AWS Direct Connect Popular2011年〜
A service that provides a dedicated network connection between on-premises and AWS for stable, low-latency connectivity
What It Does
AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated network connection between your on-premises data center or office and AWS, bypassing the public internet. It offers dedicated connections at 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, and 100 Gbps, as well as hosted connections from 50 Mbps to 10 Gbps. Compared to internet-based connections, it delivers consistent bandwidth, low latency, and reliable network quality.
Use Cases
It is used by enterprises that regularly transfer large volumes of data to AWS, financial institutions that require network stability and low latency, and organizations that need guaranteed communication quality between on-premises and AWS in hybrid cloud environments. It also handles large-scale workloads where VPN bandwidth is insufficient.
Everyday Analogy
Think of it like a dedicated highway lane. Regular roads (the internet) experience traffic jams (bandwidth fluctuations), but a dedicated lane (Direct Connect) is unaffected by other vehicles (traffic) and always reaches the destination (AWS) at a consistent speed. The cost is fixed, but arrival time is guaranteed.
What Is Direct Connect?
AWS Direct Connect is a networking service that connects on-premises environments to AWS via a dedicated line. Normally, AWS is accessed over the internet, but since the internet is a shared medium, bandwidth and latency can fluctuate throughout the day. Direct Connect uses a dedicated physical line, ensuring consistent network quality at all times.
Connection Types
Direct Connect offers two connection types. Dedicated connections provide exclusive use of a physical port at 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, or 100 Gbps, suitable for high-volume communication needs. Hosted connections share a line through an AWS Partner, with flexible bandwidth options from 50 Mbps to 10 Gbps. Hosted connections are a convenient starting point for smaller-scale connectivity.
Virtual Interfaces
With Direct Connect, you can create multiple virtual interfaces (VIFs) on a single physical connection. Private VIFs connect to resources within a VPC, public VIFs connect to AWS public services like S3 and DynamoDB, and transit VIFs connect to multiple VPCs via Transit Gateway. For detailed information on virtual interfaces, books on Amazon also cover this topic.
Getting Started
To get started with Direct Connect, request a connection in the Direct Connect console. Select an AWS Direct Connect location (data center) and specify the connection speed. Since physical line provisioning takes several weeks, it is important to plan ahead. Once provisioned, create virtual interfaces and configure routing to your VPCs and public services.
Things to Watch Out For
- Physical line provisioning takes several weeks to months, so submit your request early in the project planning phase
- For redundancy, it is recommended to set up two or more connections at different Direct Connect locations, or use VPN as a backup
- In addition to per-GB data transfer charges, port-hour charges apply. Consider the trade-offs with VPN based on your usage patterns
