Visual overview
A Direct Connect circuit and BGP virtual interface can feed a transit hub before traffic reaches VPC workloads.
Technical reference
The physical connection and the logical routing relationship are separate layers.
Uses supported virtual private gateway or Direct Connect gateway paths.
Reaches public AWS service endpoints according to Direct Connect public routing.
Connects through a Direct Connect gateway toward Transit Gateway/other supported transit targets.
AWS and the customer router exchange reachable prefixes dynamically using Border Gateway Protocol.
A dedicated network path into AWS
AWS Direct Connect establishes dedicated network connectivity between a customer environment and AWS through a Direct Connect location. It is useful when an organization needs a more consistent private network path than ordinary internet transport for hybrid workloads, large recurring data movement or network architectures that integrate data centers with AWS. Dedicated and hosted connection models let organizations obtain capacity through AWS or participating partners according to the connection type.
Direct Connect does not mean that every AWS resource becomes reachable automatically. The physical or hosted connection supplies the network link; virtual interfaces and routing determine which AWS address space or gateway relationships are carried over it. Network design still requires VPC routes, on-premises routes, security controls and appropriate gateway configuration.
Virtual interfaces define the routing relationship
A private virtual interface (private VIF) is used to reach VPC resources through supported virtual private gateway or Direct Connect gateway patterns. A public VIF provides access to public AWS service endpoints using public IP prefixes according to AWS routing requirements. A transit VIF connects through a Direct Connect gateway toward Transit Gateway or supported transit architectures. The labels private, public and transit therefore describe routing targets and reachability models, not physical cable types.
Direct Connect exchanges routes using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). BGP is the control-plane protocol through which the customer router and AWS advertise reachable prefixes and apply supported routing attributes or communities. Dynamic route learning reduces the need to manually encode every remote path, but architects must understand which prefixes are advertised and preferred so backup paths such as Site-to-Site VPN behave as intended.
Design for redundancy and confidentiality separately
A single Direct Connect connection is still a single physical-path dependency. Production hybrid designs commonly use redundant connections, locations or network providers according to required resilience. AWS publishes Direct Connect resiliency models and recommendations because high availability requires independent failure paths rather than simply purchasing a private circuit.
Private connectivity is not synonymous with encrypted payloads. If application or compliance requirements demand encryption in transit, use an appropriate supported encryption architecture or application-layer TLS rather than inferring encryption from the word Direct Connect. Pricing can include port-hours, data transfer and partner charges depending on connection model; use current AWS and partner pricing for exact calculations.
Key takeaways
- 01
Direct Connect provides dedicated network connectivity; virtual interfaces and BGP define the logical routing over it.
- 02
Private, public and transit VIFs serve different reachability targets.
- 03
BGP exchanges prefixes between the customer network and AWS and is central to hybrid route selection.
- 04
A private circuit does not remove the need for redundant paths, security controls or explicit encryption requirements.
Official AWS sources
Use these primary AWS resources for the source material behind this article and for deeper reference.