AWS tested whether it could run its Europe Sovereign Cloud (ESC) independently by separating it from the global AWS network.

A recent Techzine report said AWS cut the connection between ESC and its global network on Oct. 24.

The core task was rerouting internet communications paths from the AWS global network to telecom providers dedicated to ESC.

Mustafa Isik (무스타파 이식), AWS sovereign chief technologist, said the entire process went as planned. He said the connection briefly dropped at the moment of the switchover, causing disruptions for some customers, but stressed the transition was smooth overall.

The separated ESC connects over the public internet instead of the dedicated AWS global network backbone. Isik said there was no negative impact on performance.

AWS has multiple lines and multiple telecom providers so connectivity is not cut even if a single line or one provider has a problem.

AWS formally launched ESC in Potsdam earlier this year. The investment is about $8 billion. Unlike other hyperscalers, it built it on its own without local partners. ESC has its own DNS and IAM and is technically, physically and logically separated from the global AWS infrastructure. Its employees and suppliers are also based in Europe.

In Europe, a hardline view that non-European providers cannot meet sovereignty requirements is clashing with an approach that calls for dividing sovereignty levels based on risk analysis. The European Commission has five levels of security assurance (SEAL) in its cloud sovereignty framework. The German federal government said at the time of ESC's launch that its level of sovereignty was sufficient.

AWS said in January it would add local zones in the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal. Isik said he was confident ESC could be run separately even as it grows.