OCI FastConnect Overview

FastConnect Overview:

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure FastConnect provides an easy way to create a dedicated, private connection between your data center and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. FastConnect provides higher-bandwidth options, and a more reliable and consistent networking experience compared to internet-based connections. This setup offers higher bandwidth, lower latency, and improved reliability compared to typical internet-based connections.

Key Features:

--> Private and Public Peering: Connect to OCI resources using private IP addresses (private peering) or access public OCI services like Object Storage and APIs over a dedicated connection

--> Bandwidth Options: Supports port speeds ranging from 1 Gbps to 400 Gbps.

--> Cost Efficiency: No charges for inbound or outbound data transfer.

--> Flexible Peering Options:

Private Peering: Extends your on-premises network into your OCI Virtual Cloud Network (VCN) using private IP addresses.
Public Peering: Provides access to public OCI services (e.g., Object Storage, OCI Console) over a dedicated connection using public IP addresses.

--> No Data Transfer Charges: Unlike standard internet connections, FastConnect does not incur per-byte data transfer charges, making it cost-effective for large data movements

--> Routing Protocol: Utilizes BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) for dynamic routing.

-->Encryption Support: Options to encrypt public peering connections using IPSec VPN for enhanced security.

How does OCI FastConnect work?

FastConnect provides a dedicated private connection between OCI environment and data center or trusted third-party provider.

There are three physical connection types.

-->Customers who have a presence in an existing FastConnect location (A) can provision redundant cross-connects directly to an Oracle FastConnect edge device. Port speeds of 1 Gb/sec, 10 Gb/sec, 100 Gb/sec, or 400 Gb/sec are available.
-->Customers who have an existing connection to a FastConnect partner (B) can provision a connection to OCI, typically within hours to days. Partners can also provide connections to other clouds, enabling a multicloud deployment. Port speeds vary depending on the partner’s capabilities.
-->Customers can independently contract with a third-party provider (C) to establish connectivity to an Oracle FastConnect location.

For resiliency and high availability, best practices recommend establishing multiple physical connections to the same OCI region.

Once a physical connection is established, there are two virtual circuit options. Public peering (D) enables you to access both private resources in a VCN as well as public resources without traversing the internet, similar in concept to using OCI as an ISP. Private peering (E) enables you to extend your on-premises private networks to OCI.

FastConnect supports the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to automate route updates between your environment, OCI, and (optionally) FastConnect partners or third-party providers.