How to migrate a private VIF between Direct Connect locations with least downtime?
A company is migrating its on-premises network from its data center in Virginia to its data center in New York. The AWS Direct Connect connections for the Virginia and New York data center locations are both associated to the us-east-1 Region. The company needs to migrate a private VIF on an existing Direct Connect hosted connection from Virginia to New York. The company's on-premises network uses the connection to access VPCs through a Direct Connect gateway in us-east-1. The company has already requested a new Direct Connect hosted connection from the new data center to the New York Direct Connect location. Which solution will meet these requirements with the LEAST downtime?
Community Votes
100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
The exam tests whether you know that reusing the existing Direct Connect gateway and adding the new VIF as a BGP backup before removing the old one provides the least downtime, avoiding unnecessary new gateways or destructive VIF recreation.
For migrating an AWS Direct Connect private VIF between locations with minimal downtime, the correct approach is to add a new private VIF on the new hosted connection to the existing Direct Connect gateway, configure BGP as backup, then shut down the old VIF. Community consensus confirms option B as the least-downtime solution.
A common mistake is choosing option C or D, which involve migrating, deleting, or recreating the existing VIF during a maintenance window; this forces traffic to be disrupted while the VIF is detached/reattached. Another mistake is option A, which creates a new Direct Connect gateway unnecessarily instead of reusing the existing one.
Community Discussion (4 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Option B creates a new private VIF on the new Direct Connect hosted connection and attaches it to the existing Direct Connect gateway, so no changes to VPC associations or gateway configuration are needed. It configures BGP on the new VIF as a backup route before the old VIF is shut down, enabling traffic to fail over almost seamlessly. This matches the requirement for least downtime because the new path is fully operational before the old path is removed. Decommissioning the old connection only after the switchover ensures no traffic is left without a path.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A introduces a new Direct Connect gateway, which is unnecessary because the existing gateway can be reused and a new gateway would require extra configuration and potential attachment changes. Option C attempts to migrate the existing VIF directly, which requires detaching and reattaching the VIF, causing a full outage during the maintenance window. Option D deletes the existing VIF before creating a new one, leaving no active path until the new VIF is configured and BGP comes up, also causing downtime. Only option B maintains connectivity by keeping the old route active until the new backup route is ready.Community Comment Notes
Comment [1] directly supports option B, noting that configuring the new connection as a backup before disabling the old one provides the lowest downtime. Comment [3] correctly analyzes why option A is wrong (unnecessary new gateway), and why options C and D cause downtime because the VIF must be detached/reattached or deleted/recreated. Comment [2] restates the correct sequence of steps from option B. These comments reinforce that the key is to establish the new path as a backup before the old path is decommissioned.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
In Direct Connect migration questions, look for the option that provisions the new connection as a backup route before shutting down the old one and that reuses the existing Direct Connect gateway. Eliminate choices that require deleting/recreating the VIF or creating a new gateway unless the scenario specifically asks for it.
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