ExpressRoute prerequisites & checklist

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To connect to Microsoft cloud services using ExpressRoute, ensure the following requirements are met:

Azure account

  • A valid and active Azure account is required to set up the ExpressRoute circuit. ExpressRoute circuits are resources within Azure subscriptions. An Azure subscription is necessary even if connectivity is limited to non-Azure Microsoft cloud services.

Connectivity provider

Network requirements

  • Redundancy at each peering location: Azure requires redundant BGP sessions between Azure's routers and the peering routers on each ExpressRoute circuit, even with just one physical connection to a cloud exchange.

  • Redundancy for Disaster Recovery: Azure strongly recommends setting up at least two ExpressRoute circuits in different peering locations to avoid a single point of failure.

  • Routing: Depending on your connection method to the Azure Cloud, you or your provider needs to set up and manage the BGP sessions for routing domains. Some Ethernet connectivity providers or cloud exchange providers might offer BGP management as a value-added service.

  • NAT: Azure only accepts public IP addresses through Microsoft peering. If using private IP addresses in your on-premises network, you or your provider needs to translate them to public IP addresses using NAT.

  • Network Security: Consider network security when connecting to the Azure Cloud via ExpressRoute.

Next steps