IBM Cloud Direct Link FAQs

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about connecting to IBM Cloud with IZO™+ Multi Cloud Connect. For step-by-step detail, follow the linked pages.

Getting connected

How do I start an IBM connection?

You share your IBM Account ID with Tata Communications via the TC^x Portal; Tata Communications creates the Direct Link Gateway ID and shares the Gateway Name and Service ID; you accept the connection in your IBM Cloud console. See IBM Direct Link Setup.

Why does Tata Communications create the gateway, not me?

For IBM Direct Link Connect, Tata Communications (your connectivity partner) creates the gateway from your IBM Account ID and the bandwidth/location you specify, then hands it to you to accept – so the gateway attributes are set correctly at creation.

Which connection paths are available?

A Tata Communications-managed direct interconnect and a partner-routed path, both at 50 Mbps–2 Gbps. The choice depends on how your target metro is best served.

Bandwidth

What bandwidths are available?

50, 100, 200, 500 Mbps and 1, 2, 5, 10 Gbps, with 25/40/50/100 Gbps on 100G NNIs only, with availability depending on the location. IBM does not support over-provisioning.

Can I change bandwidth later?

Yes. Tata Communications changes bandwidth on your behalf – upgrades subject to availability on the circuit, and downgrades supported.

Routing and peering

What ASNs are used?

IBM uses 13884; Tata Communications uses 4755 (fixed).

Which peering types are supported?

Private peering (to your VPC).

Public peering is not currently offered for IBM Direct Link through IZO™+ Multi Cloud Connect.

Are there prefix limits?

Yes – IBM enforces 200 prefixes per peer on Private virtual circuits. Exceeding the limit brings the session down until advertisements fall back under it.

Is BFD used?

Yes – BFD runs at 300 ms × 3 on every BGP session for fast failure detection and session monitoring, not for establishing BGP .

Service types and resilience

What’s the difference between Layer 3 and Layer 2?

On Layer 3, Tata Communications runs the BGP to IBM (4755 <--> 13884) and you reach the VPC over the L3VPN. On Layer 2, Tata Communications provides a point-to-point EoMPLS Dot1Q tunnel (ERS/EVPL, VLAN non-transparent) and you manage IP and BGP directly with IBM. See IBM L2VPN Services.

How resilient is the connection?

Tata Communications delivers over dual interconnects with circuits on both the primary and secondary NNI by default. IBM supports three resiliency architectures, from same-location up to multi-zone/region. See IBM Resiliency and High Availability.

MTU and security

Does the connection support jumbo frames?

Jumbo MTU (less than 9000) is supported on the partner-routed path. On the direct path, the MTU follows the Direct Link configuration – confirm the value for your circuit with the Tata Communications team.

Can the connection be encrypted?

Direct Link provides a private, dedicated path that does not traverse the public internet. If you have specific encryption requirements, contact the Tata Communications support team via the TC^x Portal to discuss the options.

Who manages the CPE?

The cloud connection is delivered as an unmanaged service, so CPE configuration sits with you, using the parameters Tata Communications provides.

Still stuck?

If your question isn’t answered here, see IBM Troubleshooting for symptom-based diagnostics, or raise a ticket from the Support area of the TC^x Portal.