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Layer 2 Connect

The Layer 2 Connect service allows you to establish a direct Layer 2 Ethernet path between two or more DC Ports within the Wanscale Platform. This enables seamless, transparent connectivity for extending VLANs across different physical locations without the need for Layer 3 routing.

By utilizing Layer 2 Connect, you can maintain the same broadcast domain across multiple datacenters, making it ideal for stretched clusters, legacy application requirements, or simplified workload migrations.

Prerequisites

Before deploying a Layer 2 Connect, ensure you have:

  • Two or more DC Ports available to facilitate the connection. See DC Port.

Provisioning Workflow

The diagram below outlines the lifecycle of creating a Layer 2 Connect:

flowchart LR
    A(Order DC Ports) --> B(Create Layer 2 Connect in Portal) --> C(Assign DC Ports and VLANs) --> D(Deploy Changes) --> E(Link active)

    %% Custom style for nodes
    style A fill:#d2e072
    style B fill:#34ebb1
    style C fill:#34ebb1
    style D fill:#34ebb1
    style E fill:#34ebb1

Ordering a Layer 2 Connect

  1. Navigate to the Home page of the Wanscale Platform.
  2. Click the Add Service button.
  3. Select L2 Connect from the service list.
  4. Click Go to service form.
  5. Complete the following fields in the service form:
    • Label: Enter a unique name for the Layer 2 Connect service.
    • Tags (Optional): Add metadata for internal organization.
    • Interface Speed: Set the speed for the Layer 2 Connect
    • MTU Size: Set the MTU size for the Layer 2 Connect
    • QinQ: Toggle this setting if you are going to use Vlans within this Layer 2 Connect. (802.1ad)
    • Redundancy Mode: Select the redundancy mode for the Layer 2 Connect
      • Single: You can only select DC Ports from Availability Zone A
        • Port Assignment: Select the DC Ports from Availability Zone A that will participate in this Layer 2 path.
      • Redundant: You can select DC Ports from Availability Zone A and B
        • Port Assignment: Select the DC Ports from Availability Zone A that will participate in this Layer 2 path.
        • Redundancy ports: Select the DC Ports from Availability Zone B that will participate in this Layer 2 path.
    • VLAN Configuration:
      • Specify the VLAN ID if you require tagged traffic (dot1q).
      • Leave empty or select Untagged if the traffic should pass without tags.
  6. Click Submit.

Technical Considerations

Feature Specification
Topology Point-to-Point or Multi-Point
Encapsulation dot1q or QinQ supported
MTU Supports Jumbo Frames (up to 9000 bytes)
Latency Dependent on the physical distance between DC Ports

Tip

Layer 2 Connect is transparent to higher-level protocols. You can run IPv4, IPv6 across the established path.

Note

Applying Changes: Like all networking services in the portal, your new Layer 2 Connect will not be active until you deploy the changes. See Workflows and Applying Changes.