Glossary · simply explained

Cloud on-ramp (Direct Connect & co.)

Cloud on-ramps are private entrances to AWS, Azure and co. — predictable performance and costs instead of the public internet.

A cloud on-ramp is the direct, private access from the corporate network into a cloud — instead of via the public internet. The hyperscalers call their variants AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute or Google Cloud Interconnect; technically it is always a dedicated connection with predictable performance.

This becomes relevant as soon as business-critical workloads run in the cloud: internet paths fluctuate in latency and throughput, and with large data volumes egress costs and stability become an issue.

How do you get a cloud on-ramp?

The classic way is a physical port at an interconnection facility where the cloud is present. Considerably more flexible are software-defined interconnection platforms such as Megaport, DE-CIX or Console Connect: one physical access to the platform is enough, and virtual connections to AWS, Azure, Google and other destinations are provisioned via portal or API in minutes — with adjustable bandwidth and short terms.

In practice, on-ramps are combined with the WAN design: sites reach the cloud via SD-WAN, central workloads via the private connection — the right path per application.

When private connectivity pays off

Business-critical applications that need constant latency and throughput.
Large data volumes where egress over internet paths becomes expensive or unstable.
Hybrid scenarios with constant traffic between data center and cloud.
Compliance requirements for defined, private transmission paths.

Frequently asked questions about Cloud on-ramp (Direct Connect & co.)

What is the difference between Direct Connect and ExpressRoute?

They are vendor names for the same principle: AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute and Google Cloud Interconnect each denote private, dedicated access into the respective cloud. If you use several clouds, a neutral interconnection platform is usually more flexible.

Why not simply VPN over the internet?

VPN tunnels inherit the fluctuations of the internet: changing latency, packet loss, limited throughput. For non-critical loads that is fine; for business-critical workloads private connections deliver predictable performance and a much smaller attack surface.

How fast is a private cloud connection provisioned?

On software-defined platforms virtual connections are active in minutes once the physical access to the platform exists. The classic way via dedicated circuits takes weeks to months — a main reason for the platform approach.

Does a cloud on-ramp lower egress costs?

Often yes: hyperscalers usually charge lower rates for data leaving via private connections than via the internet. For data-intensive applications the connection therefore often pays for itself faster than expected — a calculation worth doing per profile.

Do I need a separate port per cloud?

Not necessarily: via interconnection platforms a single physical access reaches many destinations — several clouds, data centers and partners. That simplifies multicloud scenarios considerably and keeps connectivity flexible as requirements change.