Networking and Content Delivery
CoreAWS Direct Connect
Dedicated private connectivity from customer networks to AWS through a connectivity location.
Key points
- Direct Connect can provide more consistent network behavior than internet VPN but has provisioning lead time and physical/provider dependencies.
- It is not encrypted by default; add an appropriate encryption design such as VPN over the connection when required.
- Redundant connections, locations, devices, and fallback paths must match the hybrid failure boundary.
Best-known use cases
- Carry sustained hybrid traffic over dedicated connectivity.
- Connect data centers to AWS where consistent bandwidth and latency matter.
What candidates often confuse it with
- Direct Connect is dedicated; Site-to-Site VPN is encrypted over the internet and faster to establish.
- Direct Connect supplies transport; Transit Gateway can provide a hub for many attached networks.
Key takeaway
Choose Direct Connect for justified dedicated hybrid connectivity, then design encryption and redundancy separately.
Related services
- AWS Site-to-Site VPN
- AWS Transit Gateway
- Amazon VPC
Relevant exam tasks
- D1.2
- D3.4
- D4.4