Azure ExpressRoute comes in two models.
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IZO™+ Multi Cloud Connect delivers the provider-provisioned model, where Tata Communications provisions the circuit over its backbone and you connect using a service key.
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ExpressRoute Direct is a separate, customer-owned model with dedicated ports into Microsoft’s network – it is procured and operated directly with Microsoft.
Two ways to reach Azure with ExpressRoute
Microsoft offers ExpressRoute connectivity in two forms:
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Provider-provisioned ExpressRoute – you create an ExpressRoute circuit in the Azure portal, choose a connectivity provider, and connect through that provider’s network. This is the model IZO™+ Multi Cloud Connect delivers.
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ExpressRoute Direct – you provision dedicated ports (10 Gbps or 100 Gbps port capacity) directly into Microsoft’s network at an ExpressRoute Direct location, and carve circuits from those ports yourself.
When organisations consider ExpressRoute Direct
ExpressRoute Direct is typically considered by organisations that need one or more of:
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Very high aggregate capacity at a single location, using dedicated 10 Gbps or 100 Gbps ports.
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A large number of circuits carved from the same physical ports.
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Port-level isolation – physically dedicated ports into Microsoft’s network rather than shared provider infrastructure.
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MAC-layer encryption (MACsec) on the ports. MACsec is a property of ExpressRoute Direct ports; it is not available on a provider-provisioned ExpressRoute circuit.
For most enterprises, the provider-provisioned model that IZO™+ Multi Cloud Connect delivers meets the requirement without the operational overhead of owning and managing dedicated ports.
Availability
ExpressRoute Direct is provisioned and managed in the Azure portal, and the dedicated ports are a commercial and operational arrangement directly between you and Microsoft. If you’re weighing ExpressRoute Direct against the provider-provisioned model, contact the Tata Communications support team via the TCx Portal to discuss the options.