Azure-Advanced-Networking

M03-Unit 5 Provision an ExpressRoute circuit

In this exercise, you will create an ExpressRoute circuit using the Azure portal and the Azure Resource Manager deployment model.

Estimated time: 15 minutes

Diagram ExpressRoute circuit layout for exercise

In this exercise, you will:

Task 1: Create and provision an ExpressRoute circuit

  1. From a browser, navigate to the Azure portal and sign in with your Azure account.

    [!Important]

    Your ExpressRoute circuit is billed from the moment a service key is issued. Ensure that you perform this operation when the connectivity provider is ready to provision the circuit.

  2. On the Azure portal menu, select + Create a resource. Select Networking, and then select ExpressRoute, as shown in the following image. If ExpressRoute does not appear in the list, use Search the marketplace to search for it:

    Azure portal - create ExpressRoute circuit menu

  3. On the Create ExpressRoute Basics Tab, provide the following:

    Setting Value
    Resource Group ExpressRouteResourceGroup (Create New)
    Location East US 2
    Name TestERCircuit
  4. Select Next: Configuration >.

  5. On the Create ExpressRoute Configuration Tab, provide the following: (Leave all other default settings)

    Setting Value
    Provider Equinix
    Peering Location Seattle
    Bandwidth 50Mbps
    SKU Standard
  6. Select Review + Create.

  7. Confirm that the ExpressRoute configuration passes validation and then select Create.

Azure portal - Create ExpressRoute configuration tab

[!Important]

The Peering Location indicates the physical location where you are peering with Microsoft. This is not linked to “Location” property, which refers to the geography where the Azure Network Resource Provider is located. While they are not related, it is a good practice to choose a Network Resource Provider geographically close to the Peering Location of the circuit.

[!Important]

You cannot change the SKU from Standard/Premium to Local.

[!Important]

You cannot change the type from Unlimited to Metered.

Task 2: Retrieve your Service key

  1. On any Azure Portal page, in Search resources, services and docs, enter ExpressRoute circuits, and then select ExpressRoute circuits from the results.

  2. All ExpressRoute circuits created in the subscription will appear here.

    Azure portal - show existing Expressroute circuits

  3. The circuit page displays the properties of the circuit. The service key appears in the service key field. Your service provider will need the Service Key to complete the provisioning process. The service key is specific to your circuit. You must send the service key to your connectivity provider for provisioning.

    Azure portal - ExpressRoute Circuit properties showing service key

  4. On this page, Provider status gives you the current state of provisioning on the service-provider side. Circuit status provides you the state on the Microsoft side.

  5. When you create a new ExpressRoute circuit, the circuit is in the following state:

    • Circuit status: Enabled
    • Provider status: Not provisioned

    • The circuit changes to the following state when the connectivity provider is currently enabling it for you:
      • Provider status: Provisioning
      • Circuit status: Enabled
    • To use the ExpressRoute circuit, it must be in the following state:
      • Provider status: Provisioned
      • Circuit status: Enabled
    • You should periodically check the provisioning status and the state of the circuit status.

Azure portal - ExpressRoute circuit properties showing status is now provisioned

Congratulations! You have created an ExpressRoute circuit and located the Service key, which you would need to complete the provisioning of the circuit.

Task 3: Connect an ExpressRoute circuit to the Virtual Network Gateway

  1. On any Azure Portal page, in Search resources, services and docs, enter Virtual, and then select Virtual Network Gateways from the results.

  2. On the Virtual network gateways blade: Select CoreServicesVnetGateway.

  3. On the CoreServicesVnetGateway blade, In the ‘Settings’ menu: select Connections.

  4. Click + Add

  5. On the Add connection blade, select the Connection type drop down list and select Expressroute.

  6. Click on ExpressRoute circuit - Choose a circuit.

Note: On the Choose circuit blade: you would select the TestERCircuit entry, but due to the ExpressRoute Circuit not being provisioned, the entry remains greyed out and the exercise cannot be completed:

Task 4: Deprovisioning an ExpressRoute circuit and the Virtual Network Gateway.

If the ExpressRoute circuit service provider provisioning state is Provisioning or Provisioned, you must work with your service provider to deprovision the circuit on their side. Microsoft can continue to reserve resources and bill you until the service provider completes deprovisioning the circuit and notifies us.

[!Note]

You must unlink all virtual networks from the ExpressRoute circuit before deprovisioning. If this operation fails, check whether any virtual networks are linked to the circuit.

If the service provider has deprovisioned the circuit (the service provider provisioning state is set to Not provisioned), you can delete the circuit. This stops billing for the circuit.

Task 5: Clean up resources

You can delete your ExpressRoute circuit by selecting the Delete icon. Ensure the provider status is Not provisioned before proceeding.

Azure portal - delete an ExpressRoute circuit

Note: Remember to remove any newly created Azure resources that you no longer use. Removing unused resources ensures you will not see unexpected charges.

  1. On the Azure portal, open the PowerShell session within the Cloud Shell pane.

  2. Delete all resource groups you created throughout the labs of this module by running the following command:

    Remove-AzResourceGroup -Name 'ContosoResourceGroup' -Force -AsJob
    Remove-AzResourceGroup -Name 'ExpressRouteResourceGroup' -Force -AsJob
    

    Note: The command executes asynchronously (as determined by the -AsJob parameter), so while you will be able to run another PowerShell command immediately afterwards within the same PowerShell session, it will take a few minutes before the resource groups are actually removed.