ExpressRoute Overview
This document provides an overview of Azure ExpressRoute, a cloud connectivity service that enables you to create private connections between your on-premises infrastructure and Microsoft Azure.
What is ExpressRoute?
ExpressRoute provides dedicated, high-throughput, low-latency connections between Azure datacenters and your infrastructure, either on-premises or in a colocation environment. It is not a VPN over the public internet. Instead, it uses a network provider to establish a direct connection.
Key Benefits
- Global Connectivity: Connect to Azure regions worldwide through a network of global partners.
- High Throughput: Support for bandwidths from 50 Mbps up to 100 Gbps, allowing for large data transfers.
- Low Latency: Direct connections ensure predictable performance and reduced latency for your applications.
- Reliability: Offers built-in redundancy and peering locations to ensure high availability.
- Security: Traffic does not traverse the public internet, offering an enhanced security posture.
- Cost Savings: Predictable pricing and the ability to optimize bandwidth costs.
How ExpressRoute Works
ExpressRoute connections are established through peering partners. You work with a supported network service provider to establish a circuit from your premises to a Microsoft peering location. These locations are strategically placed globally to offer connectivity to various Azure regions.
Connectivity Models
There are three primary connectivity models for ExpressRoute:
- CloudExchange Co-location: Connect directly within a colocation facility where Microsoft has a presence.
- Carrier-based Connectivity: Leverage your existing network provider to connect to ExpressRoute from your datacenter or office.
- ExpressRoute Direct: Connect directly from your network to a Microsoft edge router for maximum bandwidth and a simplified connection.
Peering Options
ExpressRoute supports several types of peering:
- Azure Public Peering: Provides access to public Microsoft Azure services (e.g., Azure Storage, Azure SQL Database).
- Azure Private Peering: Provides access to Azure resources deployed in your Azure Virtual Network (VNet).
- Microsoft Peering: Provides access to Microsoft 365 services (e.g., Office 365) and Dynamics 365.
Note: Microsoft Peering is available for specific services and may require a separate configuration.
ExpressRoute SKUs
ExpressRoute offers different pricing plans (SKUs) to match your bandwidth and data transfer needs:
- Standard SKU: Includes unlimited data transfer for all peering types.
- Premium SKU: Offers global connectivity across all regions, higher bandwidth options, and an additional Universal component.
Tip: When choosing a SKU, consider your projected data transfer volumes and the geographical scope of your Azure deployment.
Use Cases
ExpressRoute is ideal for scenarios such as:
- Migrating and running mission-critical workloads in Azure.
- Data warehousing and business continuity/disaster recovery (BCDR).
- High-performance computing (HPC).
- Connecting to Azure services from a hybrid cloud environment.
- Meeting compliance requirements that necessitate private connectivity.
Getting Started
To implement ExpressRoute, you will need to:
- Choose a connectivity provider.
- Select an ExpressRoute circuit and SKU.
- Work with your provider to provision the circuit.
- Configure your on-premises network and Azure Virtual Network for peering.
Warning: Setting up ExpressRoute involves coordination with a network provider and may take several weeks to provision.
For detailed configuration steps and more advanced topics, please refer to the related documentation sections.