ExpressRoute Circuit Overview
This document provides a comprehensive overview of Azure ExpressRoute circuits, detailing their purpose, core components, functionalities, and how they are managed within the Azure platform.
What is an ExpressRoute Circuit?
Azure ExpressRoute allows you to create private connections between Microsoft Azure datacenters and infrastructure that is located on-premises or in a colocation environment. ExpressRoute is not a VPN over the public internet. It's a dedicated, private network connection. This offers higher reliability, faster speeds, lower latencies, and greater security than typical internet connections.
An ExpressRoute circuit is the fundamental resource you create in Azure to represent this dedicated connection. It's a logical representation of the physical circuit provisioned by a connectivity provider.
Key Components of an ExpressRoute Circuit
- Provider: The connectivity provider (e.g., AT&T, Verizon, Equinix) that facilitates the physical connection from your premises to an Azure Edge router.
- Location: The peering location where your network connects to the Microsoft network.
- Bandwidth: The speed of the connection you have provisioned (e.g., 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps).
- SKU: The type of ExpressRoute circuit. There are two main types:
- Standard: Offers global connectivity and unlimited data transfer.
- Premium: Includes all Standard features plus global routing, increased number of BGP communities, and higher limits on routes.
- Provider Service Key: A unique identifier provided by your connectivity provider that is required to activate your ExpressRoute circuit in Azure.
- Circuit Status: Indicates the current state of the circuit (e.g., NotProvisioned, Provisioning, Provisioned, Deleting).
How ExpressRoute Circuits Work
When you order an ExpressRoute circuit, you first provision it with a connectivity provider. This involves selecting a peering location and specifying the desired bandwidth. Once the physical connection is established, the provider will give you a service key. You then use this key in the Azure portal or via Azure CLI/PowerShell to provision the corresponding ExpressRoute circuit resource in your Azure subscription. This activates the circuit and allows you to configure routing and connectivity.
Peering Types
ExpressRoute circuits support three types of peering:
- Azure Public Peering: Allows access to public Azure services (e.g., Storage, SQL Database) via Microsoft's global network.
- Azure Private Peering: Allows access to Azure resources deployed in your virtual networks (e.g., Virtual Machines).
- Microsoft Peering: Allows access to Microsoft 365 services (e.g., Office 365, Dynamics 365).
Managing Your ExpressRoute Circuit
You can manage your ExpressRoute circuits using various tools:
- Azure Portal: A graphical interface for creating, configuring, and monitoring ExpressRoute circuits.
- Azure CLI: A command-line interface for automating ExpressRoute management tasks.
- Azure PowerShell: A scripting environment for managing Azure resources, including ExpressRoute.
- REST API: For programmatic interaction with ExpressRoute resources.
Key Management Tasks
- Creating and deleting circuits.
- Configuring peering.
- Managing authorization keys.
- Monitoring circuit bandwidth utilization and performance.
- Updating circuit properties.
Important: Ensure you have a service key from your connectivity provider before you attempt to create the ExpressRoute circuit resource in Azure.
Pricing and Billing
ExpressRoute pricing typically consists of:
- Port Charges: Based on the bandwidth provisioned and the ExpressRoute SKU (Standard or Premium).
- Data Transfer Charges: Included for unlimited data transfer with the Standard and Premium SKUs.
- Provider Charges: Fees charged by your connectivity provider for the physical circuit.
For detailed pricing information, please refer to the Azure ExpressRoute pricing page.
Next Steps
To get started with ExpressRoute, consider the following:
| Feature |
Standard SKU |
Premium SKU |
| Global Connectivity |
Yes |
Yes |
| Unlimited Data Transfer |
Yes |
Yes |
| Microsoft Peering |
Yes |
Yes |
| Number of Routes (Public Peering) |
~400 |
~1000 |
| Number of Routes (Private Peering) |
~400 |
~1000 |