Azure ExpressRoute Direct Locations: Global Connectivity Options and Circuit Sizes

Azure ExpressRoute Direct Locations offer a range of global connectivity options, with over 100 locations worldwide.

These locations provide a secure and dedicated connection to Microsoft's global network, enabling fast and reliable data transfer between your premises and Azure cloud services.

ExpressRoute Direct Circuits can be provisioned in various sizes, from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps, to meet the varying needs of businesses and organizations.

This flexibility allows you to scale your connectivity as your business grows, without the need for additional hardware or configuration changes.

Azure ExpressRoute offers several key benefits that make it an attractive option for businesses looking to connect their on-premises network to the Microsoft Cloud.

With ExpressRoute, you can establish layer 3 connectivity between your on-premises network and the Microsoft Cloud through a connectivity provider. This is achieved through various methods such as an any-to-any (IPVPN) network, a point-to-point Ethernet connection, or a virtual cross-connection via an Ethernet exchange.

You can also enjoy connectivity to Microsoft cloud services across all regions in the geopolitical region, as well as global connectivity to Microsoft services across all regions with the ExpressRoute premium add-on.

ExpressRoute supports dynamic routing between your network and Microsoft via BGP, and built-in redundancy in every peering location for higher reliability. This means you can expect a connection uptime SLA and QoS support for Skype for Business.

Here are the key benefits of Azure ExpressRoute in a concise list:

Azure ExpressRoute is a private connection to Microsoft's cloud services, giving you direct access to your company's data while it's in the cloud.

ExpressRoute is set up with the help of Microsoft's strongest partners, making it a reliable option for businesses.

You can connect to Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, as well as other cloud services, through ExpressRoute.

ExpressRoute connects to Microsoft's cloud services over a private connection, which is more reliable and secure than typical internet connections.

This private connection reduces latency and improves security, giving you a faster and more consistent connection to the cloud.

With ExpressRoute, you can choose from different types of connectivity, including any-to-any (IP VPN) networks, point-to-point Ethernet networks, and virtual cross-connections through a connectivity provider at a colocation facility.

Azure ExpressRoute offers redundancy, ensuring that your connection remains stable even if one link goes down. Each ExpressRoute circuit consists of two connections to two PowerShell Direct enabled MSEEs at an ExpressRoute Location from the connectivity provider/your network edge.

Connectivity is not limited to a single region, with ExpressRoute allowing you to connect to all regions within a geopolitical region. This means you can access all Microsoft cloud services hosted within the corresponding region.

With ExpressRoute Premium, you can even extend connectivity across international geopolitical lines, giving you access to all Microsoft cloud services hosted in any region across the globe.

Azure ExpressRoute allows you to connect to Microsoft's cloud service via more reliable connections with faster transfer speeds. This reduces your security footprint and gives you access to Microsoft's cloud infrastructure.

ExpressRoute is used to connect a virtual network with your Azure VNet using either an endpoint or a Microsoft edge router. This provides lower latency and higher security than a traditional router connection to Azure.

A circuit is a means of transmitting data via ExpressRoute provider's edge routers to Microsoft Edge routers. Circuits form between on-premises networks and virtual networks.

Your on-premise business's network connects to ExpressRoute provider's edge routers, which acts as the gateway between Microsoft Cloud and your network. This router acts as an entry point for Microsoft Cloud.

Here are the different methods ExpressRoute uses to extend your existing private networks to Microsoft:

Microsoft employs more than 3,500 security experts dedicated to data security and privacy.

Colt is a Microsoft ExpressRoute Technology Partner, providing secure and reliable connectivity to Microsoft Azure Cloud.

With ExpressRoute, you can establish connections to Microsoft cloud services, such as Microsoft Azure and Office 365, over a private connection.

AWE Management offers point-to-point Ethernet links for secure connections between your site and the Microsoft cloud.

Each ExpressRoute circuit consists of two connections to two PowerShell Direct enabled MSEEs at an ExpressRoute Location, ensuring redundancy.

Colt provides Ethernet connectivity services, including an option for a managed router add-on, for seamless integrations of Microsoft Azure into their SD WAN and IP VPN network solutions.

You can connect your private network to Microsoft in one of their peering locations, gaining access to all Microsoft cloud services hosted within the corresponding region.

VLAN tagging is a feature that allows for isolated routing domains on a per ExpressRoute circuit basis. This is achieved through QinQ VLAN tagging, which dynamically assigns a unique S-Tag at circuit creation and can't be changed.

The C-Tag used on a peering must be unique across all circuits and peerings on the ExpressRoute Direct port pair when using Dot1Q VLAN tagging. This ensures that each peering on the circuit has a unique VLAN.

QinQ VLAN Tagging allows for isolated routing domains on a per ExpressRoute circuit basis, making it a great option for those who need to manage multiple circuits separately.

To set up an ExpressRoute circuit, you'll need to configure your network to use the Direct Connect Gateway feature.

ExpressRoute Direct locations can be configured as a hub-and-spoke network, where a central location connects to multiple spokes.

Each ExpressRoute Direct location has a unique IP address range that you'll need to configure on your network devices.

For maximum resiliency, Microsoft recommends establishing a connection to two ExpressRoute circuits in two peering locations.

You can achieve standard resiliency by connecting to a single ExpressRoute circuit with redundant connections within a single peering location, which is suitable for non-production and non-critical workloads.

The Azure portal offers a guided experience to help you create a resilient ExpressRoute configuration.

To achieve maximum resiliency with Azure PowerShell, CLI, ARM template, Terraform, and Bicep, create a second ExpressRoute circuit in a different ExpressRoute location and establish a connection to it.

The Azure portal provides a convenient and user-friendly way to set up a resilient ExpressRoute configuration.

Direct connections with Microsoft's global network are possible through ExpressRoute Direct, which provides dual 100-Gbps connectivity for Active/Active connectivity at scale.

ExpressRoute Direct is strategically distributed across the world, giving customers the opportunity to connect directly into Microsoft's network at peering locations.

This feature supports massive data ingestion into services like Azure Storage and Azure Cosmos DB, making it ideal for businesses that handle large amounts of data.

Physical isolation is also provided for regulated industries that require dedicated and isolated connectivity, such as banks, governments, and retailers.

Granular control of circuit distribution based on business unit is another key feature of ExpressRoute Direct.

Here are some of the key features of ExpressRoute Direct:

With ExpressRoute Premium, you can extend connectivity across geopolitical boundaries, giving you access to all Microsoft cloud services hosted in every region across the globe.

You can connect to Microsoft in Amsterdam through ExpressRoute and have access to services deployed in West US or Australian East the same way you access North and West Europe regions.

This means you can access services in South America or Australia the same way you access North and West Europe regions, making it easier to do business globally.

With ExpressRoute Global Reach, you can exchange data across your on-premises sites by connecting your ExpressRoute circuits, allowing you to connect your private data centres together through Microsoft's network.

You can connect to Microsoft in one of our peering locations and access regions within the geopolitical region, such as all Microsoft cloud services hosted in Northern and Western Europe if you connect to Microsoft in Amsterdam through ExpressRoute.

Azure ExpressRoute Direct Locations offer several connectivity options to ensure fast, reliable, and private connections to the Microsoft cloud.

You can extend your on-premises networks into the Microsoft cloud over a private connection with ExpressRoute, which lets you establish connections to Microsoft cloud services like Azure and Office 365.

Cinos have dedicated network POP locations in both Manchester and London, providing dedicated network connectivity from your site to Azure at speeds of up to 10Gbps.

Microsoft employs more than 3,500 security experts who are dedicated to data security and privacy.

You can connect your on-premises data centers/offices to the Microsoft cloud through point-to-point Ethernet links provided by AWE Management, offering Layer 2 connections or managed Layer 3 connections between your site and the Microsoft cloud.

With ExpressRoute, you can connect and add compute and storage capacity to your existing data centres, enjoying high throughput and fast latencies that make Azure feel like a natural extension to or between your data centres.