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In today’s digital landscape, AWS Direct Connect offers a valuable networking service that facilitates hybrid connectivity between a customer’s on-premises environments—such as data centers, offices, or colocation sites—and the AWS Cloud. By using AWS Direct Connect, businesses can bypass the internet and establish a dedicated physical connection to AWS, leading to enhanced performance consistency and predictability.
Many businesses depend on AWS Direct Connect Partners to facilitate access to these connections. These trusted partners have undergone thorough technical validation to ensure they adhere to AWS service best practices and have demonstrated success in delivering services like Direct Connect to their customers. This article specifically focuses on how AWS Partners can engage with the Direct Connect partner model.
The Role of AWS Direct Connect Partners
AWS operates in over 100 “Direct Connect Locations” globally, where customers must set up a standard cross-connect to utilize AWS Direct Connect. To access these services, customers can either extend their last-mile connectivity to the Direct Connect site or collaborate with an AWS Direct Connect Partner, which is a common route for many AWS clients.
Each Direct Connect location corresponds to a specific AWS Region. With a Direct Connect Gateway, customers can access their resources across any AWS Region, including GovCloud, using a private or transit virtual interface from any Direct Connect location. Additionally, a public virtual interface allows customers to connect to public endpoints in any AWS Region from any Direct Connect location.
Understanding Direct Connect Connections
There are two primary types of Direct Connect connections: Dedicated and Hosted. AWS Partners need to grasp the nuances of the Direct Connect model, particularly the differences between these connection types and the various Direct Connect Virtual Interfaces (VIFs). This understanding is crucial for Partners as it determines the number of customers and VLANs they can accommodate on a single Direct Connect connection.
Dedicated Connections
Customers can provision Dedicated connections directly from AWS, allowing them to establish end-to-end connectivity independently or with the assistance of an AWS Direct Connect Partner. Notably, AWS Partners do not need to apply for the AWS Direct Connect Service Delivery designation to help customers with Dedicated connections.
A Dedicated connection is a physical Ethernet connection dedicated to a single customer, offering port speeds of 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, or 100 Gbps. Each Dedicated connection can support up to 51 VIFs, with a maximum of four transit VIFs. These connections can also be combined using Link Aggregation Groups for increased bandwidth.
Direct Connect Partners can assist customers with Dedicated connections in various ways:
- Providing last-mile connectivity between the AWS Direct Connect location and the customer’s premises.
- Supplying networking equipment.
- Managing end-to-end connectivity.
The specific details of the Partner’s involvement should be coordinated directly with the customer.
Hosted Connections
Hosted connections can only be obtained from Direct Connect Partners, not directly from AWS. These connections are offered exclusively by approved Direct Connect Delivery Partners validated through the AWS Service Delivery Program.
Customers have access to a range of port speeds for Hosted connections—ranging from 50 Mbps to 10 Gbps—making it an attractive option for those who do not require the minimum 1 Gbps capacity of a Dedicated connection. Each Hosted connection supports just one VIF or VLAN, which can be public, private, or transit.
Typically, Direct Connect Partners can quickly add or remove Hosted connections on demand due to the pre-provisioned network circuits available to customer premises, making it feasible for customers to secure Hosted connections in a matter of minutes.
How Hosted Connections Function for Partners
A Hosted connection represents a logical construct that allows approved AWS Direct Connect Partners to provision services for customers. Partners effectively provision Direct Connect connections from AWS on behalf of customers using an Interconnect. This Interconnect is a 1G or 10G Ethernet fiber-optic port accessible only to approved partners, which segregates different Hosted connections through 802.1Q VLANs.
It is the Partner’s responsibility to assign VLANs when provisioning Hosted connections and to ensure that each VLAN is delivered to the appropriate customer. For Dedicated connections, customers can select their own VLAN IDs.
The total capacity of an Interconnect dictates the maximum number of Hosted connections it can support. AWS monitors each Hosted connection for adherence to its assigned capacity. Over-subscription of Interconnects is prohibited per AWS Direct Connect Partner Program Requirements.
Becoming Approved for Hosted Connections
To engage with the Hosted connection model, AWS Partners must apply to the AWS Service Delivery Program for a Direct Connect designation. The application process involves submitting customer references and undergoing a technical validation by AWS Partner Solutions Architects.
For further insights into the application process and requirements for the Direct Connect Partner program, visit AWS Partner Central and consult pertinent documents such as the AWS Service Delivery Validation Checklist for AWS Direct Connect, the AWS Direct Connect Partner Guide, and the AWS Service Delivery Program Guide.
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