FAQs for Direct Link
You can review answers to some frequently asked questions about IBM Cloud® Direct Link.
How does Direct Link differ from Direct Link on Classic?
The Direct Link offering differs from Direct Link on Classic in that Direct Link is decoupled from classic IaaS, and exists only in the local cross-connect router (XCR). This design enables native connectivity to VPC and future capabilities without being forced into the classic IaaS network.
Direct Link allows connectivity to both classic IaaS as well as VPCs, whereas IBM Cloud Direct Link on Classic always connects to the IaaS network and a global VRF first. IBM Cloud Direct Link on Classic can only reach the VPC on a limited basis using a feature named Classic Access and by adding global routing to the direct link. See Setting up access to your Classic Infrastructure from VPC for more information.
For more information about the differences between the new Direct Link offering and the classic version (Direct Link on Classic), see How do I know which Direct Link solution to order?.
Direct Link pricing
See the following FAQs for pricing details.
Where do I find cost estimates for Direct Link offerings?
You can estimate the cost of a service using the cost estimator on the provisioning page of Direct Link offerings. For example, log in to the IBM Cloud Direct Link console and click Order Direct Link. Then, choose to order Direct Link Connect or Direct Link Dedicated. You can click the Pricing tab to get cost estimates or, as you complete the ordering form, cost estimates will appear in the Summary side panel.
In terms of cost, what do I pay for?
There are two Direct Link pricing plans: metered and unmetered. Metered has a port fee and bill per GB egressed across the Direct Link. Unmetered billing has a higher port fee and no usage charges, which are ideal for customers who consistently egress traffic across their direct link.
Direct Link pricing does NOT include any additional charges by service providers to enable connectivity to Direct Link.
What extra charges will I incur from other parties with Direct Link?
You might have extra charges from your provider. See to your carrier or service provider for their fee information.
You, the customer, must arrange connectivity and billing with your service providers, independently of Direct Link. Direct Link creates a Letter Of Authorization / Connecting Facility Assignment (LOA/CFA) which is usable by any service provider who can reach the Meet Me Room that is specified on that LOA/CFA. The provider who is connecting to the LOA/CFA must include pricing for the cross-connect in their quote to you. Direct Link does not order cross-connects on behalf of any customer.
Can I change billing options after my direct link is provisioned?
Yes, you can change billing options after a direct link is provisioned, regardless of whether you chose global or local routing. For example, to change from metered to unmetered billing, navigate to the Details page of the direct link and click Edit. In the side panel, select Unmetered in the Billing section, review the updated information, then agree to the prerequisites and click Submit.
When does billing begin with Direct Link?
The fees for Direct Link cover the cost of service termination on the IBM Cloud infrastructure.
Infrastructure services are billed in advance and begin upon acceptance of a client’s order. However, due to the nature of IBM Cloud Direct Link, the Direct Link service billing begins when a BGP session is established with IBM Cloud, or 30 days after the order is submitted.
Billing stops after (1) you request a circuit to be deleted, and (2) the provider has de-provisioned the circuit.
Where can you find metric or usage data?
The Direct Link offerings do not provide reporting metrics or usage data. If you need to collect metrics for a Dedicated direct link, you can collect this data from your equipment. To collect metrics from a Connect direct link, reach out to the provider for metrics if you are not able to collect data from your equipment.
Will Direct Link be available in non-MZRs, or is it only a solution for MZRs?
Initial rollout plans are for the Multi-Zone Regions (MZRs) to be prioritized. Other PoPs across the portfolio will support the new Direct Link access model, enabling access to the classic infrastructure and VPC expansions as they occur.
If Direct Link is not available for single-campus multizone regions, how do financial services clients handle the data that they need to keep in their regions?
Any existing customers on classic IaaS can remain in classic IaaS and continue to access classic IaaS data centers using Direct Link or IBM Cloud Direct Link on Classic. VPC connectivity is fully supported ONLY on Direct Link.
Where are the Direct Link offerings enabled?
For the most up-to-date information, see Direct Link Dedicated and Direct Link Connect locations.
Can I request to change a VLAN ID on IBM Cloud for a provisioned Direct Link Connect gateway with an VLAN that is already allocated?
For a direct link that was provisioned via the IBM console, a VLAN ID update is not supported. For a direct link provisioned via Provider API, you can request a VLAN update using the Provider portal/APIs, or request a VLAN update by opening an IBM Support case.
How do I interconnect the classic infrastructure and VPC?
You can connect the classic infrastructure and VPC with classic peering as described in Setting up access to your Classic Infrastructure from VPC.
Classic access features of VPC are an option at VPC setup and can only be enabled at the initial VPC creation.
Is there a way to connect Direct Link to VPC without using the classic infrastructure?
Yes, this is possible on Direct Link. The VRF created is local to the XCR versus global on the classic infrastructure. Route targeting to VPC then enables Direct Link to be used with VPC natively using the UI (without touching the classic infrastructure).
When routing on-premises subnets from the direct link through a VPC, you must create a route in the VPC routing table. For more information, see Creating a route.
Are there documented limitations for Direct Link?
Yes, they are listed in Known limitations.
How do I move from IBM Cloud Direct Link on Classic to the new Direct Link?
Direct Link has a new user interface and records system, requiring you to place a brand new Direct Link order.
Are there any performance impacts affected by moving from IBM Cloud Direct Link on Classic?
The new Direct Link performs better as it's not required to exist inside your global VRF for classic IaaS. It is a true access platform to all of IBM Cloud.
What are the tools for monitoring the consumption of resources associated with the service, as well as the costs and the quality of the service?
IBM Cloud Direct Link is integrated into the IBM Cloud usage dashboard, which provides a summary of estimated charges for all services and resources that are used per month in your organizations. This includes the number of connections and the amount of traffic flowing across your direct links. IBM Cloud Direct Link usage is billed and reported as part of the IBM Cloud invoice process.
How does IBM Cloud Direct Link work?
For every Direct Link customer, the IBM Cloud® team assigns a small private subnet to build a point-to-point network between the IBM Cloud cross-connect router (XCR) and your Edge router. Then, you and IBM Cloud configure the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to exchange routes between the environments. Finally, IBM Cloud places you into a VRF to allow for the implementation of non-unique routes to the private address space of your remote network.
If I order a direct link with local routing, is it possible to upgrade and switch to global routing later?
Yes, you can change the routing option any time after creating the gateway. To do so, click Actions on the gateway's details page and then click Edit. This is not a disruptive change.
How can I achieve redundancy with Direct Link?
Direct Link does not provide an inherently redundant service. Direct Link can provide diverse connections that enable you to create redundancy using BGP. You can achieve diversity with Direct Link by connecting to more than one IBM Cloud Direct Link Dedicated service provider for IBM Cloud.
What's the difference between the default local routing and global routing for Direct Link?
The local routing option is the default routing option. If your Direct Link is connected at the local PoP, it provides access to all data centers within that same market. In some markets, local routing is applicable for stand-alone PoP locations and direct links that are terminated at the data center.
With our standard Direct Link offering, you can send traffic between the data centers in your selected region. If you need access to other data centers outside the specified region, you must use global routing. For example, you might use global routing to share workloads between dispersed IBM Cloud resources, such Dallas to Ashburn, or Dallas to Frankfurt.
Why does global routing exist for Direct Link?
Global routing prevents you from experiencing unexpected data costs when traversing outside of your data center's local market. It lowers costs, and, if you have a global presence, allows you to reach all regions easily. However, usually you require only a local bandwidth package.
If I am connected to a Direct Link in a region, such as Dallas, can I access other regions in the US through Direct Link?
Yes, you are able to gain access to areas outside of your local market if you choose global routing. If this option is not selected, your Direct Link traffic is limited to the local market for the PoP or data center location you selected.
Can I connect to any available region from a given Direct Link location?
Yes, if you order Direct Link with global routing.
Can I restrict the regions that my Direct Link can reach?
No. IBM Cloud offers two options: (1) A local market only, or (2) all regions with global routing.
Does IBM Support IPv6 over Direct Link?
Not for the BGP session. We must assign our /30 from IPv4, and we need the same in return from you.
Does IBM do IPV6 on the private network?
No. IPv6 is public only.
Does Direct Link support any type of Quality of Service (QoS)?
We are unable to support any QoS guarantees. QoS requires MPLS mapping between each of our service suppliers and IBM Cloud. Cloud service providers generally cannot support QoS because it must reach from end-to-end and involve every device in between. No workaround is currently available by "tunneling" or any other method.
Does Direct Link support Jumbo frames?
Jumbo frames (up to 9214 bytes) are supported on Direct Link Dedicated.
How easy is it to upgrade the bandwidth of my Direct Link Dedicated connection, for example 1 - 5 GB?
Typically, IBM installs speeds of 1 GB and lower on 1 GB optics. For speeds of 2-10 GB, IBM installs 10 GB optics. As a result, an upgrade of 1-5 GB would require new optics to be assigned or inserted. It would be a service affecting event. If you anticipate that type of growth, it's possible to request 10 GB optical fibers to be installed at the beginning of your Direct Link deployment, or to order 2 GB initially so that the 10 GB optics are in place.
Is ECMP the best choice for redundant Direct Link connections? What alternatives exist?
ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path) is primarily designed for load balancing across multiple links, not for providing redundancy. When using ECMP, both connections typically terminate at the same IBM Cloud cross-connect router (XCR), creating a single point of failure. Essentially, ECMP can be set up as two sessions on a single XCR.
It's important to note that you don’t have to use the same XCR for both connections. There may be scenarios involving AS Path issues similar to those mentioned in Route report considerations. Additionally, with two 10 GB direct links using ECMP, if you exceed 10 GB of throughput and one link fails, the remaining 10 GB link could become overloaded.
IBM Cloud does NOT recommend using ECMP in this context. ECMP load balancing only apples to traffic at the XCRs. Beyond the XCRs, the traffic from ECMP appears as the same IP address to IBM Cloud network, which defaults to the shortest path found. As a result, only one of the direct links in the ECMP configuration is actively used at a given time.
If redundancy is your goal, consider establishing two Direct Link connections——one for each XCR. For those interested in using ECMP alongside redundancy, you would need two Direct Links to each XCR to enable simultaneous ECMP sessions. Alternatively, some customers set up two links to different XCRs in the same data center, such as WDC02, and then manage failover through BGP configurations. While this approach offers some redundancy, it is less safe than having Direct Link connections in separate data centers, like WDC02 and WDC05.
Another consideration with ECMP is that if you have two VPCs advertising the same route, it might attempt to load balance across those as well. This behavior isn't limited to direct links or GREs; it can also apply to IBM Power Virtual Server workspaces.
For Direct Link offerings, does IBM set a BGP password?
By default, BGP passwords for Direct Link aren't set up. Currently, BGP MD5 authentication is supported.