Connect a virtual network to ExpressRoute circuits using the Azure portal

This article helps you create a connection to link a virtual network (virtual network) to Azure ExpressRoute circuits using the Azure portal. The virtual networks that you connect to your Azure ExpressRoute circuit can either be in the same subscription or part of another subscription.

Prerequisites

• Review the prerequisites, routing requirements, and workflows before you begin configuration.

• You must have an active ExpressRoute circuit.

  • Follow the instructions to create an ExpressRoute circuit and have the circuit enabled by your connectivity provider.

  • Ensure that you have Azure private peering configured for your circuit. See the Create and modify peering for an ExpressRoute circuit article for peering and routing instructions.

  • Ensure that Azure private peering gets configured and establishes BGP peering between your network and Microsoft for end-to-end connectivity.

  • Ensure that you have a virtual network and a virtual network gateway created and fully provisioned. Follow the instructions to create a virtual network gateway for ExpressRoute. A virtual network gateway for ExpressRoute uses the GatewayType ExpressRoute, not VPN.

• You can link up to 10 virtual networks to a standard ExpressRoute circuit. All virtual networks must be in the same geopolitical region when using a standard ExpressRoute circuit.

• A single virtual network can be linked to up to 16 ExpressRoute circuits. Use the following process to create a new connection object for each ExpressRoute circuit you're connecting to. The ExpressRoute circuits can be in the same subscription, different subscriptions, or a mix of both.

• If you enable the ExpressRoute premium add-on, you can link virtual networks outside of the geopolitical region of the ExpressRoute circuit. The premium add-on also allows you to connect more than 10 virtual networks to your ExpressRoute circuit depending on the bandwidth chosen. Check the FAQ for more details on the premium add-on.

• In order to create the connection from the ExpressRoute circuit to the target ExpressRoute virtual network gateway, the number of address spaces advertised from the local or peered virtual networks needs to be equal to or less than 200. Once the connection has been successfully created, you can add more address spaces, up to 1,000, to the local or peered virtual networks.

• Review guidance for connectivity between virtual networks over ExpressRoute.

Connect a virtual network to a circuit - same subscription

To create a connection

1. Ensure that your ExpressRoute circuit and Azure private peering have been configured successfully. Follow the instructions in Create an ExpressRoute circuit and Create and modify peering for an ExpressRoute circuit. Your ExpressRoute circuit should look like the following image:

   

2. You can now start provisioning a connection to link your virtual network gateway to your ExpressRoute circuit. Select Connection > Add to open the Add connection page.

   

3. Enter a name for the connection and then select Next: Settings >.

   

4. Select the gateway that belongs to the virtual network that you want to link to the circuit and select Review + create. Then select Create after validation completes.

   

5. After your connection has been successfully configured, your connection object will show the information for the connection.

   

Connect a virtual network to a circuit - different subscription

You can share an ExpressRoute circuit across multiple subscriptions. The following figure shows a simple schematic of how sharing works for ExpressRoute circuits across multiple subscriptions.

Each of the smaller clouds within the large cloud is used to represent subscriptions that belong to different departments within an organization. Each of the departments within the organization uses their own subscription for deploying their services--but they can share a single ExpressRoute circuit to connect back to your on-premises network. A single department (in this example: IT) can own the ExpressRoute circuit. Other subscriptions within the organization may use the ExpressRoute circuit.

Administration - About circuit owners and circuit users

The 'circuit owner' is an authorized Power User of the ExpressRoute circuit resource. The circuit owner can create authorizations that can be redeemed by 'circuit users'. Circuit users are owners of virtual network gateways that aren't within the same subscription as the ExpressRoute circuit. Circuit users can redeem authorizations (one authorization per virtual network).

The circuit owner has the power to modify and revoke authorizations at any time. Revoking an authorization results in all link connections being deleted from the subscription whose access was revoked.

Circuit owner operations

To create a connection authorization

The circuit owner creates an authorization, which creates an authorization key to be used by a circuit user to connect their virtual network gateways to the ExpressRoute circuit. An authorization is valid for only one connection.

1. In the ExpressRoute page, select Authorizations and then type a name for the authorization and select Save.

   

2. Once the configuration is saved, copy the Resource ID and the Authorization Key.

   

To delete a connection authorization

You can delete a connection by selecting the Delete icon for the authorization key for your connection.

If you want to delete the connection but retain the authorization key, you can delete the connection from the connection page of the circuit.

Circuit user operations

The circuit user needs the resource ID and an authorization key from the circuit owner.

To redeem a connection authorization

1. Select the + Create a resource button. Search for Connection and select Create.

   

2. Make sure the Connection type is set to ExpressRoute. Select the Resource group and Location, then select OK in the Basics page.

   Note

   The location must match the virtual network gateway location you're creating the connection for.

   

3. In the Settings page, Select the Virtual network gateway and check the Redeem authorization check box. Enter the Authorization key and the Peer circuit URI and give the connection a name. Select OK.

   Note

   The Peer Circuit URI is the Resource ID of the ExpressRoute circuit (which you can find under the Properties Setting pane of the ExpressRoute Circuit).

   

4. Review the information in the Summary page and select OK.

   

Clean up resources

You can delete a connection and unlink your virtual network to an ExpressRoute circuit by selecting the Delete icon on the page for your connection.

Next steps

In this tutorial, you learned how to connect a virtual network to a circuit in the same subscription and in a different subscription. For more information about ExpressRoute gateways, see: ExpressRoute virtual network gateways.

To learn how to configure, route filters for Microsoft peering using the Azure portal, advance to the next tutorial.