IBM Cloud Direct Link provides a private, dedicated network connection between your enterprise network and IBM Cloud, replacing the public internet for IBM Cloud workloads. IZO™+ Multi Cloud Connect delivers Direct Link as a fully managed service over Tata Communications’ MPLS backbone, with Tata Communications acting as your Direct Link connectivity partner.
IZO™+ Multi Cloud Connect delivers IBM Cloud Direct Link over either a Tata Communications-managed direct interconnect or an Interconnection partner-routed path. Both Layer 3 (BGP) and Layer 2 (L2VPN) service types are supported, with Private peering (Public peering is not currently offered). Tata Communications uses ASN 4755, IBM uses ASN 13884.
How Tata Communications delivers Direct Link
IBM Cloud Direct Link uses your IBM account to associate the gateway with the connectivity partner:
-
You have a legal IBM Cloud account and share your IBM Customer Account ID with Tata Communications via the TCx Portal, along with your bandwidth, peering location and peering type (Private only).
-
Tata Communications creates the Direct Link Gateway ID for the chosen bandwidth and location.
-
Tata Communications shares the Gateway Name and Service ID with you.
-
You review and accept (or reject) the connection in your IBM Cloud console.
-
BGP comes up between the Tata Communications MPLS PE router and IBM.
A redundant pair requires two Gateway IDs (primary and secondary) – this applies to both Layer 2 and Layer 3. On Layer 3, Tata Communications runs the BGP to IBM (provider-managed) and configures the pair active/backup in the Tata Communications PE using an L3VPN service. Layer 2 and Layer 3 use separate Gateway IDs.
Connection paths
IZO™+ Multi Cloud Connect offers two paths to IBM Cloud Direct Link.
|
Capability |
Tata Communications-managed direct |
Interconnection Partner-routed |
|
Bandwidth range |
50 Mbps – 2 Gbps |
50 Mbps – 2 Gbps |
|
Encapsulation |
Dot1Q (C-tag) |
QinQ (S-tag + C-tag) |
|
MTU |
Standard |
Jumbo (< 9000) |
|
Peering |
Private only |
Private only |
|
L2VPN service |
Yes |
Yes |
|
L3VPN service |
Yes |
Yes |
Both paths present the same Direct Link service to IBM; the difference is how Tata Communications reaches the IBM Direct Link location. Choose the path your target metro is best served by – confirm with the Tata Communications team.
Service types: L3 and L2
-
Layer 3 (Private) – Tata Communications manages BGP with IBM over the gateway. Private peering reaches your VPC. Public peering is not currently offered. The service is built using L3VPN topologies (hub-and-spoke or full mesh) so your remote sites can reach IBM.
-
Layer 2 (L2VPN) – Tata Communications provides a point-to-point EoMPLS tunnel with Dot1Q tagging (ERS/EVPL, VLAN non-transparent), and you manage IP addressing and BGP directly with IBM. See IBM L2VPN Services.
Bandwidth
Standard bandwidth tiers are 50, 100, 200, 500 Mbps and 1, 2, 5, 10 Gbps, with 25, 40, 50 and 100 Gbps available on 100G NNIs only, subject to location. IBM does not support over-provisioning of bandwidth on the Direct Link. IBM does not support over-provisioning of bandwidth on the Direct Link. Bandwidth changes are made by Tata Communications on your behalf – upgrades subject to availability, and downgrades supported. See IBM Resiliency and High Availability for capacity planning.
What’s on the IBM side
These are completed in your IBM Cloud console:
-
Holding a legal IBM Cloud account and providing your IBM Account ID
-
Accepting (or rejecting) the gateway connection Tata Communications creates
-
Configuring VPC routing and your IBM-side resources
The end-to-end walkthrough is on IBM Direct Link Setup.