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Lumen help

Adding a connection between two Azure Gov locations

You can add a Lumen® Ethernet On‑Demand connection between two Microsoft Azure Gov locations. To add the connection, you'll need ExpressRoute service keys from Microsoft (which you receive when you create an ExpressRoute circuit using the Azure portal). Be sure to have that information handy to type in (or copy/paste). Microsoft Azure Gov provides two EVCs to make the connection (which Control Center will create when you build the connection). You'll only be billed for one; the other is for redundancy.

 

Azure Gov also requires Q‑in‑Q style tagging (known as double‑stacked tags or 802.1ad) at the NNI. This provides layer‑2 flexibility by allowing multiple VLAN tags to be inserted into a single frame. Inner VLAN tags (C‑Tags) that identify your traffic are inserted inside of the outer VLAN tags (S‑Tags) provided by the service provider. The S‑Tag becomes a single VLAN that carries multiple VLANs within it. A single VXC carries the bundled VLAN tags between the two network endpoints. 

 

For Ethernet On‑Demand connections to Microsoft Azure Gov, your equipment must support 802.1ad (Q‑in‑Q). We recommend configuring your router for Q‑in‑Q before adding your Ethernet On‑Demand connection. Q‑in‑Q can be difficult to set up. Use the example below to set up Q‑in‑Q. 

Here’s an example below with a Cisco router.

You’ll assign the outer tag in NaaS Manager and the inner tag in the Azure portal (peering VLAN).

‘Primary EVC VLAN – 100 - NaaS Manager
‘Secondary EVC VLAN – 200 - NaaS Manager
‘Private Peering – VLAN 300 - Azure portal
‘MSFT Peering – VLAN 400 - Azure portal


interface GigabitEthernet0/1.100300
  encapsulation dot1Q 100 second-dot1q 300 ‘Azure Private primary peer
  description "Cloud Connect"
  ip address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 255.255.255.252


interface GigabitEthernet0/1.200300
  encapsulation dot1Q 200 second-dot1q 300 ‘Azure Private secondary peer
  description "Cloud Connect"
  ip address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 255.255.255.252


interface GigabitEthernet0/1.100400
  encapsulation dot1Q 100 second-dot1q 400 ‘MSFT primary peer
  description "Cloud Connect"
  ip address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 255.255.255.252


interface GigabitEthernet0/1.200400
  encapsulation dot1Q 200 second-dot1q 400 ‘MSFT secondary peer
  description "Cloud Connect"
  ip address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 255.255.255.252

There are three steps to successfully add and use a connection between two Azure Gov locations:

1. Create the ExpressRoute circuit
2. Add the connection in Control Center
3. Finish provisioning the ExpressRoute circuit

Note: You can only use a service key that isn't assigned to an active connection. The ExpressRoute service key is a unique service key and is different from the service key for your cloud service from Azure.

Step 1: Create the ExpressRoute circuit

To create an ExpressRoute circuit in the Azure Gov portal: 

  1. Go to the Azure Gov portal and sign in to create an ExpressRoute circuit. 
  1. Copy the Service key. You will paste this when creating the On-Demand connection.
  1. Verify the Azure Gov portal shows Not provisioned in the Provider status field and Enabled in the Circuit status field for the ExpressRoute circuit. Learn more about ExpressRoute circuit status 

Step 2: Add the connection in Control Center

To add the Ethernet On‑Demand connection:

  1. Using the left menu, click Services, then click Add Services.

    Control Center shows services you can add with the Lumen digital experience.
Add Services
  1. Click + Add for Ethernet On-Demand.
  1. From the Customer Account and Billing Account lists, select the customer number and billing account number you want to add Ethernet On-Demand to.
  1. In the Service Nickname field, type a name for the connection you're creating. (Be sure to use something memorable. This name will appear on your invoice.) 
  1. In the From Location field, select Cloud Provider. 
  1. Fill in the information for the connection:

    1. In the Cloud Provider field, select Azure (Gov). 

    2. In the ExpressRoute Service Key field, type or copy and paste your ExpressRoute service key provided by Microsoft. (Note: You can only use a service key that isn't assigned to an active connection. The ExpressRoute service key is a unique service key and is different from the service key for your cloud service from Azure.)

      Once you fill in the ExpressRoute service key, Control Center validates the service key from Microsoft. 
  1. In the To Location field, select Cloud Provider. 
  1. Fill in the information for the connection:

    1. In the Cloud Provider field, select Azure (Gov). 

    2. In the ExpressRoute Service Key field, type or copy and paste your ExpressRoute service key provided by Microsoft. (Note: You can only use a service key that isn't assigned to an active connection. The ExpressRoute service key is a unique service key and is different from the service key for your cloud service from Azure.)

      Once you fill in the ExpressRoute service key, Control Center validates the service key from Microsoft. 
NaaS Ethernet On-Demand connection between two Azure Gov locations
  1. Click CONTINUE. 
  1. In the Class of Service field, select whether you want Basic, Enhanced, or Dedicated. (Higher classes of service offer higher availability SLAs and allow you to increase traffic prioritization for your EVC.) 

    • Basic (best effort): The service may be oversubscribed on the Lumen network. 

    • Enhanced (mid class): Enhanced EVCs (ethernet virtual circuits) can still be oversubscribed like Basic class of service EVCs; however, traffic is marked with an internal class of service marking which will prioritize your traffic over best-effort traffic during times of congestion. For EVCs with this class of service, bandwidth is not reserved on the Lumen network and traffic will not take priority over real-time traffic in the network.

    • Dedicated (real time): The quality of service offering with the highest priority on the Lumen network. In addition, Lumen reserves the bandwidth for this EVC across the network on each ring that the EVC touches. Once it is dedicated to you, that bandwidth (and the corresponding CE-VLANs) sits in reserve regardless of how much bandwidth you use.
  1. Use the Billing Method buttons to select whether you want monthly or hourly billing for the connection.

    Control Center shows pricing for the billing method you selected.  
  1. In the Select Bandwidth field, select the bandwidth for the connection. Bandwidth options vary based on selected locations and cloud service providers. The maximum bandwidth available is the highest matching bandwidth at both locations. 
  1. Click CONTINUE.
  1. Review your connection information, then click SUBMIT ORDER. 

    Control Center creates the connection request and places it in the Pending Activation status. From here, you can view the status of the connection. 

Step 3: Finish provisioning the ExpressRoute circuit with Azure

To finish provisioning the ExpressRoute circuit: 

  1. Once the connection is in Active status, view the details for the information you need to take back to the Azure Gov portal to finish setting up the connection and creating the Azure private peering. 
  1. Complete the provisioning of your ExpressRoute circuit in the Azure Gov portal.
  1. Once Azure provisions the ExpressRoute circuit, the Provider Status field shows Provisioned.