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Step 1: Plan the connection

1. Select an access point

   An access point is the physical location where an Express Connect circuit connects to the Alibaba Cloud network. Each access point is equipped with redundant devices. Each region has one or more access points, enabling you to connect your on-premises data center to a VPC.

   Factor	Description
   Distance	To minimize latency, select the access point that is geographically closest to your on-premises data center. The data center providers and available bandwidth capabilities may vary across access points in different regions.
   ISP	Select an ISP that operates in your area. Supported ISPs include China Unicom, China Telecom, China Mobile, and some local ISPs. China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile require you to use their own circuits. Circuits from other ISPs and bare optical fiber connections are not supported.
   Port requirements	Connections use optical ports. Supported optical port types include 100GE single-mode optical port, 40GE single-mode optical port, 1GE single-mode optical port, and 10GE single-mode optical port. Alibaba Cloud-side port: By default, Alibaba Cloud provides 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, and 100 Gbps single-mode optical transceiver modules with a transmission distance of 10 km. Only dual-fiber circuits are supported. Customer-side port: You must purchase your own optical transceiver module and ensure that its specifications match those of the Alibaba Cloud module.
   Access point types	Alibaba Cloud provides three types of access points. The main differences are: Alibaba Cloud access point: Proprietary access points for dedicated circuits. Installation takes 1 to 3 months and supports up to 100 Gbps. Alibaba Cloud accelerated on-ramp: Pre-connected to Alibaba Cloud access points in major cities in China. Uses hosted connections for faster cloud connectivity. Partner access point: Compliant ISPs that are pre-connected to Alibaba Cloud access points, allowing you to connect to the cloud through the ISP's network. Compared with Alibaba Cloud access points, partner access points offer wider geographical coverage and shorter installation times, typically within one month. The connection between the partner and Alibaba Cloud is shared among multiple tenants. For more information about the differences, see Solution comparison.

   We recommend that you use the one-stop cloud connection service. A dedicated service manager assists you throughout the process to shorten the connection time. This service is free.

2. Check inventory

   After selecting a suitable access point, check for port availability by starting the application process for an Express Connect circuit port.

   Note

   This topic explains how to check inventory using an application for a physical port in classic mode as an example.

   1. Log on to the Express Connect console, click Create Physical Connection, and select Classic Mode to request a port.

   2. Select a Region, ISP, and Access Point to view the inventory status of different port types.

      Port types include 100GE single-mode optical port, 40GE single-mode optical port, 10GE single-mode optical port, and 1GE single-mode optical port. The inventory status is displayed for each port type: Sold Out (cannot be selected), Sufficient, or Limited.

Step 2: Circuit installation and delivery

1. Request a circuit port: After you request a circuit port in the console, Alibaba Cloud allocates a port.

2. Apply for an LOA: After you apply for a Letter of Authorization (LOA), Alibaba Cloud reviews the application within two business days. After approval, Alibaba Cloud matches the optical transceiver module and prepares for on-site installation.

   Note

   • If circuit adjustments or other changes require another visit to the data center, you can re-apply for an LOA.

   • The time required for LOA application, site access, and installation may be affected by public holidays and network freezes due to policy requirements.

3. Download the LOA: After the application is approved, you can download the LOA and get detailed information about the access point and data center. Alibaba Cloud determines whether the access point is in a third-party data center:

   Third-party data center access points

   Xi'an-Xixian-A, Beijing-Fengtai-A, Dalian-Pulandian-A, Changsha-Yuelu-A, Shanghai-Minhang-A, Tianjin-Jinnan-A, Shanghai-Baoshan-E, Hangzhou-Jianggan-B, Shanghai-Pudong-E-Neutral, Shanghai-Baoshan-C, Shenzhen-Nanshan-A, Beijing-Yizhuang-A, Guangzhou-Huangpu District-C, Beijing-Chaoyang-C, Qingdao-Licang-A, Shanghai-Pudong-C, Jinan-Gaoxin-A, Beijing-Haidian-A-Ali, Shenzhen-Bao'an-B, Guangzhou-Huangpu District-B, and Zhengzhou-Gaoxin-A

   • Yes: The ISP brings the LOA and contacts the on-site engineer to enter the data center for a site survey.

   • No: Alibaba Cloud sends an SMS message. The ISP obtains a QR code for entry and scans it to enter the data center for the site survey or installation.

4. ISP site survey: Alibaba Cloud assists survey personnel in completing the on-site survey within two business days. Contact your ISP to confirm the end-to-end costs. For more information, see billing overview.

   Note

   • Within Chinese mainland: You must apply to enter the Alibaba Cloud data center suite for the site survey.

   • Outside Chinese mainland: The installation team needs to apply to the data center provider to enter the ISP's Meet-Me Room (MMR) for the survey. They do not need to enter the Alibaba Cloud data center suite.

   Key site survey items

   • Confirm device specifications

     • Confirm the specifications of the optical transceiver module, including transmission rate, wavelength, and distance.

     • Clarify the cable type and interface specifications, including single-mode fiber (SMF), multi-mode fiber (MMF), and interface types such as LC-LC.

   • Plan the physical cabling

     • Determine the specific rack and port where the cable will be connected.

     • Confirm the cable route.

     • Verify the actual cable length and related parameters.

   • Check safety measures: Confirm if the data center requires personnel to follow anti-static measures, such as wearing an anti-static wrist strap.

   • Confirm procedural requirements: Check if the data center has special operating procedures.

5. On-site installation: The ISP's installation team connects the circuit to the equipment outside the data center suite based on the site survey plan.

6. Purchase cross-connect: The data center provider purchases the cross-connect. You need to pay the in-building cable rental fee to the data center provider.

7. In-building cabling at the provider's data center: This phase covers the end-to-end process of ensuring a highly reliable circuit. It includes equipment deployment and configuration, fiber optic and patch cord installation, optical power testing, and testing for network connectivity, bandwidth, and SLA. This process covers physical deployment, link verification, compliance management, and operations and maintenance (O&M).

8. Confirm delivery: In the console, you click Confirm Delivery. The Alibaba Cloud on-site engineer then completes the pigtail fiber installation.

9. Pay the resource occupation fee: After the pigtail fiber is installed, you pay the resource occupation fee in the Express Connect console. When the instance status changes to Available, the Express Connect circuit is activated.

Step 3: Connect to a VPC

After the Express Connect circuit port is activated, you can connect your on-premises data center to a VPC. The following procedure provides an example of connecting to a single VPC.

If you want to connect to multiple VPCs, you must add a Transit Router between the VPCs and the ECR. For more information, see Use an ECR to establish active/standby connections between an on-premises data center and Alibaba Cloud.

1. Create a VBR

2. Create an ECR

3. Add a VBR to an ECR

4. Associate an ECR with a VPC

5. Configure BGP and enable BFD:

   1. Configure BGP

      1. Establish BGP peerings between your on-premises data center and the VBR, and advertise routes. For more information, see Configure and manage BGP.

         Note

         • The default ASN of an ECR is 45104. You can specify a custom ASN.

         • The BGP ASN on the Alibaba Cloud side inherits the ASN of the ECR. It can accept a 2-byte or 4-byte ASN from your on-premises data center.

      2. On the on-premises data center side, configure the BGP route (172.30.0.0/24) to advertise to Alibaba Cloud.

         Configuration may vary depending on the device vendor and model. Contact your device vendor for specific instructions.

   2. Enable BFD

      Configure Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) on the VBR to accelerate route convergence.

      1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

      2. In the top navigation bar, select the target region. In the left-side navigation pane, click Virtual Border Routers (VBRs).

      3. On the Virtual Border Routers (VBRs) page, find the target VBR instance and click Edit in the Actions column.

      4. In the Edit VBR panel, set the BFD parameters and click OK.

         Only BFD-related parameters are described here. Keep the default values for other parameters.

         Parameter	Description
         Submission Interval	The interval at which BFD packets are sent, in milliseconds (ms). This example uses the default value of 1000 ms.
         Reception Interval	The interval at which BFD packets are received, in ms. This example uses the default value of 1000 ms.
         Detection Time Multiplier	The number of consecutive BFD packets that can be lost before the BFD session is considered down. This example uses the default value of 3.

      5. Return to the Virtual Border Routers (VBRs) page and click the ID of the target VBR instance.

      6. On the VBR instance details page, click the BGP Peers tab.

      7. Find the target BGP peer and click Edit in the Actions column.

      8. In the Modify BGP Peer panel, select the Enable BFD checkbox, configure BFD Hop Count, and then click OK.

         Note

         • BFD supports single-hop and multi-hop sessions. You can configure the number of hops based on your physical link.

         • When you use BFD in a multi-cloud environment or in a direct fiber connection that does not have bridging devices, change the default number of BFD hops from 255 to 1.

6. Test connectivity

   From a server in your on-premises data center, ping an ECS instance in the cloud to check connectivity.

Why can't my on-premises data center connect to my VPC?

For more information, see troubleshooting.

How do I test the circuit speed?

After the network is connected, you can test the speed of the Express Connect circuit to ensure that it meets your business requirements. For more information, see Test the network performance of an Express Connect circuit.

Circuit installation issues

For solutions to common issues during Express Connect circuit installation, see Circuit installation issues.

Connection issues

For solutions to common Express Connect circuit connection issues, see Connection issues.

Get detailed access point locations

Detailed location information is available only for dedicated Express Connect circuits. For hosted Express Connect circuits, contact the relevant partner. This information is provided free of charge.

• Method 1: View locations in map mode.

• Method 2: Once your LOA application is approved, find the detailed locations in the downloaded Letter of Authorization (LOA) file.

• Method 3: In Quota Center, submit a request for the ec_can_get_pconn_address quota. After your request is approved, you can find the access point location in the console:

  If you cannot find this quota, contact your account manager.

  • Find the access point location: In the Access Point column of the target Express Connect circuit, hover over the icon to view the location.

  • Find the access device location: Click the ID of the target Express Connect circuit. On the details page, find the Access Device Location.