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

Do you need a reliable, low-latency connection between your DigitalOcean and Amazon Web Services (AWS) environments? Connecting DigitalOcean VPC to AWS can seem complex, but with the right tools and guidance, it's entirely achievable. This guide offers a comprehensive, step-by-step approach using Megaport’s Partner Interconnect to achieve this connection with ease.

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

Many organizations benefit from a hybrid cloud setup, leveraging the strengths of different cloud providers. Here are some key reasons to connect your DigitalOcean VPC to AWS:

• Multi-cloud environments: Run different parts of your application on the most suitable platform.
• Hybrid cloud environments: Seamlessly integrate existing on-premises infrastructure with cloud resources.
• High-bandwidth data transfer: Efficiently move large datasets between clouds for backup, replication, or analysis.
• Low-latency connectivity: Ensure optimal performance for applications that span multiple clouds.

By establishing a direct connection, you can unlock significant advantages in speed, performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

Introducing the DigitalOcean Partner Network Connect

The DigitalOcean Partner Network Connect is designed to provide organizations with secure, low-latency, and high-performance connectivity between their cloud infrastructure and other cloud providers. This is useful for organizations that require access to applications and services across multiple cloud providers. Ideal for businesses that require high-bandwidth connectivity for data transfer, replication, or backup and disaster recovery.

Benefits of Using DigitalOcean Partner Network Connect

• Increased application speed and service performance
• Reduced latency and improved application performance
• Increased data transfer rates for backup, replication, and disaster recovery
• Improved reliability and availability of applications and services
• Reduced complexity and costs associated with maintaining multiple cloud providers

Key Components for DigitalOcean-AWS Connectivity

Setting up multi/hybrid cloud connectivity with DigitalOcean requires three interconnection components:

• A partner attachment on DigitalOcean
• A Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) with two Virtual Cross Connects (VXCs) – one for each endpoint
• A partner interconnect link on AWS

Understanding the Megaport Cloud Router (MCR)

A Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) simplifies managing your cloud network connections. It acts as a central hub, providing advanced features for routing, security, and monitoring.

Why Use a Megaport Cloud Router?

• Unified Network Management: Manage all your cloud connections from a single platform.
• Optimized Traffic Flow: Advanced routing capabilities reduce latency and improve performance.
• Robust Security: Protect your cloud connections from unauthorized access.
• Instant Issue Detection: Real-time monitoring helps quickly identify and resolve network issues.
• Flexible Scalability: Easily scale your network to handle increasing traffic and demand.
• High Availability: Ensure secure and reliable cloud connections with minimal downtime.

Prerequisites: What You Need to Get Started

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

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

Step-by-Step Guide: Connecting DigitalOcean to AWS with Megaport

Follow these steps to establish a connection between your DigitalOcean VPC and AWS using Megaport.

Step 1: Create a Partner Attachment on DigitalOcean

The DigitalOcean Partner Network Connect allows you to connect 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 by specifying the BGP authentication key, ASN, Local Router IP, and Peer Router IP (or leave them as default). Be sure to 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, as it will be needed to complete the setup on Megaport.

Step 2: Create a Megaport Cloud Router (MCR)

The Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) is required to route traffic between DigitalOcean and AWS, facilitating communication between Virtual Cross Connections (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 (the default is 12 months, but if you are only testing, select No Minimum Term).
   • Keep the MCR ASN as 133937 unless you specified a different one during setup.
5. Deploy the MCR and note the MCR ID, as it will be needed later.
6. After configuration, 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. A Virtual Cross Connection (VXC) serves as the link between your Megaport Cloud Router and DigitalOcean Partner Network Connect, enabling seamless communication between the two.

What You’ll Need:

• Service key
• BGP configuration details (retrieved during the DigitalOcean Partner Attachment setup)

Steps:

1. Select DigitalOcean from Add Connection.
2. Enter the Megaport Service key you retrieved when creating the partner attachment in Step 1.
3. Megaport checks the key validity immediately and marks it as a Valid Service Key.
4. Click Next.
5. Enter a Connection Name.
6. Select a Rate Limit. You will not be able to update this after the VXC is created. The maximum is set based on the bandwidth selected when you created the interconnect attachment.
7. Select your minimum term.
8. Interface IP Address. Add the details of the Peer router IP from the your DigitalOcean Partner connect overview section. Leave other settings as it is.
9. Copy Peer IP from DigitalOcean partner network connect and paste in Interface IP address (paste full ip with subnet e.g paste full ip with subnet e.g http://169.254.96.54/29). After that click on Add BGP connection.
10. Select a default local IP from the dropdown
11. In peer IP, add local IP from DigitalOcean partner network connect (subnet is not required here, paste only IP e.g - 169.254.96.49)
12. In Peer ASN, add local ASN from the DO partner network connection
13. In the BGP password, add the BGP authentication key from the DO partner network connection
14. In the last step, click on “add.”
15. Verify your information is correct, click Next, and then click Add VXC to add the VXC to your MCR.
16. As with the MCR, the VXC still needs to be ordered to complete the process.

• The Configuration Details status indicators turn green when the connection is fully established. This means the connection from DigitalOcean to the Megaport Cloud Router is complete.

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

Set up a second VXC to connect the Megaport Cloud Router to AWS.

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.

• 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.
• After setup, accept the connection request in the AWS Direct Connect Virtual Interfaces section.

For more detailed steps and configuration, please refer to Connecting to AWS Direct Connect.

Step 5: Verify Connectivity

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

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

Troubleshooting: Common API Issues With Megaport

Here are some common errors and how to resolve them:

• Invalid Service Key: Double-check that you have entered the correct key. The service key is case-sensitive and should be copied exactly as it appears in your AWS account.
• BGP Configuration Error: Ensure that you have correctly entered the BGP details from your AWS account. The ASN, local IP, and BGP password should all match the information provided in your AWS account.
• Connection Timeout: Try refreshing the page and starting the setup process again. If the issue persists, contact Megaport support for assistance.
• 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. Double-check your AWS configuration and try again.

If you encounter any other errors, refer to the official Megaport documentation or contact Megaport support for assistance.

You can also refer to this blog on Solutions to common API Issues with Megaport.

FAQs: Your Questions Answered

1. What is the purpose of the Megaport Cloud Router (MCR)?

   The Megaport Cloud Router (MCR is a powerful tool that enables you to manage your cloud network connections with ease and efficiency.

2. How do I create a Megaport Cloud Router (MCR)?

   To create a Megaport Cloud Router (MCR), navigate to the Megaport portal. Click on Services and then Create MCR. Configure the MCR by setting the Rate Limit, MCR Name, and Minimum Term.

3. How do I create a VXC on Megaport to AWS?

   To create a VXC on Megaport, select Cloud -> AWS. Enter the Service Key from your AWS account. Leave the Interface IP Address blank. Click Add BGP Connection, and: use the Local IP configured earlier, enter BGP details from your AWS account, and use the BGP Password from your AWS account.

4. How do I verify connectivity between DigitalOcean and AWS?

   To verify connectivity, check the Partner Attachment status in DigitalOcean. Ensure both VXCs are active in Megaport. Verify that the Direct Connect link is up in AWS. Test by pinging an AWS instance from a DigitalOcean Droplet.

Conclusion: Seamless Connectivity Achieved

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

To further optimize your Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) setup and explore advanced features, refer to the official Megaport documentation: Megaport Cloud Router (MCR) Documentation.