Seamlessly Connect DigitalOcean VPC to AWS: A Step-by-Step Guide Using Megaport

Are you looking to create a powerful hybrid or multi-cloud environment? Connecting your DigitalOcean Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to Amazon Web Services (AWS) can unlock new possibilities for your business. This guide will walk you through the process using Megaport Cloud Router for secure, low-latency connectivity.

Why Connect DigitalOcean and AWS? Unleash the Power of Hybrid Cloud

Integrating your DigitalOcean VPC with AWS offers significant advantages:

• Multi-cloud Flexibility: Deploy applications and services across both platforms, choosing the best environment for each workload.
• Hybrid Cloud Capabilities: Seamlessly connect your on-premises infrastructure with DigitalOcean and AWS for a true hybrid cloud experience.
• High-Performance Connectivity: Reduce latency and improve application performance with dedicated, low-latency connections.
• Simplified Disaster Recovery: Replicate data and applications between DigitalOcean and AWS for robust disaster recovery.

Understanding the Key Components for DigitalOcean AWS connectivity

Connectivity between DigitalOcean and AWS requires three key components:

• DigitalOcean Partner Attachment: Establishes the connection point on the DigitalOcean side.
• Megaport Cloud Router (MCR): Acts as a central routing hub, connecting DigitalOcean and AWS.
• AWS Partner Interconnect Link: Creates the connection point on the AWS side.

What is Megaport Cloud Router (MCR)? Simplify Your Cloud Network Management

A Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) simplifies managing cloud network connections.

• Unified Network Management: Manage all cloud network connections from a single platform.
• Optimized Traffic Flow: Advanced routing capabilities reduce latency and improve application performance.
• Robust Security: Protect cloud connections from unauthorized access and cyber threats.
• Instant Issue Detection: Monitor network performance in real-time to quickly identify and resolve issues.
• Flexible Scalability: Easily scale your network to meet growing business demands.
• High Availability: Ensure continuous uptime and business continuity with reliable cloud connections.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before You start Integrating DigitalOcean AWS

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• An active DigitalOcean account with a configured VPC in a supported region.
• An AWS account with an established Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
• A Megaport account with access to Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) services.

Step 1: Create a Partner Attachment on DigitalOcean for Enhanced Network Performance

The DigitalOcean Partner Network Connect allows secure connection of your VPC to external networks using Megaport.

1. Sign in to your DigitalOcean account.
2. Go to Networking > Multi-cloud Integrations.
3. Click Create Partner Attachment, then select the desired Region and VPC for the connection.
4. Choose a suitable bandwidth plan.
5. Configure Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) settings: specify the BGP authentication key, ASN, Local Router IP, and Peer Router IP (or leave them as default). Save these details for later use in Step 3.
6. Enter a Name for the attachment and click Create Partner Attachment.
7. Copy the generated Megaport service key, it will be needed to complete the setup on Megaport.

Step 2: Create a Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) as a Central Hub

A Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) is required to route traffic between DigitalOcean and AWS, facilitating communication between the VXCs attached to it.

1. Log in to your Megaport account.
2. Navigate to Services > Create MCR.
3. Choose a location geographically close to both your DigitalOcean data center and AWS region.
4. Configure the MCR:
   • Set the Rate Limit and MCR Name.
   • Choose your minimum term (select No Minimum Term for testing).
   • Keep the MCR ASN as 133937 unless you specified a different one during setup.
5. Deploy the MCR and note the MCR ID, you will need it later.
6. Complete the order by setting up billing details and finalizing the purchase.

Step 3: Create a Virtual Cross Connection (VXC) on Megaport to DigitalOcean

Establish a connection between your DigitalOcean Partner Attachment and the Megaport Cloud Router (MCR), by adding a Virtual Cross Connection (VXC) to the MCR for Enhanced DigitalOcean AWS connectivity.

What You’ll Need:

• Service key (from Step 1).
• BGP configuration details (from Step 1).

Steps:

1. Select DigitalOcean from Add Connection.
2. Enter the Megaport Service key you retrieved when creating the partner attachment in Step 1.
3. Click Next.
4. Enter a Connection Name.
5. Select a Rate Limit.
6. Select your minimum term.
7. In Interface IP Address, add the Peer router IP from your DigitalOcean Partner Connect overview section.
8. Click on Add BGP connection.
9. Select a default local IP from the dropdown.
10. In Peer IP, add the local IP from the DigitalOcean partner network connect.
11. In Peer ASN, add the local ASN from the DO partner network connection.
12. In the BGP password, add the BGP authentication key from the DO partner network connection
13. Click on "add."
14. Verify your information is correct, click Next, and then click Add VXC to add the VXC to your MCR.
15. Order the VXC to complete the process.

Step 4: Create a Virtual Cross Connection (VXC) on Megaport to AWS for seamless connection

Set up a second VXC to connect the Megaport Cloud Router to AWS, enabling DigitalOcean AWS connectivity.

1. Log in to the Megaport Portal.
2. Navigate to the Connections section.
3. Click Create Connection.
4. Select Cloud as the connection type.
5. Choose Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the cloud provider.
6. Select the region, and then the AWS Connection Type will be Hosted VIF.
7. Enter the name, Rate Limit, and Minimum Term. Click Next.
8. MCR A-End Connection Details (The MCR connection configuration will be generated automatically. Once the service is live, you can modify the configuration. Newly created BGP connections will be enabled.) Click Next
9. In this section, add the AWS Connection Name & AWS Account ID (you can get these details from your AWS account). The rest of the details will be fetched directly.
10. Verify your information is correct, click Next, and then click Add VXC to add the VXC to your MCR.
11. As with the MCR, the VXC still needs to be ordered to complete the process.
12. To enable communication between your AWS Hosted VIF and AWS VPC, you need to set up either a Virtual Private Gateway, Direct Connect Gateway, or Transit Gateway TGW at the AWS side.

Step 5: Verify Connectivity Between DigitalOcean and AWS: Final Checkup

Once all connections are established, verify connectivity between DigitalOcean and AWS:

• Verify the Partner Attachment status in DigitalOcean.
• Check Megaport to ensure both VXCs are active and properly configured.
• Confirm in AWS that the Direct Connect link is up and traffic is flowing as expected.
• Test connectivity by pinging an instance in the AWS VPC from DigitalOcean resources like a Droplet.

Common API Issues With Megaport: Troubleshooting Tips for DigitalOcean AWS connectivity

In the process of setting up your VXC, you may encounter some common errors:

• Invalid Service Key: Double-check that you have entered the correct key.
• BGP Configuration Error: Ensure you have correctly entered the BGP details from your AWS account.
• Connection Timeout: Refresh the page and start the setup process again.
• VXC Not Established: Check the status of your AWS Direct Connect Virtual Interfaces. If the status is not "available", there may be an issue with your AWS setup.

Conclusion: Unlock Seamless Communication Between Your Applications and Services

By following this tutorial, you have successfully established a high-bandwidth, low-latency connection between your DigitalOcean VPC and AWS using Megaport’s Partner Interconnect. This configuration significantly enhances network performance for workloads that span across both cloud platforms, ensuring seamless communication and data exchange between your applications and services.