How do I upgrade the bandwidth on my Direct Connect hosted connection?

Short description

AWS Direct Connect Partners define the bandwidth for your hosted connection when AWS Direct Connect provides the connection that you order. Hosted connections support flexible bandwidth options from 50 megabits per second (Mbps) to 25 gigabits per second (Gbps).

Resolution

Note: If you receive errors when you run AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) commands, then see Troubleshooting errors for the AWS CLI. Also, make sure that you're using the most recent AWS CLI version.

To increase or decrease your hosted connection's bandwidth, take one of the following actions:

• Request a bandwidth modification for an existing hosted connection.
• Order a new hosted connection, and then delete the previous connection.

Important: You can't use the AWS Direct Connect Console or API call to modify your hosted connection's bandwidth.

Request a bandwidth modification for an existing hosted connection

Contact your AWS Direct Connect Partner who manages your hosted connection, and then request a bandwidth update. When you request an update, specify a 6-hour maintenance window when you want your update to complete. Be sure that you specify your maintenance window at least 1 business day before you want your update to complete.

Note: It's a best practice to upgrade your bandwidth during a maintenance window. If you don't specify a maintenance window, then AWS Support updates your bandwidth as soon as possible.

After you request your bandwidth update, your AWS Direct Connect Partner submits a technical support case to AWS Support to update your bandwidth. Then, your AWS Direct Connect Partner updates the network device configurations to meet your new bandwidth requirements. Then, AWS Support upgrades the hosted connection bandwidth during the maintenance window that you specified.

The AWS Direct Connect Partner notifies you when they update your bandwidth, and then AWS Support updates your support case.

Verify your hosted connection's bandwidth configuration

To verify that the updated bandwidth configuration of your hosted connections is in progress, view your hosted connection's details.

In the AWS CLI, run the describe-connections AWS CLI command to check your hosted connection's bandwidth configuration:

aws direct-connect describe-connections --connection-id example-ID --region example-region

Note: Replace example-ID with your connection's ID number and example-region with the AWS Region that contains your hosted connection.

In the following example output, the hosted connection's bandwidth is configured for 500 Mbps:

{  
"connections": [  
{  
"awsDevice": "EqDC2-123h49s71dabc",  
"ownerAccount": "123456789012",  
"connectionId": "dxcon-fguhmqlc",  
"lagId": "dxlag-ffrz71kw",  
"connectionState": "down",  
"bandwidth": "500Mbps",  
"location": "EqDC2",  
"connectionName": "My_Connection",  
"loaIssueTime": 1491568964.0,  
"region": "us-east-1"  
}  
]  
}

Order a new hosted connection

Order a new hosted connection with your updated bandwidth configuration, and then delete your previous hosted connection.

Order a new hosted connection

Complete the following steps:

1. Contact the AWS Direct Connect Partner who manages your hosted connection.
2. Request a new hosted connection from either your AWS Direct Connect Partner or their API.
3. Provide the following information to your AWS Direct Connect Partner:
   The 12-digit account ID that must own the new hosted connection
   Your AWS Direct Connect location
   The new hosted connection's updated bandwidth

In the following example request, account 123456789012 requires a hosted connection that's configured for 2 Gbps in US East (Virginia) - Equinix DC2/DC11, Ashburn, VA:

AWS Account ID: 123456789012  
AWS Direct Connect location: US East (Virginia) - Equinix DC2/DC11, Ashburn, VA  
Bandwidth: 2 Gbps

After you submit your request, your AWS Direct Connect Partner creates a new hosted connection with the bandwidth configuration that you specified.

Note: For more information on AWS Direct Connect Partners and available bandwidth options, see AWS Direct Connect Delivery partners.

Delete your previous hosted connection

Important: It's a best practice to change your hosted connection and virtual interface during a maintenance window. When you change your connection and virtual interface, you might experience service disruptions.

Complete the following steps:

1. Use the AWS Direct Connect console or the ConfirmConnection API call to accept the new hosted connection.
2. Wait for AWS Direct Connect to provide your new hosted connection. Then, use the AWS Direct Connect console or the AWS CLI to verify that your connection has an Available status.
3. Create a new virtual interface. Then, confirm that your connection correctly functions.
4. Delete the previous hosted connection and its associated virtual interface.

Note: You must create a new virtual interface on your new hosted connection. You can't migrate virtual interfaces between hosted connections.