded by CloudTrail as events.
3. Create CloudWatch alarms to keep an eye on metrics.

Pricing

1. Port hours and outgoing data transfer are the two components of billing for it. Capacity and connection type impact how much a port hour costs (dedicated connection or hosted connection).
2. Data Exchange The AWS account is responsible for the Data Transfer will be charged for private interfaces and transit virtual interfaces. The use of an AWS Direct Connect gateway with multiple accounts is free.
3. For publicly addressable AWS resources (such as Amazon S3 buckets, Classic EC2 instances, or EC2 traffic that passes through an internet gateway), the Data Transfer Out (DTO) usage is metered toward the resource owner at the AWS Direct Connect data transfer rate if the outbound traffic is headed for public prefixes owned by the same AWS payer account and actively advertised to AWS through an AWS Direct Connect public virtual Interface.

FAQs

Related Links/References

• AWS Free Tier Limits
• AWS Free Tier Account Details
• How to create a free tier account in AWS
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate SAA-CO3
• Amazon Elastic File System User guide
• AWS Certified Solution Architect Associate SAA-C03 Step By Step Activity Guides (Hands-On Labs)
• AWS Free Tier Account Services

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