Lumen help

Creating an IP VPN Dynamic Connection to Azure

With Lumen^® Dynamic Connections IP VPN, you can use Control Center to create a connection from a Lumen VRF to Microsoft Azure. To create the connection, you'll need an ExpressRoute service key from Microsoft (which you receive when you create an ExpressRoute circuit using the Azure portal). Be sure to have that information handy to type in (or copy/paste).

There are three steps to successfully create and use your IP VPN Dynamic Connection to Azure:

1. Create the ExpressRoute circuit

2. Create the connection in Control Center

3. Finish provisioning the ExpressRoute circuit

Note: You can only use a service key that isn't assigned to an active connection.

Step 1: Create the ExpressRoute circuit

Use these tips to help you create an ExpressRoute circuit in the Azuze portal so you can then create the IP VPN Dynamic Connection:

Region and Peering Location: Control Center uses the options you select here to list the available on ramps when you create the IP VPN Dynamic Connection.
Provider: Select CenturyLink Cloud Connect as the provider.
Bandwidth: The bandwidth you select when you create the circuit is the maximum bandwidth you can use for the IP VPN Dynamic Connection.

Once you create the ExpressRoute circuit, the Azure portal shows Not Provisioned in the Provider status field and Enabled in the Circuit status field. Learn more about ExpressRoute circuit status

Step 2: Create the connection in Control Center

To create the connection in Control Center:

Click Services.

Control Center shows the Services console. Use the console to access an inventory of your services, check the status of orders, and manage your services.

In the Service and Ordering Tools box, click Dynamic Connections - IP VPN.

Control Center lists all your IP VPN connections with a status and brief summary for each connection (name, location, start/end date, and connection status).

Dynamic Connections (showing IP VPN tab)

Click Create Connection.

From the Customer ID and Billing Account Number lists, select the customer number and billing account number you want to add Dynamic Connections to.

Control Center fills in the WAN Inventory section based on the customer number and billing account number you selected.

In the Connection Name field, type a name for the connection you're creating. (Be sure to use something memorable. This name will appear on your invoice.)

From the Cloud Provider list, select Azure.

IP VPN Create Connection (showing Azure selected)

In the ExpressRoute Service Key field, type or copy and paste your ExpressRoute service key provided by Microsoft. (Note: You can only use a service key that isn't assigned to an active connection.)

Once you fill in the ExpressRoute service key, Control Center retrieves connection information from Microsoft and fills in the on ramp information.

In the WAN Inventory section, select a VRF for the other end of your connection. (If there are no available VRFs for the customer number and billing account number you selected, click CREATE VRF, then type a description for new VRF (in the VRF Description field). Control Center will create the VRF when you create the connection.)

Use the Billing Method buttons to select whether you want monthly or hourly billing for the connection, then select the bandwidth for the connection. (You can't change the bandwidth once you create the connection. If you need to choose a different bandwidth after creating a connection, disconnect the connection and create a new one.)

In the Connector Details section, fill in the additional details for the connection. (Control Center automatically the connection as private and sets 12076 as the AS number for Azure.)
1. In the Routing Option field, select the radio button for the routing option you want to use for the connection. Learn more about routing options for an IP VPN connection
2. Use the buttons to select whether you want to advertise default routes and whether this is a primary or backup connection.

In the Contacts section, fill in the information for the order and technical contacts for your organization. These contacts will receive notifications for order submissions, connection activations, and disconnect requests for the connection:
1. Type the contact's first name, last name, phone number, and email address. (Be sure to use the phone number format shown on the screen.)
2. In the Notification Preference field, select the preference for how Lumen notifies this contact of progress on your order: email, text, or both.
3. If the technical contact for the connection is the same as the order contact, leave the checkbox selected. If the technical contact is different, clear the checkbox, then fill in the information for the technical contact.

In the Connection Summary box (on the right), read through the terms and conditions, then click the checkbox to accept the terms.

Click Submit.

Control Center creates the request for the connection, places it in Pending Activation status, and routes you to the connection dashboard so you can monitor the status of the connection. To see status updates, click . Once Lumen assigns the permanent VRF (within five minutes), the connection changes to Active status.

Step 3: Finish provisioning the ExpressRoute circuit with Azure

Once the connection is in Active status, view the details for the connection to get the information you need to take back to the Azure portal to finish setting up the connection and creating the Azure private peering.

Complete the provisioning of your ExpressRoute circuit in the Azure portal:
1. In the Peer ASN field, type 3549.
2. In the Subnets field, select the IPv4 radio button.
3. In the IPv4 Primary subnet field, type (or copy/paste) the information in the Primary Router Peer IP field in your connection details.
4. In the IPv4 Secondary subnet field, type (or copy/paste) the information in the Secondary Router Peer IP field in your connection details.
5. Leave the Enable IPv6 Peering checkbox, IPv6 Primary subnet field, and IPv6 Secondary subnet field empty. (Lumen doesn't use IPv6 for connections.)
6. In the VLAN ID field, type (or copy/paste) the information in the VLAN ID field in your connection details.
7. If you want to use an MD5 hash, type (or copy/paste) the information in the BGP Auth Key field in your connection details into the Shared key field.