LINX has been successfully offering a direct connection to Microsoft cloud services through its peering infrastructure for some time now. It allows networks to easily bypass the public internet for direct, low-latency access to Microsoft services such as Office 365.
Cloud services are becoming more and more important, so direct access to a cloud provider’s infrastructure is vital. Without it, you run the risk of high latency, and limited control of how your data moves between your business and your cloud connect service provider.
This blog covers the key drivers why networks should use the Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) with LINX. Before we do that, let’s rewind a little to compare public internet connectivity and the cloud for some context.
Public Internet Connectivity
Microsoft 365 has been designed to allow customers around the world to access its suite of applications, including Outlook Online, SharePoint Online, and Teams, through an internet connection.
While Microsoft consistently optimises its network performance of its cloud applications, both in terms of architecture and features, there are still areas where it may be lacking in meeting the stringent security standards, reliability, and optimised performance required by most enterprises.
The Challenges Networks Face
There are three common challenges faced by enterprises, resulting in the search for alternative solutions.
- Performance – High latency often results in inconsistent, poor user experience, limiting an organisation’s productivity.
- Security – The public internet is not secure, meaning enterprises are at risk of data breaches, DDoS attacks, and other cyber threats.
- Availability – Uptime is not guaranteed which can affect business continuity and an unreliable network can impact your business.
According to research by SignHouse, Statista, around 70% of global organisations have used Microsoft Azure for their cloud services. This has resulted in 31% revenue growth of Microsoft Azure in Q1’23, and projected to continues to grow further. Currently over 1M companies worldwide use Microsoft 365.
Options for Connecting to Microsoft Services
Reducing the reliance on using the public internet is an important step towards improving latency and performance but, what should you switch to? The good news is that there are a number of options to choose from:
- Direct Connectivity via ExpressRoute – ExpressRoute Direct enables users to connect privately and directly into the Microsoft global network at peering locations around the world. It should be noted that his solution is not designed to fulfil the requirement of a geographically dispersed design that is recommended for cloud solutions like Microsoft 365. This hub-and-spoke design results in end users’ traffic being centralised into a single egress.
- Peering at an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) like LINX – Organisations can peer with Microsoft’s global network (AS8075) and exchange internet traffic with world-leading IXPs. This solution is attractive for very large enterprises that have the traffic volumes necessary to fulfill the minimum levels required.
- Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) – MAPS is an IP-based service that uses the public internet to offer optimal and reliable routing to the Microsoft cloud over the public network. This solution is great for enterprises looking for internet-first access to the cloud, but still requires robust, reliable, and high-performing internet connectivity. Organisations operating in heavily regulated industries like finance or healthcare, along with those that prioritize security and depend heavily on Microsoft’s SaaS applications, may find MAPS to be an attractive solution.
What is Microsoft Azure Peering Services (MAPS)?
The ideal connectivity option to Microsoft Azure and Software as a Service (SaaS) applications. LINX offers best-in-class public internet connectivity to enterprise users by offering direct, highly available, geo-redundant connections and optimised routing to Microsoft services.
How it Works
MAPS improves user experiences for enterprises connecting to Microsoft SaaS by reducing the round-trip time (RTT) from a user’s site to the Microsoft Global Network, the public network backbone that interconnects all of Microsoft’s data centres and multiple cloud application entry points.
The RTT measures the time taken for the data to leave a starting point (the browser) and return to that very same point in milliseconds. This key metric is used to measure network latency, page loading times, and the overall quality of a network.
- Geographical Redundancy – For maximum availability, MAPS utilises two types of redundancy. Failover is supported with interconnections over multiple Microsoft Edge locations. If poor performance is detected on an Edge node, the routing of traffic to and from Microsoft is directed via different sites to ensure connectivity even in the event of an outage.
- Optimal Routing – Reducing the number of network hops from Microsoft for low-latency and reliable connectivity is vital. For this reason, Microsoft ensures that enterprise traffic stays on the Microsoft global network until it is as close to the destination (i.e., users) as possible.
- Traffic and Routing Visibility – Microsoft’s service monitoring platform allows enterprise traffic and routing to be analysed. This offers latency reporting, plus detection and alerting of any Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) route anomalies events such as route hijacks to customer prefixes. This assists enterprises in making more informed choices for their networks.
- Preferred Traffic Path Control – MAPS allows traffic routing and preferred paths to be controlled by enterprises. This guarantee from Microsoft ensures that connections to Microsoft services are reliable, stable, and secure via the most appropriate routes.
Cost Efficiencies
One of the key advantages of MAPS is the elimination of egress costs. While inbound data transfer to Microsoft Azure data centres is free, additional charges known as egress, are incurred when data is transferred from a Microsoft network to external networks or destinations outside the cloud environment. By subscribing to MAPS, the organisation enjoys substantial savings by as much as 40%.
This is especially advantageous during periods of high outbound data transfer volume, which would otherwise result in an escalation in egress costs.
MAPS with LINX
MAPS provides LINX members with a direct connection to any public Microsoft cloud service, including Microsoft Azure services, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, or any other Microsoft service accessible via the public internet.
All traffic enters and leaves through the nearest Microsoft Edge Point of Presence (PoP) location on the Microsoft Global Network and you also can opt-in to receive additional telemetry data. Served through Microsoft Azure, the service offers latency monitoring and BGP route anomaly detection.
In summary, the key benefits of this peering service:
- Fully automated ordering process via the LINX portal
- Connect direct to any public Microsoft cloud service
- From ordering to peering in five minutes (existing LINX connected networks)
- Benefit from low latency, reliable uptime, and advanced security
Benefits Beyond Cost Savings
All in all, MAPS also offers a number of compelling network work performance reasons that go beyond mere cost savings:
- Reliable Uptime – Traffic is routed to the nearest Microsoft cloud service location worldwide.
- Low Latency – Optimised and responsive connectivity to public Microsoft cloud services via LINX’s global network fabric.
- First Class Security – Robust and highly secure network protocols, with greater access and routing control, and strict compliance.
- Monitoring & Analysis – Quickly identify and rectify anomalies in internet BGP routes or latencies in multiple locations with service monitoring that enables analysis of traffic and routing data.
Microsoft Azure Peering Service is accessible to any network connected to LINX’s LON1 interconnection platform, with access to 24/7 NOC support as standard.
Complete the form below for more information;
