ExpressRoute Gateways
An Azure Virtual WAN ExpressRoute gateway is a network resource that you create in your Virtual WAN hub. It enables you to connect your on-premises networks to your Virtual WAN hub through Azure ExpressRoute circuits. This provides a secure and high-performance connection for hybrid cloud scenarios.
What is an ExpressRoute Gateway?
An ExpressRoute gateway in Virtual WAN acts as a bridge between your ExpressRoute circuits and your Virtual WAN hub. It allows you to leverage the benefits of ExpressRoute, such as dedicated private connectivity, higher bandwidth, and lower latency, while integrating seamlessly with the Virtual WAN networking fabric.
Key Features and Benefits
- High Performance Connectivity: Leverages ExpressRoute circuits for dedicated, private connections to Azure.
- Scalability: Supports multiple ExpressRoute circuits and scales to meet your bandwidth requirements.
- Global Reach: Connects your on-premises locations to any Azure region through the Virtual WAN hub.
- Simplified Management: Integrates with Virtual WAN for centralized management and monitoring.
- Redundancy: Supports redundant connections for high availability.
How it Works
When you create an ExpressRoute gateway in your Virtual WAN hub, it establishes a connection with your ExpressRoute circuit. Your on-premises network can then send traffic to the Virtual WAN hub through the ExpressRoute circuit. The hub then routes this traffic to your virtual networks (VNets) connected to the hub, or to other connected sites.
ExpressRoute Gateway SKUs
ExpressRoute gateways come in different SKUs, each offering varying levels of performance and throughput. You can choose the SKU that best suits your specific workload and bandwidth needs. Common SKUs include:
- Standard: Suitable for general connectivity and moderate workloads.
- HighPerformance: Designed for applications requiring higher throughput and lower latency.
The choice of SKU impacts the maximum bandwidth and the number of connections the gateway can support.
Considerations for Implementation
- Ensure your ExpressRoute circuit is provisioned and configured correctly.
- Choose the appropriate ExpressRoute gateway SKU based on your bandwidth and performance requirements.
- Configure BGP peering between your on-premises routers and the ExpressRoute gateway.
- Monitor the performance and health of your ExpressRoute gateway and connections through Azure Monitor.