Express Connect:Classic Mode

Prerequisites

You have already enabled outbound traffic fees.

Step 1: Apply for a physical Express Connect circuit

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top menu bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Port page, click Apply For Physical Port.

4. You need to enable outbound traffic fees before you can create a dedicated connection over an Express Connect circuit. If you have not enabled outbound traffic fees, see the following operations to enable them.

   1. In the Please Sign Agreement dialog box, read and select the outbound traffic fee charging rules, and then click Continue.

   2. On the Enable Outbound Traffic Fee page, read and select the service agreement, and then click Enable Now.

   3. Return to the Express Connect console and re-enter the physical Express Connect circuit purchase page.

5. On the Purchase Port page, select Classic Mode and configure the following parameters.

   Configuration	Description
   Region	Select the region where the Alibaba Cloud resources are located.
   Dedicated Connection Provider	Select the carrier that provides the dedicated connection service. The available access points vary based on the carrier. Note China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile can only use their own dedicated connections and are not allowed to use dedicated connections provided by other carriers. China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile do not support bare optical fiber access.
   Access Point	Select the access point closest to your IDC. For more information about how to select the nearest access point, see Alibaba Cloud Access Points.
   Cloudbox Device Cluster Name	Select a CloudBox device cluster. To purchase an Express Connect circuit for CloudBox, contact your account manager to apply for the required permissions.
   Port Type	Select a port type. The following types are supported. 100GE Single-mode Optical Port 40GE Single-mode Optical Port GE Single-mode Optical Port 10GE Single-mode Optical Port An optical port is a physical interface used to connect optical fiber cables. Note Different access points provide different port specifications. We recommend you check the port specifications available for purchase before you apply for an Express Connect circuit. By default, Alibaba Cloud provides optical transceiver modules with 1 Gbit/s and 10 Gbit/s ports. This type of optical transceiver module supports a maximum transmission distance of 10 km. If you want to use optical transceiver modules with 40 Gbit/s and 100 Gbit/s ports or optical transceiver modules that support a maximum transmission distance of greater than 10 km, purchase them from a third party. If you purchase an optical transceiver module from a third party, you must contact your customer business manager from Alibaba Cloud before you install the Express Connect circuit in the Alibaba Cloud data center. To use optical ports, make sure that the connectivity provider uses optical fiber cables to connect to the access device of Alibaba Cloud. Alibaba Cloud does not host fiber optical transceivers for customers. Therefore, make sure that the connectivity provider uses the supported type of cable to connect to the access device of Alibaba Cloud.
   Advanced Configuration	Click Advanced Configuration, and then select the advanced capabilities of the port. The following advanced capabilities are supported. If the backend resources do not have ports with the corresponding advanced capabilities, the creation will fail. VBR Bandwidth Limit: supports bandwidth limits for virtual border routers (VBRs). IPv6: supports IPv6. BFD: supports Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD). MPBGP: supports Multiprotocol Border Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP). MPBGP-v6: supports IPv6 MP-BGP. QOS: supports the quality of service (QoS) policy feature. You can use QoS policies to define different priorities for different services. This ensures that high-priority services can preferentially obtain the required bandwidth. For more information, see QoS policies. Important The QoS policy feature is in invitational preview. To try this feature out, contact your Alibaba Cloud account manager to apply for the qualification. VBR-HA: supports VBR failover groups. You can add two VBRs to a failover group. After the system detects failures on a VBR by using BDF, the system can seamlessly switch workloads to the standby VBR in the failover group within less than one second. This accelerates route convergence. For more information, see Configure a failover group.
   Resource Group	Select the resource group to which the instance belongs from the drop-down list. You can click Manage Resource Group to go to the Resource Management consoleto create or modify a resource group.
   Tag Key	Enter a complete tag key. You can specify up to 20 tag keys. A tag key can be up to 128 characters in length. It cannot start with aliyun or acs: and cannot contain http:// or https://.
   Tag Value	Enter a complete tag value. You can specify up to 20 tag values. A tag value can be up to 128 characters in length. It cannot start with aliyun or acs: and cannot contain http:// or https://.

   Note

   After the Express Connect circuit installation is completed and the payment is successful, the Port Status of the physical Express Connect circuit is UP. Before the payment, the Port Status is Down.

6. Select I have read and understand the billing rules, and then click Confirm.

Step 2: Apply for Express Connect installation

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top menu bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Port page, find the target dedicated connection instance, and then in the Operation column of the target instance, click Apply for LOA.

4. In the Apply For LOA (Letter Of Authorization For Express Connect Installation) panel, enter the Express Connect installation information, add the identity information of the installation engineer, and then click Confirm.

   Configuration	Description
   Company Name	The company name specified when the Alibaba Cloud account is created. For a personal account, enter the name of the Alibaba Cloud account owner.
   Enter Alibaba Cloud Data Center Construction Unit	Enter the name of the company that is in charge of installing the Express Connect circuit. In most cases, the dedicated connection provider or the data center provider is responsible for the installation.
   Dedicated Connection Type	Select a type of dedicated connection. The following options are available: MSTP MPLSVPN Direct Fiber Connection Others
   Planned Construction Time	Set the date for installing the Express Connect circuit.
   Customer IDC Address	Enter the location of your data center.
   Dedicated Connection Bandwidth Value	Enter the bandwidth of your Express Connect circuit. Note The bandwidth that you specify does not affect the billing of your Express Connect circuit. In addition, this value does not limit the actual bandwidth when you use the Express Connect circuit.
   Add Field Engineer	Click Add Installation Engineer to add the information of the personnel who need to enter the Alibaba Cloud data center for installation. You can add one or more installation engineers. Important The information about the field engineers is required.

   After you apply for the LOA, the LOA Status of the dedicated connection instance is LOA Application In Progress. Alibaba Cloud reviewers will review your LOA application within two business days.

   Note

   • If the access point is deployed outside the Chinese mainland, Alibaba Cloud reviewers will review your application within three business days.

   • When the LOA application status is Under Review, you cannot download the LOA file. After the system approves the application, you can download the LOA file in the console.

   • After the LOA application is approved, you can log on to the Express Connect console, find the target physical port instance on the Physical Port page, and view the specific access point address and data center location in the Access Point column.

   • If you need to apply for the LOA again, you can repeat the installation process in Step 2: Apply for Express Connect Installation.

5. After the review is approved, the LOA Status of the dedicated connection instance is updated to LOA Approved. At this time, you can download the LOA file in the console and pay attention to the text message that contains the access credential and the link to fill in your personal information. Perform the following steps:

   1. Obtain the access credential

      1. Click the access credential link in the text message to enter the access application platform and log on.

      2. Select the detailed information of the corresponding data center and click Confirm Visit.

      3. Click Access Credential to obtain the access QR code.

   2. Fill in your personal information

      1. Copy the link provided in the text message to the address bar of your computer's browser and access the link.

      2. Carefully read the privacy protection statement and click Agree.

      3. Carefully read the Alibaba Cloud Data Center Entry Agreement, select Confirm Compliance With The Alibaba Cloud Data Center Entry Agreement, and then click Agree.

      4. Complete the personal information form, check for accuracy, and click Submit Information.

      5. When the page displays Submission Successful, you can close the browser window.

Step 3: Contact the connectivity provider to install the Express Connect circuit

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top menu bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Port page, locate the desired dedicated connection instance. In the Operation column for that instance, click View LOA.

4. On the View LOA page, click Download to download the LOA file.

5. Based on the LOA information, contact the connectivity provider to connect the dedicated connection to the access device outside the Alibaba Cloud data center room according to the access plan confirmed during the Express Connect survey.

   Note

   • Before entering the Alibaba Cloud data center room:

     • If the data center you are entering is one of the third-party access point data centers listed below, submit the LOA issued by Alibaba Cloud and contact the ticket or business manager to obtain the data center entry application form. Submit the data center entry application at least one day in advance and deliver it to the field engineers of Alibaba Cloud.

       Click to view 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

     • If the data center you are entering is not one of the access point data centers listed above, present the access QR code obtained in Step 2 and enter the data center by scanning the QR code.

     • For data centers in China (Hong Kong) and other international regions, contact the field engineers of Alibaba Cloud.

   • After the connectivity provider completes the installation, request a survey report from the connectivity provider to ensure that the connection to the carrier's network is normal.

   • If the access point is deployed in the Chinese mainland, Alibaba Cloud engineers assist the connectivity provider in installing the Express Connect circuit. After you click Complete Installation in the console, the engineers will complete the fiber pigtail installation and connect it to the dedicated connection port.

   • If the access point is deployed outside the Chinese mainland, the connectivity provider independently completes the installation. The access device that is connected to the Express Connect circuit can be an optical distribution frame (ODF) or a patch panel. After you click Complete Installation in the console, the engineers will complete the fiber pigtail installation and connect it to the dedicated connection port.

   • After the connectivity provider completes the installation, if you need to enter the Alibaba Cloud data center room again, repeat the installation process in Step 2: Apply for Express Connect Installation to apply for the LOA again.

6. After the installation is completed, contact the personnel of the connectivity provider to obtain the carrier's dedicated connection ID and the label of the in-building cable or the port information of the patch panel.

7. On the Physical Port page, click Complete Installation. On the Complete Installation page, enter the obtained line information, and then click Confirm.

   At this time, the Status of the dedicated connection instance is Alibaba Cloud Fiber Pigtail Installation. Within two business days, field engineers from Alibaba Cloud will install the fiber pigtail to the specified dedicated connection port in the Alibaba Cloud data center. After the port is successfully connected, the Status of the dedicated connection instance changes to Pay Resource Usage Fee. For more information about Express Connect installation, see Express Connect Installation Process.

   Note

   If the access point is deployed outside the Chinese mainland, field engineers from Alibaba Cloud will install the fiber pigtail within three business days.

Step 4: Pay the resource usage fee

1. Log on to the Express Connect console.

2. In the top menu bar, select the destination region.

3. On the Physical Port page, find the target dedicated connection instance, and then in the Operation column of the target instance, click Pay Resource Occupation Fees.

4. On the Resource Usage Fee page, select the subscription duration and renewal method, and then click Buy Now and complete the payment.

   After the payment is completed, the Port Allocation Status of the dedicated connection instance changes to Enabled, indicating that the dedicated connection is successfully enabled.

What to do next

After you create a dedicated connection over an Express Connect circuit, you must create a VBR and an Express Connect router (ECR), associate the VBR and a VPC with the ECR, and then configure Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routing. Then, your data center can be connected to the VPC. For more information, see Access an ECS instance from an on-premises IDC over an Express Connect circuit.

More operations

References

• OpenPhysicalConnectionService: Enable outbound traffic service.

• CreatePhysicalConnection: Apply for dedicated connection access.

• ApplyPhysicalConnectionLOA: Apply for LOA.

• DescribePhysicalConnectionLOA: Query dedicated connection LOA information.

• CompletePhysicalConnectionLOA: Complete the installation.

• CreatePhysicalConnectionOccupancyOrder: Create a resource usage fee order.

• ConfirmPhysicalConnection: Confirm the receipt of the dedicated connection. The status of the dedicated connection changes to Confirmed.

• EnablePhysicalConnection: Enable the dedicated connection in the Confirmed state. After the dedicated connection is enabled, it enters the Enabled state.

• DescribePhysicalConnections: Query the dedicated connections in a specified region.

• ModifyPhysicalConnectionAttribute: Modify the configuration of the dedicated connection.

• CancelPhysicalConnection: Cancel the dedicated connection access before it is enabled.

• TerminatePhysicalConnection: Terminate the dedicated connection.

• DeletePhysicalConnection: Delete the dedicated connection.