How do I build a Direct Connect LAG?

Short description

A LAG is a logical interface that uses the link aggregation control protocol (LACP) to aggregate multiple connections at a single Direct Connect endpoint. This aggregation allows you to treat the multiple connections as a single managed connection.

All LAGs have an attribute that determines the minimum number of connections in the LAG required for the LAG to be operational. By default, new LAGs have this attribute set to 0. You can update your LAG to specify a different value. If the number of operational connections fall below your updating setting, then your LAG becomes non-operational. This attribute is also used to prevent over-utilization of the remaining connections.

Before you build a LAG, make sure of the following:

• Your connection must be on the same AWS device (terminating at the same Direct Connect endpoint)
• All connections must use the same bandwidth
• The overall connection limit for the AWS Region where you're creating the LAG can't be exceeded
• All connections must be dedicated and have speeds of 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 100 Gbps

Important: Connections that are associated to the LAG must be on the same device. AWS can't guarantee enough available ports on a given Direct Connect endpoint when you create a LAG or associate connections to a LAG. All connections in a LAG operate in Active/Active mode.

Resolution

Create a LAG by one of the following methods:

• Create a LAG with new connections
• Create a LAG with existing connections

Create a LAG with new connections

1.    Sign into the AWS Management Console and open the Direct Connect console.

2.    In the navigation pane, choose LAGs.

3.    Choose Create LAG.

4.    Under Lag creation type, choose Request new connections, and provide the following information:

• Lag name: a name for your LAG.
• Location: the location of your LAG.
• Port speed: The port speed of your connections.
• Number of new connections: The number of new connections you're going to create. You can have a maximum of four connections for port speeds of 1G or 10G and two connections for a port speed of 100G.

Note: Steps 5 and 6 are optional. If you don't want to configure MAC security settings or add or remove a tag, then skip to step 7.

5.    (Optional) Configure MAC security for your connection. Under Additional Settings, select Request a MACsec capable port.

Note: MACsec is only available on dedicated connections.

6.    (Optional) Add or remove a tag as follows:

• To add a tag, choose Add tag, and then enter the key name for Key and enter the key value for Value.
• To remove a tag, choose Remove tag next to the tag.

7.    Choose Create LAG.

Note: Make sure you download the Letter of Authorization and Connecting Facility Assignment (LOA-CFA) for each new physical connection individually from the Direct Connect console.

Create a LAG with existing connections

1.    Sign into the AWS Management Console and open the Direct Connect console.

2.    In the navigation pane, choose LAGs.

3.    Choose Create LAG.

4.    Under Lag creation type, choose Use existing connections, and provide the following information:

• Lag name: a name for your LAG.
• Existing connections: The Direct Connect connection that you're going to use for the LAG.
• (Optional) Number of new connections: The number of new connections you're going to create. You can have a maximum of four connections for port speeds of 1G or 10G and two connections for a port speed of 100G.
• Minimum links: The minimum number of connections that must be operational for the LAG to be operational. If you don't specify a value, then a default value of 0 is assigned.

5.    (Optional) Add or remove a tag as follows:

• To add a tag, choose Add tag, and then enter the key name for Key and enter the key value for Value.
• To remove a tag, choose Remove tag next to the tag.

6.    Choose Create LAG.