To use a physical connection to access Alibaba Cloud, you can use an exclusive physical connection, a shared physical connection, or Cloud Hosting.
Overview
Alibaba Cloud supports the following physical connection solutions:
- Exclusive physical connections
The following figure shows a physical connection solution. The solution uses an Alibaba Cloud physical port and a leased line provided by a third-party service provider to connect an on-premises data center to an Alibaba Cloud access point. You can apply for a physical connection interface by using the Express Connect console. For more information, see Create a dedicated physical connection.
- Shared physical connections
The following figure shows a physical connection solution. The solution uses a leased line and the network provided by a third-party service provider to connect an on-premises data center to Alibaba Cloud. In this solution, the third-party service provider establishes the link between their access point and an Alibaba Cloud access point that can be shared by multiple tenants. For more information, see Establish a shared physical connection.
- Cloud Hosting
Cloud Hosting is an end-to-end hybrid cloud service provided by Alibaba Cloud. You can use one or two multimode LC to LC OM3 fiber patch cables to connect to the aggregation switch in the Alibaba Cloud data center. This way, you can access VPCs in the cloud.
Comparison of the physical connection solutions
Item | Exclusive physical connection | Shared physical connection | Cloud Hosting |
---|---|---|---|
Recommended bandwidth | 1 GE to 100 GE | <1 GE | 50 Mbit/s to10 GE |
Overall construction period | Two to three months | One month | Two months |
User experience | Multiple parties and complex operations are involved.
|
Two parties and simple operations are involved.
|
An end-to-end solution is implemented to connect the on-premises data center to the cloud. |
Port type | Exclusive | Shared | Shared |
Billing | An initial installation fee (one-time charge) and a resource occupation fee (on a
monthly basis) are charged by Alibaba Cloud.
The Alibaba Cloud data center provider charges fees generated for indoor cable installation in the Alibaba Cloud data center. The on-premises data center provider charges fees generated for indoor cable installation in the on-premises data center. The service provider charges other cable installation fees and bandwidth rental fees. For more information, see Billing of physical connections. |
You do not need to pay a one-time initial installation fee and a resource occupation fee for the port that you use. The on-premises data center provider charges fees generated for indoor cable installation in the on-premises data center. The service provider charges other cable installation fees and bandwidth rental fees. |
Contact your Alibaba Cloud account manager. |
Cable installation limits at the Alibaba Cloud side |
|
N/A | N/A |
Cable installation limits at the service provider side | Only the Hangzhou-Yuhang-A access point and the access points in the China (Zhangjiakou)
region are operated by Alibaba Cloud. Access points that are located in other data
centers are operated by service providers or third-party data center providers. Some
China Telecom branches may require a permit before your cable installation company
can go to data centers for cable installation. To obtain such permits, you must contact
the data center providers yourself.
Some China Telecom branches may require you to have an authorization letter that is acknowledged and stamped by your company and by Alibaba Cloud. To have the letter stamped by Alibaba Cloud, submit a ticket. |
N/A | N/A |
Site survey | After your application is approved, Alibaba Cloud will help the engineers perform the site survey within two workdays. | N/A | N/A |
Service Level Agreement (SLA) provided by Alibaba Cloud for fiber pigtail installation |
|
N/A | N/A |