Create and manage a dedicated connection over an Express Connect circuit

Prerequisites

• You have enabled billing for outbound data transfer. For more information, see Enable billing for outbound data transfer.

• You have completed preparatory work, such as selecting an access point and completing a site survey with the carrier. For more information, see Preparations for a dedicated connection over an Express Connect circuit.

• To perform construction in the data centers of China Telecom, China Unicom, or China Mobile in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, or Shenzhen, the carrier requires an additional Letter of Authorization (LOA) for data center access. You must provide this document to the carrier's personnel during construction. You should prepare this document in advance.

  The carrier's LOA for data center access must be stamped by both your company and Alibaba Cloud. To obtain the Alibaba Cloud stamp, contact your account manager.

Step 1: Apply for a dedicated connection port

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top navigation bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Ports page, click Apply for Physical Port.

4. You must enable billing for outbound data transfer before you can create a connection over an Express Connect circuit. If you have not enabled billing, perform the following steps:

   1. In the Please Sign the Agreement dialog box, review and accept the billing rules for outbound data transfer, and then click Continue.

   2. On the page for enabling billing for outbound data transfer, read and accept the terms of service, and then click Enable Now.

   3. Return to the Express Connect console and return to the purchase page for dedicated connection ports.

5. On the Physical Connection Interface Initial Installation page, select an access point mode and configure the access information for the port.

   • Access point mode: Classic

     Configuration	Description
     Select Access Point Mode	Select an access mode for the physical port. This topic uses Classic as an example. You can select access point resources from a drop-down list.
     Region	Select the region where you want to create the connection over an Express Connect circuit. This is typically the region where your virtual private cloud (VPC) is located. If you choose a cross-region installation, you must pay additional fees for the Cloud Enterprise Network (CEN) connection.
     Express Connect Circuit Provider	Select the carrier that provides the leased line service. The available access points vary based on the carrier. Note China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile only allow the use of their own leased lines. They do not allow the use of leased lines from other carriers. China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile do not support connections over bare optical fibers.
     Access Point	Select the access point closest to your on-premises data center (IDC).
     CloudBox Device Cluster Name	Select the CloudBox device cluster. To purchase a CloudBox dedicated connection port, contact your account manager to request permissions.
     Port Type	Select a port type. The following types are supported. 100GE single-mode optical port 40GE single-mode optical port GE single-mode optical port 10GE single-mode optical port An optical port is a fiber-optic interface. The theoretical speed of an optical path is unlimited and depends on the negotiated rate of the optical transceiver modules at both ends of the connection, such as 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, and 100 Gbps. Note Different access points provide different port specifications. We recommend you check the port specifications available for purchase before you apply for an Express Connect circuit. By default, Alibaba Cloud provides optical transceiver modules with 1 Gbit/s and 10 Gbit/s ports. This type of optical transceiver module supports a maximum transmission distance of 10 km. If you want to use optical transceiver modules with 40 Gbit/s and 100 Gbit/s ports or optical transceiver modules that support a maximum transmission distance of greater than 10 km, purchase them from a third party. If you purchase an optical transceiver module from a third party, you must contact your customer business manager from Alibaba Cloud before you install the Express Connect circuit in the Alibaba Cloud data center. To use optical ports, make sure that the connectivity provider uses optical fiber cables to connect to the access device of Alibaba Cloud. Alibaba Cloud does not host fiber optical transceivers for customers. Therefore, make sure that the connectivity provider uses the supported type of cable to connect to the access device of Alibaba Cloud.
     Redundant Express Connect Circuit ID	Select another Express Connect circuit in the same region to form an ECMP redundant link with this circuit. If the two Express Connect circuits connect to different access points, they are redundant by default. If they connect to the same access point, you must specify one circuit as the redundant line for the other. Redundant lines are allocated to different physical access devices.
     Resource Group	From the drop-down list, select the resource group to which the instance belongs. You can click Manage Resource Group to go to the Resource Management console to create or modify a resource group. For more information, see Create a resource group.
     Tags
     Tag Key	Enter a complete tag key. You can enter up to 20 tag keys. A tag key can be up to 128 characters in length and cannot start with aliyun or acs:. It cannot contain http:// or https://.
     Tag Value	Enter a complete tag value. You can enter up to 20 tag values. A tag value can be up to 128 characters in length and cannot start with aliyun or acs:. It cannot contain http:// or https://.

   • Access point mode: Map

     Configuration	Description
     Select Access Point Mode	Select an access mode for the physical port. This topic uses Map as an example. You can enter location information to view Alibaba Cloud access point resources on a map. Note The Map mode supports only access points in regions within China.
     Nationwide Access Points	Click Nationwide Access Points. From the drop-down lists, select the region and carrier for your desired access point. The system displays the names of supported access points and information about purchasable ports. Hover over the target access point and click Use This Access Point. The selected access point information appears on the map. If you no longer need this access point, hover over it and click Deselect. After you select an access point, you can measure the distance from a specified location to the access point. Click the icon on the map. On the map, select a specified location as the start point and the access point as the end point (or vice versa). The actual distance between the location and the access point is displayed. The following figure shows an example: To clear the distance measurement, right-click the end point and click the icon at the end point.
     Nearby Access Points	You can select a nearby access point in the following ways. Directly select from nearby access points. Click Nearby Access Points. The system recommends supported Alibaba Cloud access points based on your current geographical location, from nearest to farthest. Hover over the target access point and click Use This Access Point. The selected access point information appears on the map. If you no longer need this access point, hover over it and click Deselect. Search for nearby access points by keyword. Click Nearby Access Points. In the search box, enter a keyword (such as an office building name or street name), and then click the icon. Hover over the target access point and click Use This Access Point. The selected access point information appears on the map. If you no longer need this access point, hover over it and click Deselect. After you select an access point, you can measure the distance from a specified location to the access point. Click the icon on the map. On the map, select a specified location as the start point and the access point as the end point (or vice versa). The actual distance between the location and the access point is displayed. The following figure shows an example: To clear the distance measurement, right-click the end point and click the icon at the end point. Note When you search for nearby access points by keyword, fuzzy search is supported. This means that if you enter a keyword, addresses that contain the keyword are displayed.
     Port Type	Select a port type. The following types are supported. 100GE single-mode optical port 40GE single-mode optical port GE single-mode optical port 10GE single-mode optical port An optical port is a fiber-optic interface. The theoretical speed of an optical path is unlimited and depends on the negotiated rate of the optical transceiver modules at both ends of the connection, such as 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, and 100 Gbps. Note Different access points provide different port specifications. We recommend you check the port specifications available for purchase before you apply for an Express Connect circuit. By default, Alibaba Cloud provides optical transceiver modules with 1 Gbit/s and 10 Gbit/s ports. This type of optical transceiver module supports a maximum transmission distance of 10 km. If you want to use optical transceiver modules with 40 Gbit/s and 100 Gbit/s ports or optical transceiver modules that support a maximum transmission distance of greater than 10 km, purchase them from a third party. If you purchase an optical transceiver module from a third party, you must contact your customer business manager from Alibaba Cloud before you install the Express Connect circuit in the Alibaba Cloud data center. To use optical ports, make sure that the connectivity provider uses optical fiber cables to connect to the access device of Alibaba Cloud. Alibaba Cloud does not host fiber optical transceivers for customers. Therefore, make sure that the connectivity provider uses the supported type of cable to connect to the access device of Alibaba Cloud.
     Redundant Express Connect Circuit ID	Select another Express Connect circuit in the same region to form an ECMP redundant link with this circuit. If the two Express Connect circuits connect to different access points, they are redundant by default. If they connect to the same access point, you must specify one circuit as the redundant line for the other. Redundant lines are allocated to different physical access devices.
     Resource Group	From the drop-down list, select the resource group to which the instance belongs. You can click Manage Resource Group to go to the Resource Management console to create or modify a resource group. For more information, see Create a resource group.
     Tags
     Tag Key	Enter a complete tag key. You can enter up to 20 tag keys. A tag key can be up to 128 characters in length and cannot start with aliyun or acs:. It cannot contain http:// or https://.
     Tag Value	You must enter a complete tag value. You can specify up to 20 tag values. A tag value can be up to 128 characters in length. It cannot start with aliyun or acs:, and cannot contain http:// or https://.

   Note

   After the Express Connect circuit is installed and payment is complete, the Port Connection Status of the dedicated connection port reflects its actual status. Before payment is complete, the Port Connection Status is always Down.

6. Select I have read and understand the billing rules, and then click OK.

   For more information about billing, see Billing overview.

Step 2: Apply for Express Connect circuit construction

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top navigation bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Ports page, find the target Express Connect circuit instance and click Apply for LOA in the Actions column.

4. In the Apply for LOA (Letter of Authorization for Leased Line Construction) pane, enter the construction information and the identification details for the construction engineers, and then click OK.

   Configuration	Description
   Company Name	The company name used when the current user registered the Alibaba Cloud account. Individual users can enter the name of the Alibaba Cloud account owner.
   Construction Company Entering Alibaba Cloud Data Center	Enter the name of your installation provider, such as your Express Connect circuit provider or IDC provider.
   Leased Line Type	Select the leased line type. The following options are available: MSTP MPLS VPN Fiber Optic Direct Connect Other
   Scheduled Construction Time	Set the entry time for the construction company.
   Customer IDC Address	Enter the location of your on-premises data center.
   Express Connect Circuit Bandwidth	Enter the bandwidth of your Express Connect circuit. Note The bandwidth you enter here does not affect your fees or usage.
   Add Field Engineer	Click Add Construction Engineer to add the information of personnel who need to enter the Alibaba Cloud data center for construction. You can add information for multiple construction engineers. Important You must enter the information for engineers who will perform construction in the Alibaba Cloud data center.

   After you apply for a Letter of Authorization (LOA), the Status of the Express Connect circuit instance changes to Applying for LOA. Alibaba Cloud typically reviews your LOA application within two business days. After your application is approved, the Status of the instance changes to LOA Approved. You can then download the LOA file from the console.

   Note

   • For access points outside China, Alibaba Cloud reviewers complete the review within three business days.

   • You cannot download the LOA file if the application status is Under Review. Once approved, you can download the file from the console.

   • After your Letter of Authorization (LOA) application is approved, you can log on to the Express Connect console. On the Physical Ports page, find the target port instance to view its access point address and data center location in the Access Point column.

   • To apply for an LOA again, repeat the steps in Step 2: Apply for Express Connect circuit construction.

Step 3: Implement the Express Connect circuit construction

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top navigation bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Ports page, find the target Express Connect circuit instance and click View LOA in the Actions column.

4. On the View LOA page, click Download to download the file.

5. Based on the LOA information, contact the construction company to connect the leased line to the access device outside the Alibaba Cloud data center suite. Follow the access plan confirmed during the site survey.

   Note

   • Before entering the Alibaba Cloud data center suite, you must submit the LOA issued by Alibaba Cloud. Contact your account manager or submit a ticket to obtain the data center entry application form. You must submit the application at least one day in advance and provide it to the on-site Alibaba Cloud engineers.

   • After the construction is complete, request a line inspection report from the construction company to ensure that the connection to the carrier's network is normal.

   • For data centers in China, Alibaba Cloud engineers work with the construction company to connect the leased line to the Alibaba Cloud data center suite. After you click Report Construction Completion in the console, the engineers will lay the fiber pigtail and connect it to the dedicated connection port.

   • For data centers outside China, the construction company connects the leased line to an access device, such as an ODF or patch panel, outside the Alibaba Cloud data center suite. After you click Report Construction Completion in the console, Alibaba Cloud engineers will lay the fiber pigtail and connect it to the dedicated connection port.

   • After the construction is complete, to re-enter the Alibaba Cloud data center suite, contact your account manager to apply for the entry process.

6. After the construction is complete, contact the carrier's personnel to obtain the carrier's leased line ID and the cross connect cable tag or patch panel port information.

7. On the Physical Ports page, click Report Construction Completion. In the Report Construction Completion page that appears, enter the line information and click OK.

   The Status of the Express Connect circuit instance changes to Awaiting Alibaba Cloud Pigtail Splicing. Within two business days, on-site Alibaba Cloud engineers connect the leased line to the dedicated connection port at the specified Alibaba Cloud access point data center. After the port is connected, the Status of the instance changes to Awaiting Payment.

   Note

   For access points outside China, on-site Alibaba Cloud engineers complete the pigtail splicing on the Alibaba Cloud side within three business days.

Step 4: Pay the resource usage fee

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top navigation bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Ports page, find the target Express Connect circuit instance and click Pay Resource Occupation Fees in the Actions column.

4. On the resource fee page, select a subscription duration and a renewal method. Then, click Buy Now to complete the payment.

   After the payment is complete, the Status of the Express Connect circuit instance changes to Enabled, which indicates that the connection is established over the Express Connect circuit.

What to do next

After you create a dedicated connection over an Express Connect circuit, you must create a virtual border router (VBR). Then, create a connection between the VBR instance and the VPC instance using a transit router in Cloud Enterprise Network (CEN). You also need to configure VBR routes and health checks. After these configurations are complete, you can establish communication between your on-premises data center and your VPC. For more information, see Connect an on-premises data center to a VPC over an Express Connect circuit.

More operations

Edit a dedicated connection port

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top navigation bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Ports page, click the ID of the target Express Connect circuit instance.

4. In the upper-right corner of the page, click Edit.

5. In the Edit Physical Connection Interface pane, edit the circuit's name, bandwidth description, and on-premises data center location, and then click OK.

Upgrade the specification of a dedicated connection port

1. Follow the steps in Step 1: Apply for a dedicated connection port to apply for a port with a higher specification.

2. Migrate the original physical line configuration and the leased line instance to the new dedicated connection port.

3. Create a VBR instance for the new Express Connect circuit. In the CEN transit router, create a connection between the VBR instance and the VPC instance. Then, configure VBR routes and health checks.

Delete a dedicated connection over an Express Connect circuit

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top navigation bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Ports page, find the dedicated connection over an Express Connect circuit that you want to delete and click Delete in the Actions column.

4. In the dialog box, click OK.

References

• OpenPhysicalConnectionService: Enables the billing for outbound data transfer.

• CreatePhysicalConnection: Applies for a connection over an Express Connect circuit.

• ApplyPhysicalConnectionLOA: Applies for an LOA.

• DescribePhysicalConnectionLOA: Queries the LOA information of an Express Connect circuit.

• CompletePhysicalConnectionLOA: Reports construction completion.

• CreatePhysicalConnectionOccupancyOrder: Creates an order for the resource usage fee.

• ConfirmPhysicalConnection: Confirms the acceptance of an Express Connect circuit. The status of the circuit then changes to Confirmed.

• EnablePhysicalConnection: Enables an Express Connect circuit in the Confirmed state. After the operation is complete, the circuit's status changes to Enabled.

• DescribePhysicalConnections: Queries the Express Connect circuits in a specified region.

• ModifyPhysicalConnectionAttribute: Modifies the configuration of an Express Connect circuit.

• CancelPhysicalConnection: Cancels a connection over an Express Connect circuit before it is enabled.

• TerminatePhysicalConnection: Terminates an Express Connect circuit.

• DeletePhysicalConnection: Deletes an Express Connect circuit.