Fabric Cloud Router Release Notes

Fabric Cloud Router 2024.4 is available in August 2024.

Fabric Cloud Router 2024.4

With this release, Cloud Router provides more user choices, including additional BGP route engineering capabilities, connection speeds less than 1 Gbps when connecting to Oracle OCI, and 25 Gbps connections to IP-WANs. Also, Cloud Router can now be ordered quickly and efficiently from a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) through Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace for a free trial period.

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Enhancements

To help users manage how their traffic is routed to support complex topologies, Fabric Cloud Router introduces new BGP features.

• Autonomous System (AS) Override – Users can enable AS override, which overrides the AS path that the Cloud Router advertises to the BGP peer that is configured for a particular connection. This indicates that the Cloud Router ASN is the last in the AS path. This capability helps users avoid advertising the Cloud Router’s full AS path to the remote peer.

• Inbound/Outbound Multi-Exit Discriminator (MED) – Users can configure Inbound and Outbound MED parameters for each connection. This allows users to influence the preference of a particular connection over other available alternatives.

OCI Connection Speeds Less Than 1 Gbps Available

Now, Cloud Router offers users the ability to choose connection speeds less than 1 Gbps when creating Oracle FastConnect connections to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). This means that users can access lower bandwidth speeds, and are no longer limited to the extra cost of unneeded bandwidth from OCI. For even more flexibility, after provisioning OCI connections, users can easily upgrade or downgrade their connection speeds. For setup instructions, see Quick Connect to OCI.

25 Gbps Connections to IP-WAN Provided

With this release, Cloud Router’s Advanced service tier supports IP-WAN connections greater than 10 Gbps. When connecting from their Cloud Routers to regional or global IP-WAN networks, users can choose 25 Gbps to accommodate higher bandwidth requirements across different metros. For details, see 25 Gbps & 50 Gbps Networks Availability. More information about connecting to an IP-WAN network is available.

Free Trial Through AWS Marketplace

For an easy, flexible way to try out Cloud Router services or VCs, users can now sign up for a free trial through the Marketplace on the AWS CSP. Convenient yearly or month-to-month subscription options are available, and customers might receive private invitations for more customized plans from Equinix. For instructions, see Order a Cloud Router or VC in Cloud Service Provider (CSP) Marketplace.

Fabric Cloud Router 2024.3 is available in June 2024.

Fabric Cloud Router 2024.3

Fabric Cloud Router enhancements are included with this release, including IPv4 router filters for IP-WAN connections, Equinix global billing accounts, and availability as a Solution Builder asset. Also, connections to Equinix Metal VLANs are now supported.

Fabric Cloud Router Connects to Equinix Metal VLANs

Customers can now create single or redundant connections directly to Fabric Cloud Router from their Equinix Metal virtual connections within the same metro. This new Cloud Router-to-Metal VLAN configuration provides high availability, scaling directly with the number and bandwidth of each connection. Customers can connect to multiple managed IPv4 and IPv6 Cloud Routers within the same metro. Once provisioned, the new connection is included in the Fabric Connections Inventory.

To set up Cloud Router connections to Metal using the Fabric portal workflow, see Connect to a Metal VLAN. Instructions for using public API commands are available at Connect Fabric Cloud Router to Metal VLAN.

IPv4 Router Filters for IP-WAN Connections

Route filtering enhancements now provide greater control over the IPv4 inbound and outbound networks at the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) peering points. This helps restrict the reachability of a user’s network, providing a level of isolation for the Cloud Router connections. This support is available for regional and global IP-WANs, and is managed through the Equinix Fabric portal or APIs. For more information, see Route Filters.

Ordering with Global Billing Accounts

Cloud Routers can be ordered using Equinix global billing. Users with an Equinix global billing account can purchase Cloud Router connections across multiple countries with a single currency. This simplifies the billing process for international deployments. See Billing Account Management for more information.

Cloud Router Available Through Solution Builder

Cloud Router is now a supported resource in Solution Builder, enabling users to easily design their configuration diagrams, then download them with price estimates. Using drag-and-drop functionality, users can add Cloud Routers to their designs, then create connections to ports, service profiles, virtual devices, and IP-WAN networks. Full summaries and topology views are also available for review. For more information about getting started, see Solution Builder.

Fabric Cloud Router 2024.2 is available in April 2024.

Fabric Cloud Router 2024.2

With this release, Equinix Fabric Cloud Router provides enhancements to streamline the way customers view, configure, and manage their routing designs. Also, route filters can now be applied while Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is disabled, providing users with the ability apply route filters to a connection before BGP is established. This release also introduces support for BGP AS Path Prepend, providing users with additional route engineering control.

Route Quota Events and Notifications

Fabric Cloud Router now notifies customers when routes reach 90% and 100% of their package quota. This feature aims to warn users in advance of possible impacts to services or configurations. Each route quota event contains severity and classification information, and notifications are displayed in the Fabric portal notifications.

Quota events are displayed in the Cloud Router event log:

AS Path Prepend

Cloud Router support for the AS PATH prepend is now available in the Route Details (and Fabric API) section of connections associated with Fabric Cloud Routers. This feature enables customers to increase the number of autonomous systems that are associated with an outbound route route and supports values: Disabled, 1, 3, and 5. The default value is Disabled and applies to all existing and new connections. If all other attributes are equal between two routes, BGP running on the receiving device should prefer the route with the shorter AS Path. This provides users with more granular control over how traffic arrives to their Fabric Cloud Routers.

BGP Connection Status

Now, Cloud Router simplifies how customers can view the current state of BGP enabled connections. The up or down state of BGP is now displayed in the connection details in addition to the Cloud Router Event Log. Users can easily observe the current state of BGP per connection and watch for changes in BGP state during BGP provisioning and other operations.

Additional Route Filtering Features

Route filtering in Cloud Router enables customers to create policies that filter the IPv4 and IPv6 prefixes that are received (ingress) and advertised (egress) with BGP. This latest release provides:

• Improved, automatic notifications in the portal related to status changes of route filter policies.

• Ability to apply a route filter to a virtual connection while BGP is disabled. Updating and removing route filter policies from connections with BGP disabled remains supported.

Fabric Cloud Router 2024.1 is available in February 2024.

Fabric Cloud Router 2024.1

This release of Equinix Fabric Cloud Router offers customers new features for connection and control. Network Edge connectivity is now available. Also, route filters and Quick Connect workflows to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) are supported. Also, the Advanced package provides enhanced hybrid cloud connectivity in a new service tier.

Network Edge Connectivity

For the deployment of multicloud applications, Cloud Router supports Network Edge as a centralized redundant secure access point. Now, customers can create redundant Fabric Cloud Router-to-Network Edge virtual device connections, for highly available internet connectivity to the private networks connected to the Cloud Router.

• For various use case examples, see Redundant Connectivity Through Network Edge.

• For step-by-step instructions, see Connect to a Network Edge Virtual Device.

Route Filters

Fabric Cloud Router now enables users to set up route filter policies to control specific IP prefixes using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). These filters help protect Cloud Router integrity and availability, with its associated connections. Router filters are managed through the Equinix Fabric portal or APIs, and typically go into effect in less than a minute.

For information about creating, editing, and deleting a route filter policy, or attaching a route to a connection, see Route Filters.

Quick Connect to AWS and OCI

Cloud Router provides Quick Connect workflows for convenient ways to create connections. Now, Quick Connect choices for Amazon Web Services and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure are available. For instructions:

• Quick Connect to AWS

• Quick Connect to Oracle (OCI)

Advanced Package Option

Customers can now order the Advanced package tier when creating a Cloud Router. This option offers a new tier of service that exceeds the previous Lab and Standard package choices. The Advanced package supports 50 Gbps virtual connections and accommodates large networks containing thousands of routes, allowing customers to swiftly move large volumes of data between clouds. For details about the package tiers, see the Service Tiers table.

Fabric Cloud Router 2023.4 is available in December 2023.

Fabric Cloud Router 2023.4

This new version of Equinix Fabric Cloud Router is now commercially available, providing secure private connectivity for multicloud networking. Customers can connect applications across public clouds like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, as well as hundreds of other service providers like Akamai, ServiceNow, and Zoom. With this release, Equinix delivers improved application performance, reduced cloud costs, and accelerated services to market.

Service Tiers

Cloud Router currently offers two service tiers, based on the number and type of connections needed:

• Lab Tier – A maximum of 10 connections are supported, with a bandwidth of up to 50 Mbps per virtual connection.

• Standard Tier – Up to 25 connections is recommended, with a bandwidth of up to 10 Gbps per virtual connection.

For more details about these service tiers and the connections they provide, see About Equinix Fabric Cloud Router.

Terraform Multicloud Support

Customers can now interact with Fabric Cloud Router in Terraform. The process for automated connectivity simply involves selecting the protocol, source, and destination for packets to flow, with no advanced router configuration needed. To learn more and view a helpful demo, see the Use Cases for Hybrid Multi-Cloud Applications.