Virtual Circuits in DynamicLink

Virtual circuits are logical connections that enable you to segment traffic and connect various services and destinations over your physical ports in DynamicLink.

Key concepts

A-side / Z-side: Every virtual circuit connects two endpoints. The A-side is your initiating port; the Z-side is the destination.
VLANs: VLANs segment traffic on a port. Each virtual circuit uses selected VLANs to isolate and identify the connection.
Bandwidth: You allocate bandwidth for each circuit. Ensure both ends have sufficient available capacity.
Status lifecycle: Virtual circuits progress through Ordering, Pending/Provisioning, and Available/Active states.

Virtual circuit types

Type	Layer	Description
E-Lines	Layer 2	Private, point-to-point connections between two ports. Provides transparent Layer 2 connectivity for forwarding within the same network segment. Ideal for extending Layer 2 networks across geographic locations and data replication.
ELANs	Layer 2	Multi-point e-line connections.
Cloud Links	Layer 2	Private connectivity to cloud providers. See Cloud Links Overview
Cloud Router Connections	Layer 3	Virtual circuits attached to the Cloud Router become part of a Layer 3 routing domain. Enables centralized routing and traffic management between all ports, cloud connections, and services. See Cloud Router Overview.
Direct Internet Access (DIA)	Layer 3	Dedicated, uncontended links to the internet with guaranteed bandwidth. Includes integrated firewall, web filtering, and DDoS protection. Requires public IP address allocation. Ideal for critical applications and hosting public-facing services. See Create a DIA Connection.

For more information on choosing between Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity, see Layer 2 vs. Layer 3.

Getting Started

AI & Integrations

Ports

Internet

Ethernet Services

Cloud Links

Cloud Router

Network

Services

Insights

Administration

Videos

Key concepts

Virtual circuit types

​Key concepts

​Virtual circuit types

Key concepts

Virtual circuit types