What Is an Enterprise Router?

Enterprise Router Overview

Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the networks with and without enterprise routers, respectively. Table 1 compares the two networks.

Figure 1 A network without enterprise routers

Figure 2 A network with enterprise routers

Table 1 Comparison between the networks with and without enterprise routers

Item	Without Enterprise Routers	With Enterprise Routers	Benefits of Using Enterprise Routers
Communications among VPCs in the same region	Create six VPC peering connections between these four VPCs in the same region. Add three routes for each VPC to communicate with the other three VPCs. A total of 12 routes need to be configured.	Attach the four VPCs to one enterprise router. This router can then handle the traffic from and to all the connected VPCs. Add routes to the route tables of these four VPCs for routing traffic through the enterprise router. The enterprise router can automatically learn the VPC CIDR blocks and add them to its route table.	There is no need to configure a large number of VPC peering connections. Fewer routes need to be added, simplifying the maintenance.
Communications between an on-premises data center and VPCs	Establish a Direct Connect or VPN connection between each VPC and the data center.	Attach the Direct Connect or VPN connection to the enterprise router. These VPCs can then share the connection.	Route learning is supported, simplifying route configuration and O&M. Multiple lines work in load-sharing or active/standby mode.

The comparison shows that the network with enterprise routers is simpler, more scalable, and easier to maintain.

Enterprise Router Application Scenarios

With enterprise routers, you can:

• Connect VPCs in the same region. For details, see Using an Enterprise Router to Enable Communications Between VPCs in the Same Region.
  Figure 3 Communications among VPCs in the same region
  
• Connect VPCs across regions. For details, see Connecting VPCs Across Regions Using Enterprise Router and Central Network.
  Figure 4 Communication between VPCs in different regions
  
• Connect a VPC to an on-premises data center. For details, see Setting Up a Hybrid Cloud Network Using Enterprise Router and Direct Connect Global DC Gateway.
  Figure 5 Hybrid cloud network that you set up using an enterprise router and a global DC gateway
  

For more application scenarios of Enterprise Router, see When to Use Enterprise Routers.

Using the Enterprise Router Service

You can use the Enterprise Router service through the management console or using HTTPS-based APIs.

• Using the management console

  The management console is a web-based GUI where you can easily perform various operations. To use the Enterprise Router service, log in to the management consolemanagement console and select Enterprise Router from the console homepage.

• Using APIs

  If you need to integrate the Enterprise Router service into a third-party system for secondary development, you can use APIs to access the Enterprise Router service. For details, see Enterprise Router API ReferenceEnterprise Router API Reference.