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    Express Connect:Recommended mode

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    Express Connect:Recommended mode

    Last Updated:Apr 25, 2025

    Recommended mode calculates the latency of access points to zones within the same region based on your selected region to suggest suitable access points. This mode is ideal for latency-sensitive business scenarios. This topic explains how to apply for a physical port using recommended mode.

    Prerequisites

    You have already enabled outbound traffic fee.

    Procedure

    Step 1: Apply for a recommended mode physical port

    1. Log on to the Express Connect Management Console, click Create Physical Connection, and select Recommend Mode to apply for a port.

      Note

      This latency data is for reference only. Actual business test results take precedence.

      Configuration

      Description

      Access Point Type

      Select access points in the following two ways.

      • System Recommend: The system calculates the latency of each dedicated connection access point in the region to a zone within the region based on the region and zone where the cloud resources are located, and recommends the access point with the minimum latency by default.

      • Manual Select: After selecting the region where the access point is located, the system automatically calculates the average latency of each dedicated connection access point in the region to each zone within the region and visualizes it on the dashboard.

      Cloud Resource Region

      Select the region where the Alibaba Cloud resources are located.

      Note

      This parameter takes effect only when Access Point Type is set to System Recommend.

      Cloud Resource Zone

      Select the zone where the Alibaba Cloud resources are located.

      Note

      This parameter takes effect only when Access Point Type is set to System Recommend.

      Select Access Point

      The system calculates the latency of each dedicated connection access point in the specified region to the specified zone within the region, sorts them in ascending order of latency, and selects the access point with the minimum latency by default. You can select an access point that meets your business latency requirements.

      Note

      • This parameter takes effect only when Access Point Type is set to System Recommend.

      • In the Trend column of the access point latency list, click the icon to view historical latency data for a specified time or custom time.

      Latency Dashboard

      After selecting the region where the access point is located, the system automatically calculates the average latency of each dedicated connection access point in the region to each zone within the region.

      You can enable Show Latency on the right, click to select a suitable latency access point, and view Access Point Information.

      Note

      • This parameter takes effect only when Access Point Type is set to Manual Select.

      • In the Trend column of the access point latency list, click the icon to view historical latency data for a specified time or custom time.

      Port Type

      Support selecting 100GE Single-mode Optical Port, 40GE Single-mode Optical Port, GE Single-mode Optical Port, and 10GE Single-mode Optical Port types.

      Port connection requirements

      • Requirements for ports on the Alibaba Cloud side:

        • By default, Alibaba Cloud provides single-mode optical transceivers that support data transmission over a distance of 10 kilometers or less (compatible with GE single-mode optical ports and 10GE single-mode optical ports of Alibaba Cloud).

        • Only dual-fiber Express Connect circuits are supported.

      • Requirements for ports on the client side: You must purchase optical transceivers for the client side. Make sure that the specifications of the optical transceivers on the client side are the same as those on the Alibaba Cloud side.

      Advanced Configuration

      Click Advanced Configuration. You can select VBR Bandwidth Limits, IPv6, BFD, MPBGP, MPBGP-v6, QOS, and VBR-HA.

      If the backend resources do not have ports with the advanced capabilities that you select, the creation fails.

      Advanced capabilities

      • VBR Throttling: This feature supports bandwidth throttling at the VBR level to prevent a single VBR from consuming excessive traffic and causing abnormal port utilization.

      • IPv6: Physical ports support IPv6 traffic transmission, which allows IPv6 dedicated connection communication between on-premises data centers and VPCs in the cloud.

      • BFD: This feature supports the detection of direct link connectivity between physical ports and peer devices (such as optical fiber breaks and optical module failures).

      • MPBGP: This is an extension of the BGP protocol that supports the transmission of multi-protocol routing information in BGP sessions.

      • MPBGP-v6: This is an extension of the MPBGP protocol that supports the transmission of IPv6 routing information in BGP sessions.

      • QoS: QoS policies define different priorities for different services to ensure that high-priority services can obtain the required bandwidth first.

        Important

        The QoS policy feature is in invitational preview. To use this feature, contact your account manager to apply for it.

      • VBR-HA: This feature allows you to configure two VBRs as a failover group. When BFD detects a link failure, traffic is automatically switched to the backup VBR, achieving sub-second switching and smooth service transition.

      Resource Group

      Select an existing resource group to manage physical ports by group.

      Tag Key

      Select existing tag keys and tag values, or enter new tag keys and tag values. You can bind specific tags to physical port instances for categorized management.

      Tag Value

    2. Select the billing rules and click Confirm.

    Note

    After the physical connection construction is completed and the payment is successful, the Port Status of the physical connection port is UP. Before payment, the Port Status is Down.

    Step 2: Apply for Express Connect circuit construction

    Note

    Alibaba Cloud supports secondary LOA applications. To apply, repeat the operations in Step 2: Apply for Express Connect circuit construction.

    1. On the Physical Port page, find the port and click Apply for LOA.

    2. In the Apply For LOA (letter Of Authorization For Express Connect Circuit Construction) panel, enter the following information and click OK.

      Parameter

      Description

      Company Name

      For a corporate account, enter the company name specified when the Alibaba Cloud account was created.

      For an individual account, enter the name of the Alibaba Cloud account owner.

      Construction Company That Enters Data Centers of Alibaba Cloud

      The name of the construction company, typically the connectivity provider or IDC operator.

      Leased Line Type

      You can select MSTP, MPLSVPN, Fiber Connection, or Others.

      Construction Schedule

      The time when the construction company will enter the data center.

      Customer Data Center Location

      The location of the data center.

      Leased Line Bandwidth

      Enter the bandwidth value specified in your Express Connect circuit contract.

      Note

      The bandwidth value here is only used as a reference for Alibaba Cloud service configuration. Your actual fees and bandwidth limit are based on the contract you signed with the carrier. Please fill in the actual contract bandwidth.

      Add Field Engineer

      Click Add Field Engineer to add information about the personnel who need to enter the Alibaba Cloud data center for construction. You can specify one or more field engineers.

      Important

      The field engineer information is required.

      After you apply for an LOA, the LOA Status of the instance becomes LOA Being Applied. After the Alibaba Cloud reviewer approves the application, the LOA Status changes to LOA Approved.

      Note

      The review is completed within two business days for access points in mainland China and within three business days for access points outside mainland China.

    3. Receive a text message notification and perform the following steps:

      Note

      You can skip this step if your access point is a third-party data center access point, or an access point in Hong Kong (China) or an international data center.

      1. Obtain an entry credential: Click the entry credential link in the text message and log on to the entry application platform. Select the data center information and Confirm Visit, then click Entry Credential to obtain the entry QR code.

      2. Complete your personal information:

        1. Copy the text message link to a computer browser and access the link. Read and agree to the privacy protection statement and the Alibaba Cloud data center entry agreement.

        2. Fill in your personal information and click Submit Information. When the page displays Submitted Successfully, you can close the browser window.

    Step 3: Implement Express Connect circuit construction and pay the resource occupation fee

    1. Implement Express Connect circuit construction

      1. On the Physical Port page, find the instance, view, and download the LOA file.查看LOA

      2. Based on the LOA information, contact the Express Connect circuit construction company to connect the Express Connect circuit to the equipment outside the Alibaba Cloud data center room according to the survey plan.

        Note

        • Data centers in mainland China: Alibaba Cloud engineers assist the Express Connect circuit construction company in connecting the Express Connect circuit to the Alibaba Cloud data center room.

        • Data centers outside mainland China: The Express Connect circuit construction company connects the Express Connect circuit to the access equipment (ODF or Patch Panel, etc.) outside the Alibaba Cloud data center room.

        The process for entering the data center room is as follows:

        • Third-party data center access points: Submit the LOA file to the on-site engineer at least one day in advance.

          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

        • China (Hong Kong) and international region data center access points: Contact the on-site engineer.

        • Other data center access points: Show the entry QR code obtained in Step 2 and enter the data center by scanning the QR code.

      3. After construction is completed, obtain the Express Connect circuit test report from the construction company and contact the carrier personnel to obtain the carrier's Express Connect circuit ID, in-building cable label, or patch panel port information.

    2. Alibaba Cloud fiber pigtail construction

      1. On the Physical Connection page, find the target instance, click Confirm Dlivery, enter the line information you obtained, and click OK. The instance status changes to Alibaba Cloud Pigtails Connection.

      2. The Alibaba Cloud on-site engineer inserts the Express Connect circuit into the specified Express Connect circuit port in the Alibaba Cloud data center. After the connection is successful, the instance status changes to Pay Resource Occupation Fees.

        Note

        Fiber pigtail laying and Express Connect circuit port connection are completed within two business days for access points in mainland China and within three business days for access points outside mainland China.

    3. Pay the resource occupation fee

      1. On the Physical Connection page, find the instance and click Pay Resource Occupation Fees.

      2. Select the subscription duration and renewal method, and click Buy Now to complete the payment. When the instance status becomes Active, the Express Connect circuit is successfully activated.

    What to do next

    After the Express Connect circuit port is activated, follow the steps in Connect an on-premises data center to a VPC through an Express Connect circuit for subsequent operations.

    References

    For applying for physical ports in other modes, refer to:

    For related APIs, refer to: