What is an Azure ExpressRoute Circuit?
An Azure ExpressRoute circuit provides a private, dedicated, and high-throughput connection between your on-premises infrastructure or colocation environment and Microsoft Azure. This connection bypasses the public internet, offering enhanced reliability, faster speeds, and lower latency.
(Placeholder for a diagram illustrating an ExpressRoute connection)
Diagram showing on-premises network connected via ExpressRoute to Azure Virtual Network.
Key Benefits
- Increased Reliability: Dedicated circuits offer a more reliable network path compared to internet VPNs.
- High Throughput: Supports bandwidths from 50 Mbps up to 10 Gbps, catering to diverse workload needs.
- Lower Latency: Direct connectivity results in predictable network performance.
- Security: Traffic remains on the Microsoft network backbone, not traversing the public internet.
- Cost Efficiency: Predictable pricing and potentially lower data transfer costs for large volumes.
Components of an ExpressRoute Circuit
An ExpressRoute circuit is a logical representation of a physical connection. Key components include:
- Circuit: The logical construct in Azure that represents your connection.
- Peering Locations: Physical locations where Microsoft has ExpressRoute edge routers. You'll connect to one of these.
- Provider: A network service provider that offers ExpressRoute connectivity.
- Link: The physical connection established by your provider between your premises and the peering location.
Types of ExpressRoute Circuits
ExpressRoute offers different connectivity models:
1. Provider-based Connectivity
Work with a supported ExpressRoute partner to provision a circuit. This is the most common method and involves:
- Selecting an ExpressRoute partner.
- Choosing a peering location and bandwidth.
- The partner provisions the physical link and configuration.
2. Colocation
If you are already in a colocation facility that has Microsoft peering points, you can connect directly from your facility.
Creating an ExpressRoute Circuit
You can create an ExpressRoute circuit using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell. The process generally involves:
- Selecting a provider: Choose an ExpressRoute partner.
- Specifying bandwidth: Determine the required speed for your circuit.
- Choosing a location: Select the nearest peering location.
- Configuring peering: Set up private, Microsoft, or public peering.
- Provisioning: Work with your provider to finalize the physical connection.
Important Note
You will receive a Service Key (SK) after creating the circuit in Azure. This key must be provided to your connectivity provider to authorize and activate the circuit.
Managing Your ExpressRoute Circuit
Once provisioned, you can manage your circuit's settings in the Azure portal, including:
- Monitoring bandwidth utilization.
- Managing peerings.
- Configuring routing policies.
- Viewing circuit status.
Considerations for Routing
Understand the different peering types (Private, Microsoft, Public) and how they affect routing to your Azure resources and Microsoft services.
Best Practices
- Plan your bandwidth requirements carefully.
- Choose the closest peering location to minimize latency.
- Implement redundancy by creating multiple circuits or using different providers.
- Monitor your circuit performance regularly.
Pro Tip
For critical workloads, consider creating a redundant ExpressRoute circuit, potentially with a different provider or at a different peering location, to ensure high availability.
Explore the detailed documentation below for step-by-step guides and advanced configurations.
View detailed configuration steps.
Learn about ExpressRoute pricing.
Find supported ExpressRoute partners.