AWS Direct Connect enables you to securely connect your AWS environment to your on-premises data center or office location over a standard 1 gigabit or 10 gigabit Ethernet fiber-optic connection. AWS Direct Connect offers dedicated high speed, low latency connection, which bypasses internet service providers in your network path. An AWS Direct Connect location provides access to Amazon Web Services in the region it is associated with, as well as access to other US regions. AWS Direct Connect allows you to logically partition the fiber-optic connections into multiple logical connections called Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN). You can take advantage of these logical connections to improve security, differentiate traffic, and achieve compliance requirements.
What you'll accomplish:
Select a Direct Connect Partner and an AWS Direct Connect facility. Before logging into your console, you will need to decide which partner and facility to work with. This project guide will assist you in selecting the partner and AWS Direct Connect facility best suited for your needs.
Order a Direct Connect circuit using the AWS Management Console. You will select a region of your choice and work through the process of ordering your direct connect circuit from AWS.
Configure a logical connection across your Direct Connect. To establish IP connectivity, you will need to configure a logical VLAN at the minimum and assign an IP address to the connection.
Exchange routes between AWS and your data center. You will establish routing between your AWS environment and your data center, giving you secure and low-latency access to your AWS resources.
What you'll need before starting:
An AWS Account: You will need an AWS account to begin provisioning resources to host your website. Sign up for AWS.
AWS Experience: Basic knowledge of core AWS concepts like Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Regions, and Availability Zones are recommended to successfully complete this project.
IT Experience: Working knowledge of networking concepts like IP routing, BGP, and 802.1q VLANS is recommended to successfully complete this project.
Billing Estimates:
Cost to complete project: There are no charges for setting up AWS Direct Connect. Once the connection is established, charges will be incurred for data transfer and pricing per port-hour.
Monthly billing estimate: The total cost of maintaining your AWS Direct Connect link to your on-premises environment will vary depending on the volume of data transfer out of AWS and the region you select. Data transfer pricing over Direct Connect is lower than data transfer pricing over the internet.
For example, if you order a 1GB connection to the US East region - Virginia and you expect to transfer 1TB out on a monthly basis, the total cost would be $236 per month. For a breakdown of the service and associated costs, see Services Used and Costs.
A technical document providing step by step guidance on Direct connection.
This whitepaper describes several common network connectivity options available with AWS.
Need more resources to get started with AWS? Visit the Getting Started Resource Center to learn more.