Hello and welcome to this lecture where I want to talk about how an organization would obtain an AWS Direct Connect connection. The process of obtaining an AWS Direct Connect, or DX connection, isn't too difficult from an AWS management console perspective. The hardest and/or the most time-consuming part is typically building the connection from the on-prem data center to the desired DX location. But at a high level, these are the tasks that are completed to utilize an AWS Direct Connect connection. One, an AWS customer requests a DX connection in a DX location. Two, once the connection request has been received, AWS will allocate a DX port for the customer on one of their AWS-owned DX routers in the specified DX location. Three, once the DX port has been allocated, the customer downloads the Letter of Authorization Customer Facility Access form, or LOA-CFA, which authorizes the DX location support staff to connect the customer environment to the specified AWS DX port.

Four, the customer completes the LOA-CFA form and sends it to the DX location to authorize the DX location support staff to physically access the customer-owned equipment for the purposes of establishing the cross-connect with the AWS DX port. Five, with the LOA-CFA form in hand, the DX location support staff run the cross-connect cable from the customer-owned equipment to the AWS-owned DX port. Six, physical connectivity is now established and the Direct Connect is now available for use.