Help Center/ Direct Connect/ Service Overview/ Functions
Updated on 2026-01-06 GMT+08:00

Functions

Standard Connection

A standard connection provides an exclusive port. You can create standard connections on the management console. To improve reliability, you can create multiple connections terminated at different locations and allow them to serve as backups for each other. If you can select only one carrier due to special requirements, you must configure different physical routes for your connections.

You can choose self-service connections or full-service connections.

  • Self-service connection: Huawei Cloud only provides the port. You need to create a connection on the console, and lease a line from a carrier.
  • Full-service connection: You only need to create a connection on the console, and Huawei Cloud will complete all operations required for network connectivity.

Figure 1 shows an example of how standard connections work.

Figure 1 Accessing the cloud using standard connections

For details, see Creating a Connection.

Hosted Connection

If you use a hosted connection to access the cloud, the port you use is shared with other users. You request a carrier (a partner of Huawei Cloud) to provide a connection to connect to your on-premises data center to Huawei Cloud. The partner has pre-connected dedicated lines terminated at the Direct Connect locations of Huawei Cloud and allocates a connection port to you after receiving your request.

Figure 2 shows an example of how hosted connections work.

Figure 2 Accessing the cloud using hosted connections

The following table compares hosted connections with standard connections.

Item

Standard Connection

Hosted Connection

Port

Exclusive port

Shared port

Recommended bandwidth

1 Gbit/s to 100 Gbit/s

Less than 1 Gbit/s

Estimated construction period

Two to three months for local lines, and three to four months for long-distance lines

About one month

Parties involved

Connection user, leased line carrier, equipment room provider, and Huawei Cloud

Connection user, leased line carrier, and Huawei Cloud

Procedure
  1. You create a connection on the console to order a port.
  2. You contact the leased line carrier and supervise the line deployment from your on-premises data center to the equipment room at the location you choose.
  3. You contact the carrier operating the equipment room at the location you choose to complete the cabling (inlet wire and jumper) inside the equipment room.
  4. Your carrier works with Huawei Cloud to commission access devices.
  5. You complete required network configuration on the console, including creating a virtual gateway and virtual interface.
  1. The partner deploys the leased line from your on-premises data center to the Direct Connect location you select.
  2. The carrier completes the commissioning of access devices.
  3. You complete required network configuration on the console, including creating a virtual gateway and virtual interface.

Billing
  • Pay for the port (by month or year) to Huawei Cloud.
  • Pay to the equipment room provider at the location for the cabling inside the equipment room.
  • Pay to the carrier of your on-premises data center for the cabling inside the equipment room.
  • Pay to the leased line carrier for other work and the bandwidth. For details, see Billing.
  • You do not need to pay for the port to Huawei Cloud.
  • Pay to the carrier of your on-premises data center for the cabling inside the equipment room.
  • Pay to the leased line carrier for other work and the bandwidth.

For details, see Partner Connections.

Direct Connect Gateway

  • Virtual gateway: A virtual gateway is a logical gateway that enables an on-premises data center to access a VPC over a connection. To enable an on-premises data center to access a VPC over a connection, you can associate the VPC with a virtual gateway. To access other VPCs, you can use VPC Peering or Cloud Connect to connect the VPC your on-premises data center is accessing to these VPCs.

    A virtual gateway can only have one VPC associated. An on-premises data center can access the same VPC over two connections through one virtual gateway.

    For details, see Virtual Gateways.

  • Global DC gateway: A global DC gateway enables your on-premises data center to access VPCs in multiple regions so you can use a single connection to provide high-speed access to cloud compute and storage resources in any region.

    A global DC gateway can only be associated with connections terminated at the same Direct Connect location. If there are multiple connections terminated at different Direct Connect locations, you need to create multiple global DC gateways.

    For details, see Global DC Gateways.

Virtual Interface

A virtual interface is a point of entry for an on-premises data center to access a VPC over a connection. A virtual interface associates a connection with a virtual gateway and connects the virtual gateway to a remote gateway, enabling communications between the on-premises data center and the VPC.

Virtual interfaces support static routing and BGP routing. During the establishment of network connectivity, you can use BGP to connect on-premises data centers to virtual gateways. BGP helps you build a hybrid cloud more efficiently, flexibly, and reliably.

For details, see Virtual Interfaces.