AZURE NETWORKING
Azure networking is the process of connecting various components of an Azure
infrastructure. It allows Azure resources, such as virtual machines, to be
connected to each other and to the internet. Azure networking enables
communication between virtual machines, allows access to the internet, and
provides a secure platform for the deployment of applications.
Azure Networking provides a secure and reliable platform for the deployment of
applications in the cloud. It allows you to easily connect resources and services
and provides a variety of features to help ensure the security and reliability of
your applications.
What Is Azure Virtual Network?
Azure Network is the interlinking and communication of all the Azure Resources in
an organization. Networking leads to efficient resource work with better
consistency and coordination.
Virtual Networking is the communication between devices, servers, virtual
machines over the internet. Similarly, Azure Virtual Network (VNet) is a private
network with interconnected Azure Resources like Azure Virtual Machines,
Infrastructure and Network. It enables communication between various Azure
Resources via the Internet. In a Virtual Network, a continuous block of IP Address
is used to create multiple subnet networks.
Advantages of Using Azure Virtual Network
Some of the foremost advantages of using Microsoft Azure VNet are as follows:
• It provides an isolated environment for your applications
• A subnet in a very VNet can access the general public internet by default
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Senior Trainer
• We can easily direct traffic from resources
• It is a highly secure network
• It has high network connectivity
• It builds sophisticated network topologies in a very simple manner
Elements of Azure Virtual Network
Azure networking components provide a large range of functionalities that
may help companies build efficient cloud applications that meet their
requirements.
The components of Azure Networking are listed below, and we have explained
each of those components in an exceedingly detailed manner:
1. Subnets
2. Routing
3. Network Security Groups
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Senior Trainer
Azure Subnet
The subnet is a part of a network that covers a range of IP Address. In Azure, VNet
can be divided into smaller subnets for organizations. When a VNet is created in
Azure, the subnet range and topology needs to be specified. In Subnet, the IP
Address range will be a subpart from a big block of IP Address used in Virtual
Network (VNet). The Virtual Machines and resources in a network will be assigned
the IP Address from these subnets.
IP Address in Azure
The two different types of IP Address used and allocated in Azure are Public IP
and Private IP.
• Private – The Private IP address allows communication of resources within
the azure resource group. In other words, resources can not access a
private IP outside the network. The resources that can be connected using
a private address are VM Network Interface, ILB (Internal Load Balancer)
and Application Gateway.
• Public – The Public IP address allows Azure Resources to communicate with
public-facing Azure services via the Internet. In other words, resources can
access public IP outside the network. Some resources that can be
connected using public address are VM Network Interface, Public Facing
ILB, Application Gateway, VPN Gateway and Azure Firewall.
IP Allocation
• Dynamic IP – The default allocation method by which Azure can
automatically assign the available and unreserved IP address from the
subnet’s address range. Also, the Dynamic IP is not fixed and changes with
time.
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Senior Trainer
• Static IP – This is the custom allocation method to assign the available and
unreserved IP address from the subnet’s address range. The Static IP is
fixed and does not vary with time.
Azure Network Interface
In Azure, NIC is virtual ethernet cards that help communicate the Virtual
Machines present in a network. When a Virtual Machine is created in Azure, the
NIC with default settings is automatically created. Also, Network Interface settings
in Azure can be customized using command tools like Azure CLI and PowerShell.
Network Security Groups
It is a firewall that protects the virtual machine by limiting network traffic. It
restricts inbound and outbound network traffic depending upon the destination
IP addresses, port, and protocol.
Azure provides various protection methods for securing a service in a network:
Network Security Group (NSG)
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Senior Trainer
The Network Security Group in Azure acts like a firewall at the network level. It
filters the traffic passing through Azure Resources in a virtual network. NSG is a
group of security rules that defines the priority, source or destination, protocol,
direction, port range and action. Using these rules, NSG allows or deny inbound
and outbound traffic. The rules for entering traffic inside a resource is also called
‘Ingress‘, and the rules for exiting the traffic or going out of the resource is called
‘Egress‘. When all the rules are created, the NSG can be used in a Virtual Machine
that will interact with a network.
Service Endpoints
Service Endpoints in Azure provides secure connectivity over the optimized route
of the Azure Network. Without needing a public IP address, Service Endpoints
allows Private IP address in a VNet to reach the endpoint of an Azure Service. It is
simple to set up and improves security for the Azure resources in a network. The
services here can be Azure Storage, Azure Database, etc.
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Senior Trainer
Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Web applications are a common target for hackers to steal user information. So,
protection from the most common attacks like SQL injection, cross-site scripting,
etc., is a must. Web Application Firewall by Azure is a firewall for protecting the
web application from these common threats. It provides an easy setup for
applying various protection of layers that results in better security management.
A user can deploy the WAF with other services like Azure Application Gateway,
Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN) and Azure Front Door.
Azure Network Models
Network Models are the representation and methods of connecting multiple
networks. In Azure also, Microsoft enables some ways to connect multiple
networks. I have listed down some of the most used network models.
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Senior Trainer
VNet Peering
Virtual Network peering enables to connect the two or more Virtual Networks in
Azure. It also allows transferring data between deployment models, Azure
Subscriptions, Azure Active Directory Tenants and Azure regions without
downtime and failure. The traffic between the peered virtual networks
use Microsoft’s backbone infrastructure and is routed through a private network.
Thus, gateways, encryption and public internet are not required.
There are two types of Virtual Network Peering:
1. Regional VNet Peering – When the two networks needed to peer are in the
same region, the peering is called Regional VNet Peering.
2. Global VNet Peering – When the two networks are from different regions,
the peering is called Global VNet Peering.
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Senior Trainer
Virtual WAN (Wide Area Network)
Virtual WAN in Azure allows creating a web of multiple networks that are
interconnected to each other. It brings multiple networking, security, and routing
functionalities together to provide a new single operational interface.
In the above diagram, a Virtual WAN at the centre acts as a single operational hub
to manage all the traffic coming from multiple resources in a VNet. Instead of
contacting the multiple branches separately, a VNet can contact the central hub
to connect with all the branches connected to it.
Pricing
There is no charge for using Azure VNet; it’s freed from cost. Standard charges are
applicable for resources, like Virtual Machines (VMs) and other products. to be
told more, see VNet pricing and the Azure pricing calculator
Taqee Ahmed Ansari
Senior Trainer