Azure ExpressRoute: Private, High-Performance Connectivity

Azure ExpressRoute extends your on-premises networks into the Microsoft cloud over a private connection facilitated by a connectivity provider. ExpressRoute is not an internet connection; it's a direct, dedicated, and optimized path to Azure services.

Key Benefit: ExpressRoute offers lower latencies, higher throughput, and improved reliability compared to standard internet connections.

What is Azure ExpressRoute?

Azure ExpressRoute enables you to create private connections between Azure datacenters and your infrastructure, which can be located either on-premises or in a colocation facility. This connection can be from:

A network in your organization.
An Internet Service Provider (ISP).
An ExpressRoute partner.

Unlike VPNs over the public internet, ExpressRoute connections offer higher security, reliability, and speeds, and, importantly, lower and more consistent latencies.

How ExpressRoute Works

ExpressRoute connections are established through a network of global partners that provide Layer 2 connectivity (from the Ethernet VPN-based) or Layer 3 connectivity (IP VPN-based) between your premises and Microsoft's peering locations. You choose a connectivity provider and a port speed, and then configure your virtual network gateway in Azure to connect to the ExpressRoute circuit.

Key Components:

ExpressRoute Circuit: A dedicated link provisioned with your connectivity provider.
Connectivity Provider: A partner that offers physical connectivity to an ExpressRoute peering location.
Peering Locations: Points of presence (PoPs) where Microsoft exchanges traffic with connectivity providers.
Azure Virtual Network Gateway: The connection point in Azure for your ExpressRoute circuit.

Use Cases for ExpressRoute

Hybrid Cloud Scenarios: Seamlessly extend your datacenter to Azure for disaster recovery, high-availability, or workload migration.
Large Data Transfers: Efficiently move large datasets to or from Azure Storage, Azure SQL Database, or other Azure services.
Low-Latency Workloads: Applications requiring predictable, low-latency connectivity benefit significantly.
Regulatory Compliance: For organizations with strict data residency or privacy requirements, ExpressRoute provides an isolated network path.

ExpressRoute Tiers and Pricing

ExpressRoute offers different connectivity options to suit various needs:

Standard: Offers unlimited data and is priced based on port speed and data allowance (though often data is unlimited).
Premium Add-on: Provides higher global routing prefixes and global connectivity for ExpressRoute circuits.

Pricing is typically based on the port speed you provision (e.g., 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps) and the data transfer consumption (for Standard circuits, often unlimited). Consult the Azure Pricing page for detailed cost breakdowns.

Getting Started with ExpressRoute

Choose a Connectivity Provider: Select a partner from the list of ExpressRoute partners.
Order an ExpressRoute Circuit: Work with your chosen provider to provision a circuit with the desired port speed and location.
Configure in Azure: Create an ExpressRoute circuit resource in your Azure subscription and associate it with your virtual network gateway.
Establish Peering: Configure BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) between your on-premises routers and the Microsoft edge routers.

Important: Ensure your network infrastructure is compatible with ExpressRoute requirements, especially concerning BGP configurations and routing policies.

Learn More

For in-depth technical details, configuration guides, and troubleshooting tips, please refer to the official Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute documentation: