Connecting to Nutanix Direct Connect

The Nutanix Direct Connect feature lets you set up a high-speed private connection between your on-premises data center and a virtual private cloud on the Nutanix Cloud Services portal.

Setup is a two step process: first, you create a Direct Connect through the Nutanix Cloud portal to obtain a service key, and then use the service key in the Megaport Portal to create a VXC from your Port.

Prerequisites for setting up Direct Connect

Before you configure Direct Connect between your on-premises data center and Nutanix Cloud Services, make sure you complete these steps:

Configure a remote router in your on-premises data center.
Set up either a 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps physical Port through the Megaport Portal. 100 Gbps is available in some locations.

And make sure you have this information:

The BGP peering Autonomous System Number (ASN) of the network on your on-premises data center
The BGP peering IP address that you want to use for the Direct Connect configuration
The on-premises VLAN ID

Enabling Direct Connect on Nutanix Cloud Services

This procedure describes how to set up Direct Connect for the Production virtual private cloud with Megaport as the provider.

Note

You can configure Direct Connect only on the Production virtual private cloud.

To enable Direct Connect on the Production virtual private cloud

In the Nutanix Cloud Services portal, go to Explore > Networking > Virtual Private Clouds.
Add a Direct Connect.
- Select the Production virtual private cloud and from the Actions drop-down list, click Add Direct Connect.
  
  — or —
- Click the production virtual private cloud and in the details page select Add Direct Connect from the More drop-down list.
  
  The Add Direct Connect window appears.
In the Definition step, complete these fields:
- Name – Type a name for the connection.
- Purpose – Type a description for the connection.
- Availability Zone – The availability zone for your Nutanix Cloud Services account.
- Provider – Select Megaport as the Direct Connect provider.
- Connection – Select the connection speed for the exchange port between Megaport and Nutanix Cloud Services.
Click Next.
In the Access to Services step, complete these fields:
- BGP Peering Autonomous System Number – Enter the BGP peering Autonomous System Number (ASN) of the network on your on-premises data center.
- BGP Peering IP – Enter the BGP peering IP address to use for the Direct Connect configuration.
  Use the /30 or /31 prefix CIDR format; for example, 192.0.2.0/31
- MD5 Password – Select the Auto-generate Password check box. This auto-generated password authenticates the BGP session. Save this password to use it to configure your remote on-premises router.
Click Next.
In the Completion Steps screen, click Save.
The Direct Connect tab in the virtual private cloud details page appears, which includes the status and details about your Direct Connect configuration.
On the Direct Connect tab in the virtual private cloud details page, copy the service key.
You need to use this service key in the Megaport Portal to set up the connection.

Adding a connection in the Megaport Portal

After you enable Direct Connect in Nutanix Cloud Services, add a Nutanix connection in the Megaport Portal.

To add a connection to Nutanix Cloud Services

In the Megaport Portal, go to the Services page and select the Port you want to use.
If you haven’t already created a Port, see Creating a Port.
Click +Connection and click Cloud.
Select Nutanix as the provider.
Enter the Nutanix service key.
This key is available on the Direct Connect tab in the virtual private cloud details page of the Nutanix Cloud Services portal.

When you enter the key, Megaport retrieves the details of the Direct Connect configuration you created in the Nutanix Cloud Services portal and displays available destination ports.
Select the Nutanix destination port.
Specify the connection details:
- Connection Name – The name of your VXC to be shown in the Megaport Portal.
- Service Level Reference (optional) – Specify a unique identifying number for the VXC to be used for billing purposes, such as a cost center number or a unique customer ID. The service level reference number appears for each service under the Product section of the invoice. You can also edit this field for an existing service.
  
  Note
  
  Partner-managed accounts can apply a Partner Deal to a service. For more information, see Associating a Deal With a Service.
- Rate Limit – The speed of your connection in Mbps. Megaport retrieves the connection speed you selected for the exchange port from the Nutanix Cloud Services portal. The connection speed is displayed in the connection details section of the Megaport Portal and cannot be changed.
- VXC State – Select Enabled or Shut Down to define the initial state of the connection. For more information, see Shutting Down a VXC for Failover Testing.
  
  Note
  
  If you select Shut Down, traffic will not flow through this service and it will behave as if it was down on the Megaport network. Billing for this service will remain active and you will still be charged for this connection.
- Preferred A-End VLAN (optional) – Specify the VLAN ID of your on-premises data center in the connection details section. This must be a unique VLAN ID on this Port and can range from 2 to 4093. If you specify a VLAN ID that is already in use, the system displays the next available VLAN number. The VLAN ID must be unique to proceed with the order. If you don’t specify a value, Megaport will assign one.
- Minimum Term – Select No Minimum Term, 12 Months, 24 Months, or 36 Months. Longer terms result in a lower monthly rate. 12 Months is selected by default.
  Take note of the information on the screen to avoid early termination fees (ETF). See VXC Pricing and Contract Terms and VXC, Megaport Internet, and IX Billing for more information.
Click Next.
A summary page appears that includes the monthly cost. Click Back to make changes or click Add VXC to move this configuration to your cart. Once you have finished this configuration, you can configure additional VXCs or proceed through the checkout process.

Updating the Direct Connect configuration

You can change the speed of the Direct Connect connection from the Nutanix Cloud portal.

To change the connection speed of the exchange port between Megaport and Nutanix Cloud Services

In the Nutanix Cloud Services portal, go to Explore > Networking > Virtual Private Clouds.
Update the Direct Connect.
- Select the Production virtual private cloud and, in the Actions drop-down list, click Update Direct Connect.
  
  —or—
- Click the Production virtual private cloud, in the Production page that appears, select Update Direct Connect from the More drop-down list.
  
  The Update Direct Connect window appears.
In the Definition screen, from the Connection drop-down list, select the new connection speed of the exchange port between Megaport and Nutanix Cloud Services.
Go to the Access to Services step and click Save.
The new speed is displayed on the Direct Connect tab in the virtual private cloud details page.
In the Megaport Portal, open the Nutanix connection and ensure that the new speed is detected, and save the changes.

Removing the Direct Connect configuration

To remove the Direct Connect configuration from your Nutanix Cloud Services account

In the Nutanix Cloud Services portal, go to Explore > Networking > Virtual Private Cloud.
Remove the Direct Connect.
- Select the Production virtual private cloud and, from the Actions drop-down list, click Remove Direct Connect.
  
  —or—
- Click the Production virtual private cloud, in the Production page that appears, select Remove Direct Connect from the More drop-down list.
Click OK in the confirmation message that appears.
In the Megaport Portal, delete the VXC connection.
For more information, see Terminating a VXC.

The Direct Connect configuration is removed from the Direct Connect tab in the virtual private cloud details page.

Last update: 2024-04-15