Cloud Connect

Accessing your IaaS environment via the public Internet requires an encrypted VPN tunnel for security, which increases data size and bandwidth needs. Encryption adds processing steps, causing latency and delaying data delivery. Moreover, the route to the IaaS environment is uncertain over the public Internet, as the path cannot be controlled.

Cloud Connect offers a direct private connection that minimizes latency, guarantees stable performance, and enhances data privacy. It shields your network from potential risks, facilitates Quality of Service (QoS) for crucial applications, and accommodates scalability as demands increase.

AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud have limited datacenter presence in Europe. NL-ix, with its distributed network across these datacenters, empowers direct data transfer from any of our 100+ datacenters (PoPs) straight to the front door of the datacenter of the Cloud Service Provider, without passing the traffic to any other network in-between.

By maintaining traffic within NL-ix's interconnected ecosystem, there's no dependency on third parties. This ensures efficient and reliable end-to-end data delivery, ensuring optimal performance.

Furthermore, NL-ix is datacenter neutral, offering freedom in changing datacenter in case required.

A Cloud Connect is a 1:1 connection towards the the Azure, AWS, Oracle or Google instances hosted in their datacenters. SaaS Connect offers a 1:N environment for SaaS Suppliers and their end-users to establish private, secure connections without numerous individual links. Read more

NL-ix has been recognized as ‘vital infrastructure’ for the Netherlands. This means NL-ix is obliged to protect its infrastructure against failures and attacks, because of its potential impact on the national economy and safety.

To increase reliability and resilience of the NL- ix network, NL-ix has created a second network fabric that is constructed on geographically distinct fiber routes, utilizing different core datacenters and hardware from different vendors. Making sure that interruptions or attacks on one fabric does not impact performance of the other.

In case absolute resilience is required for the Cloud Connect, it is possible to connect the Cloud Connect both over the main A-Fabric as well as the B-Fabric.

Many enterprises rely on Microsoft Azure Infrastructure and use ExpressRoute for secure, high-performance connectivity. However, a common misconception is that ExpressRoute also provides direct access to Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft applications like Teams, SharePoint and Exchange Online.

To achieve faster, more reliable access to Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft SaaS services, enterprises can leverage NL-ix Transit or NL-ix Elastic Interconnect. These solutions provide direct peering with Microsoft AS8075, ensuring optimized routing, reduced latency, and improved performance.

NL-ix is datacenter neutral, and works with a wide variety of datacenter operators: customers have the freedom to choose, alter or consolidate their datacenter locations. NL-ix supports the relocation of all interconnection services from one datacenter location to another, simplifying the process and providing flexibility and execution power.

A managed layer 2 Cloud Connect is a service that offers a controlled and optimized connection between an organization's network and a Cloud Service Provider's network. This service operates at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model, facilitating direct and secure communication between the two networks.

NL-ix takes responsibility for establishing, monitoring, and managing the connection. This includes provisioning and configuring the necessary networking equipment, monitoring performance, and troubleshooting any issues that may arise. In case of AWS Direct Connect, the customer sets up the correct BGP Peering in order to create a working connection. In all cases, the customer is responsible for the Cloud Service Provider domain.

If you have placed an order at the NL-ix you will receive an 'order confirmation' mail. After the order confirmation has been send, the NL-ix provisioning team gets to work to deliver your order.

When the order has been delivered, for normal products usually within 10 working days after the order confirmation, the provisioning team will send an ‘order delivery’ email. This email contains all details you need to setup your connection. The delivery date is also the start date of invoicing.

You can find more information in regards the Onboarding and Configuration proces at Support