You can apply for a dedicated Express Connect circuit to ensure that your data center connects to Alibaba Cloud efficiently and securely. After you apply for a dedicated Express Connect circuit, the corresponding Internet service provider (ISP) conducts tasks such as site surveys and cabling. The ISP typically requires one to three months to complete these tasks. We recommend that you create a detailed plan for connecting your data center to Alibaba Cloud and estimate the expenses in advance.
Procedure
The following figure shows how to connect to Alibaba Cloud over a dedicated Express Connect circuit.
A Letter of Authorization (LOA) is the authorization to install an Express Connect circuit. The ISP must present the LOA before they can enter the data center in which the Alibaba Cloud access point is deployed and complete the installation.
The total duration required to review the LOA and install the Express Connect circuit may be extended due to public holidays and local policies.
Step 1: Preparations
Before you apply for a dedicated Express Connect circuit, you must select an access point and check the stock.
Select an access point
Access points indicate the geographical locations where Express Connect circuits are connected to Alibaba Cloud. Two access devices are deployed at each access point. Each region contains one or more access points. You can connect your data center to a virtual private cloud (VPC) through an access point that meets your requirements. For more information, see Access point locations.
When you choose an access point, consider factors such as the region, connectivity provider, and port.
Factor
Description
Region
We recommend that you select the access point nearest to your data center. The connectivity providers and bandwidth limits vary based on the access point.
Connectivity provider
We recommend that you choose a connectivity provider based on your business requirements. You can lease an Express Connect circuit from China Unicom, China Telecom, China Mobile, or other connectivity providers.
NoteWhen you install an Express Connect circuit in a data center, you must follow the rules of the collocation provider. For more information about connectivity providers, see Locations of access points.
If you choose China Unicom, China Telecom, or China Mobile as the connectivity provider, bare fiber is not supported. You must lease lines from these connectivity providers.
Port
Select an optical port. Supported optical port types: 100 GE Single-Mode Optical Port, 40 GE Single-Mode Optical Port, 1 GE Single-Mode Optical Port, and 10 GE Single-Mode Optical Port.
NoteRequirements of ports on the Alibaba Cloud side:
By default, single-mode optical modules whose transmission distance is no greater than 10 kilometers are provided. The modules match ports of the following types: 1 Gbit/s, 10 Gbit/s, 40 Gbit/s, and 100 Gbit/s.
Only dual-core optical fibers are supported.
Requirements of ports on the customer side: You need to purchase optical modules and make sure that the specifications of the purchased modules are the same as the specifications of the modules on the Alibaba Cloud side.
Check the stock
After you choose an access point, you can check whether the Express Connect circuit that you want to apply for is available for purchase on the payment page.
NoteThis topic describes how to check the stock when you apply for a physical port in the classic mode.
Log on to the Express Connect console and click Apply For Physical Port. Select Classic Mode to apply for a port.
Select a Region, Connectivity Provider, and Access Point. Then, you can view the available port resources of different types.
Step 2: Apply for an Express Connect circuit in the console
Apply for an Express Connect circuit:
Apply for an Express Connect circuit.
Apply for an LOA and provide the name, ID number, and contact information of the engineer who will perform the site survey.
After the LOA is approved, Alibaba Cloud helps the engineer complete the site survey within two business days. You can contact your connectivity provider to confirm the end-to-end expenses. For more information about expenses, see Billing overview.
NoteChinese Mainland: You must apply for permissions to perform a site survey in the data center of Alibaba Cloud.
Outside Chinese Mainland: The installation personnel do not need to enter the Alibaba Cloud server room. They only need to apply to the data center provider for entry into the connectivity provider's Meet-Me Room to perform the site survey.
Main items to confirm during the site survey:
Equipment specification confirmation
Confirm the specifications of optical modules, including transmission rate, wavelength, and transmission distance.
Specify cable types and interface specifications, including single-mode fiber (SMF), multi-mode fiber (MMF), and interface types (such as LC-LC).
Physical cabling plan
Specify the access position where cables are laid to specific racks.
Confirm cable and routing paths.
Verify the actual cable laying distance and related parameters.
Safety measures check: Confirm whether the data center requires operators to wear anti-static wristbands or implement other anti-static measures.
Process specification confirmation: Confirm whether the data center has special operating procedures.
Install the Express Connect circuit and pay the resource occupation fee.
Step 3: Connect your data center to Alibaba Cloud
After the physical port is activated, follow the steps in Connect a data center to a VPC through an Express Connect circuit to create a Virtual Border Router (VBR), an Express Connect Router (ECR), and attach the VBR and TR to the ECR to connect your data center to Alibaba Cloud.
Workflow of installing an Express Connect circuit
The workflow of installing an Express Connect circuit may vary based on the network topology. The following figures show the workflows of installing Express Connect circuits in two commonly used network topologies. You can contact your connectivity provider for installation details.
The following figure shows the workflow of installing an Express Connect circuit when your data center and the access point are not located in the same data center campus.
The following figure shows the workflow of installing an Express Connect circuit when your data center and the access point are located in the same data center campus.
Status of an Express Connect circuit in different stages
The process of connecting your data center to Alibaba Cloud over a dedicated Express Connect circuit involves operations performed by you, your connectivity provider, and Alibaba Cloud. Except for the Under Construction By Service Provider status, each stage in the process has a corresponding operation instruction and status in the console. You can view the Construction Procedure of an Express Connect circuit on the Physical Connection page in the Express Connect console.