Service Provisioning Methods

Megaport offers various methods for provisioning and managing services: the Portal, API, Terraform, and CLI. The optimal choice depends on the customer’s need for automation, the complexity of the deployment, and the user’s role.

The table below provides a quick-reference guide to suitable users and scenarios for each method.

Method	Key Benefits	Use Cases	Typical Users
Portal	Easiest to use (web-based GUI) No coding required Quick testing and provisioning	Manual, one-off deployments or simple, non recurring changes (for example, provisioning a single VXC) and demos Low frequency deployments	Graphical UI Users Network Engineers Account Managers
API	Full programmatic control and flexibility Customer app integration such as existing billing, provisioning, or network management systems	Integrating Megaport services into a customer application or proprietary portal Requires dynamic service management	DevOps Engineers API Integrators Software Engineers
Terraform	Automation, repeatability, and version control Allows tracking of infrastructure state Supports multi-environment (dev, staging, production) consistency	Integrates provisioning with existing Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) pipelines Disaster Recovery (DR) and High Availability (HA) by quickly rebuilding resources in a different region or cloud	Cloud Architects DevOps Engineers Platform Engineers
Megaport CLI	Speedy and efficient network management JSON-driven automation-first design One tool manages diverse multicloud connectivity without console-switching Consistent, repeatable and flexible deployment	Integrates provisioning with existing CI and CD pipelines Rapid provisioning. Useful during change windows where time is critical Define multicloud topology in JSON and deploy it across regions with a single script Script health checks and reporting Disaster recovery and environment replication	Cloud Architects DevOps Engineers Platform Engineers Network Engineers

Important

If an organization chooses to adopt Terraform to manage certain Megaport services, it must commit to using Terraform exclusively for those services.

Mixing service management via the Megaport Portal and/or API with Terraform will inevitably cause Terraform state drift. That is, the Terraform state will become inconsistent with the actual infrastructure configuration managed through the Portal and cause Terraform errors. For more information, see Understanding Terraform state for Megaport resources.

Choosing your Megaport services provisioning method

Megaport Portal (UI)

The Portal is the ideal choice for manual, visual configuration and quick, hands-on management. It offers the fastest path to provisioning for one-off needs.

Choose the Portal when you need to:

Quickly provision a service manually for immediate use.
Conduct initial setups, demos, or training on new features.
Perform a one-time deployment that doesn’t require version control.
Prefer a visual, click-through workflow rather than system integration.

Megaport API

The API is best suited for achieving dynamic automation and system integration. It allows teams to build custom logic that interacts directly with Megaport services without requiring a user interface login.

Choose the API when you need to:

Build a custom application or orchestrator for provisioning.
Enable event-driven or dynamic configuration based on internal business logic.
Perform frequent, programmatic configuration updates across services.
Integrate Megaport provisioning into a large, existing internal system or customer-facing platform.

Terraform (Infrastructure as Code - IaC)

Terraform is the preferred method for users who require auditable, repeatable, and version-controlled deployments at scale. It offers full control over the lifecycle of your infrastructure.

Choose Terraform when you need to:

Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for your network resources.
Manage services across multiple environments (dev, staging, production) reliably.
Connect to multiple clouds or manage large-scale hybrid environments.
Ensure a standardized, auditable, and repeatable process for network builds and governance.

Megaport CLI

The Megaport CLI is the preferred method for users who require high-speed, automated network management and seamless integration into CI and CD pipelines. It supports technical teams deploying multicloud topologies through single-command scripts, ensuring consistent and repeatable configurations across global environments.

Choose Megaport CLI when you need to:

Enable rapid provisioning and streamlined management.
Integrate with CI and CD pipelines via JSON-driven workflows for consistent, repeatable deployments.
Manage diverse cloud connectivity from a single interface, eliminating console switching.
Use scripts for network deployment while enabling health checks and disaster recovery.