Express Connect:Getting started

Step 1: Planning

1. Select an access point

   An access point is where your physical connection meets the Alibaba Cloud network. Each region has one or more access points, and you can connect to a VPC through any access point in the region. Consider the following factors.

   Factor	Description
   Proximity	Select the access point geographically closest to your data center to minimize latency. Data center operators and bandwidth capacities vary by access point.
   Provider	Select a provider that serves your region. Supported providers: China Unicom, China Telecom, China Mobile, and some local providers. China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile require you to use their own connections. Connections from other providers and bare optical fiber connections are not supported.
   Port requirements	You must use optical ports. The following port types are supported: 100GE, 40GE, GE, and 10GE single-mode ports. Alibaba Cloud side: Alibaba Cloud provides single-mode optical transceiver modules with a 10 km reach for 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, and 100 Gbps ports by default. Only dual-fiber physical connections are supported. Customer side: You must purchase your own optical transceiver modules and ensure that their specifications match those of the Alibaba Cloud modules.
   Access point type	Alibaba Cloud offers two types of access points. The main differences are: Alibaba Cloud access points: Self-built access points that support dedicated physical connections. Delivery takes 1 to 3 months. Up to 100 Gbps is supported. Partner access points: Some compliant providers are already pre-connected to Alibaba Cloud access points. You connect to the cloud over the provider's network. Compared with Alibaba Cloud access points, this option covers more locations and is delivered faster (typically within 1 month). The connection between the partner and Alibaba Cloud is shared by multiple tenants. Compare options in Solution comparison.

   The one-stop cloud onboarding service assigns a free dedicated service manager to guide you through the full process and shorten time to go live.

2. Check inventory

   After selecting an access point, check port availability by starting a connection port application.

   Note

   The following example uses classic mode to check inventory.

   1. Log in to the Express Connect console, click Create Physical Connection, and select Classic Mode to apply for a port.

   2. After selecting the Region, Express Connect Circuit Provider, and Access Point, you can view the available resources for each port type.

      

Step 2: Circuit implementation and delivery

1. Request a connection port: After you request a connection 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 it within two business days. After approval, Alibaba Cloud matches and installs the optical transceiver module and prepares for on-site installation.

   Note

   • If you need to re-enter the data center for circuit adjustments or other changes, you can apply for a second LOA.

   • The time required for LOA application, site entry, and construction may be affected by public holidays and policy-related network freezes.

3. Download the LOA: After approval, you download the LOA to get access point and data center details. Alibaba Cloud then 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 provider brings the LOA and contacts the on-site engineer to enter the data center for a site survey.

   • No: Alibaba Cloud sends a text message with a QR code for data center entry. The provider scans this code to perform the site survey or on-site installation.

4. Provider site survey: Alibaba Cloud assists with the on-site survey, which must be completed within two business days. Contact your provider to confirm end-to-end fees. Billing overview.

   Note

   • In the Chinese mainland, you must apply to enter the Alibaba Cloud data center suite for the site survey.

   • Outside the Chinese mainland, the installation team only needs to apply to the data center provider to enter the provider's meet-me room for the site survey. You do not need to enter the Alibaba Cloud data center suite.

   Site survey checklist

   • Device specification confirmation

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

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

   • Physical cabling plan

     • Identify the specific rack and termination point for the cable.

     • Confirm the cable route and path.

     • Verify the actual cable length and related parameters.

   • Safety measure inspection: Confirm whether the data center requires anti-static measures, such as wearing an anti-static wrist strap.

   • Procedure confirmation: Confirm whether the data center has any special operating procedures.

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

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

7. In-building cabling at the provider's data center: Covers physical deployment, link validation, compliance, and operational readiness.

8. Confirm delivery: You click Confirm Delivery in the console, and the Alibaba Cloud on-site engineer completes the pigtail fiber installation.

9. Pay the resource usage fee: After pigtail installation, you pay the resource usage fee in the Express Connect console. When the instance status changes to Available, the physical connection is active.

Step 3: Connect to a VPC

After the connection port is activated, connect your data center to a VPC. The following example connects a physical connection to a single VPC.

To connect to multiple VPCs, add a Transit Router (TR) between the VPCs and the Express Connect Router (ECR). Use an ECR to establish active/standby connections from an on-premises data center to Alibaba Cloud.

1. Create a VBR

2. Create an ECR

3. Connect an ECR to a VBR

4. Connect an ECR to a VPC

5. Configure BGP and enable BFD:

   1. Configure BGP

      1. Establish BGP peerings between your data center and the VBR, and advertise routes. Configure and manage BGP.

         Note

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

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

      2. On your on-premises equipment, advertise the BGP route (172.30.0.0/24) to Alibaba Cloud.

         Configuration varies by device vendor and model. Contact your device vendor for specific instructions.

   2. Enable BFD

      Configure BFD on the VBR to enable rapid route convergence.

      1. Log in 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 listed. Keep defaults for other parameters.

         Parameter	Description
         Submission Interval	Interval in milliseconds (ms) at which BFD packets are sent. This example uses the default value of 1000 ms.
         Reception Interval	Interval in ms at which BFD packets are expected to be received. This example uses the default value of 1000 ms.
         Detection Time Multiplier	Number of consecutive missed BFD packets before the session is declared 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 custom single-hop or multi-hop sessions. You can configure different hop counts 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 your data center, ping an ECS instance in the cloud to verify connectivity.

VPC connectivity issues

Troubleshooting.

Testing circuit speed

After the network is connected, verify throughput meets your requirements. Test the network performance of a physical connection.

Circuit installation issues

Installation FAQs.

Connection issues

Connection FAQs.

Get detailed access point locations

Detailed locations are available only for dedicated Express Connect circuits. For hosted circuits, contact your partner. There is no charge for this information.

• Method 1: After your LOA application is approved, find the detailed location information in the downloaded LOA file.

• Method 2: In Quota Center, submit a request for the ec_can_get_pconn_address quota. After your request is approved, you can view the access point in the console:

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

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

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