Provisioning an InterLink

The process of ordering an InterLink has multiple stages: action is required both from Scaleway, the user, and from the selected partner. When preparing your InterLink order, you must choose appropriate location (aka Point of Presence), partner and region settings to ensure compatibility with your external and Scaleway infrastructure.

This document explains the provisioning process in full, so you know what to expect when ordering an InterLink, what action is required from all parties, and how to deal with any potential errors.

Provisioning overview

The diagram above shows the four steps necessary to provision an InterLink. Only when all steps have been completed will the InterLink move to an Active status, ready for traffic to flow. Read more about each step, and possible errors at each stage, in the following sections.

For full information about different statuses an InterLink might flow through, see our dedicated documentation on InterLink statuses.

1. User orders InterLink via Scaleway

The order process begins when you order an InterLink via the Scaleway InterLink API (or, coming soon, via the Scaleway console or one of our other developer tools). To order via the API, use the Create a link call. You need to set the following parameters when ordering:

• Connection type: In the long term, dedicated, shared and hosted InterLinks will be available. For now, only hosted connections (facilitated via a partner) are available.
• Partner: The third-party service provider to facilitate the InterLink. Use the List available partners call to find available partners.
• Region: The region in which to create the InterLink. It must correspond to the region of the Scaleway VPC you want to later attach to the InterLink.
• Location: The physical Point of Presence (PoP) where the connection to Scaleway’s network will be established, via the partner.
• Bandwidth: The maximum bandwidth which you want to be available over the InterLink.
• Name: A name (and, optionally, tags) for the InterLink.

After placing the order via the API, the ID of the InterLink is returned in the response. You can use this ID to check the status of your InterLink at any time.

Immediately after ordering, it is expected that your InterLink will briefly be in Configuring status, before moving to Requested status.

2. User requests InterLink from partner

After ordering the InterLink from Scaleway, you must contact your chosen partner to request that they provision the connection on their side. Scaleway is not able to automatically do this step for you.

Use the Get a partner endpoint to get information about your selected partner. Each partner provides either a contact email address, and/or the URL of their online portal. You should make contact with your partner via one of these channels.

You should also provide the partner with your unique pairing key, which you can get via the Get an InterLink endpoint.

Your InterLink will remain in Requested status until the partner responds to your request.

3. Partner accepts InterLink request

When the partner approves your request, the InterLink moves to Provisioning status. This means that the partner has agreed to facilitate your InterLink, and is now preparing the resources and configuration necessary to establish the physical connection.

Your InterLink will remain in Provisioning status until this process has been completed.

4. Partner provisions InterLink

When the partner has finished provisioning your InterLink, it moves to Active status. This indicates that the physical link and necessary accompanying configuration has been completed on the partner’s side, and your InterLink is ready for use.

You must still configure your InterLink by attaching it to a VPC, attaching an allowed routes list, and activating route propagation, before traffic can flow over the InterLink. For help with these steps, see our documentation on configuring your InterLink.

Deprovisioning overview

When you no longer want your InterLink connection, you can delete it. The process is as follows:

1. Deactivate route propagation.
2. Delete your InterLink on the Scaleway side. InterLink status moves to Deprovisioning.
3. Contact your partner to request they deprovision the InterLink resource on their side.
4. InterLink moves to Deleted status once the partner has completed deprovisioning.

Scaleway stops billing you for your InterLink immediately after step 2. Your partner may continue to bill you until they deprovision the resource on their side.