How do I migrate my network traffic from a Direct Connect virtual interface that's associated with a virtual private gateway to a Direct Connect gateway?

Short description

To migrate traffic from a Direct Connect virtual interface that's associated with a virtual private gateway to a Direct Connect gateway, create a new virtual interface. When you create the new virtual interface, associate the virtual interface with your new Direct Connect gateway. To migrate traffic to the Direct Connect gateway, use Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) attributes on your network device, such as AS path prepending.

Resolution

Note: Before you precede, check your vendor documentation for instructions on how to configure BGP on your network device.

To minimize downtime, complete the following steps during a scheduled maintenance window:

1. Create a new Direct Connect gateway.
2. Create a new private virtual interface.
   Important: When you're creating the private virtual interface, make sure to associate the virtual interface with the new Direct Connect gateway.
3. Associate the virtual private gateway that's already attached to your virtual private cloud (VPC) with the new Direct Connect gateway.
4. (Optional) To minimize downtime, pre-stage the configuration on your network device for the new virtual interface.
5. Use BGP to configure a longer AS_Path routing policy on the same prefixes that you configure the new virtual interface to advertise. This step configures outbound traffic from AWS to prefer the existing virtual interface route with a shorter AS_Path.
   Note: To be sure that traffic from your network device egresses from the existing virtual interface, use the Local Preference BGP attribute on your network device.
6. During your maintenance window, close the BGP session for the existing virtual interface on your network device.
7. Wait for the network traffic from AWS to propagate through the new virtual interface.
8. Check your network device to confirm that it receives traffic from the new virtual interface.

Related information

AWS Direct Connect virtual interfaces

Routing policies and BGP communities