Scenario
In this exercise, I worked on migrating a web-based application to Azure. My first task was to establish the virtual networks and subnets required for the project. I also needed to securely peer the virtual networks. Below are the key requirements for this exercise:
-
Two Virtual Networks: The first virtual network,
app-vnet, will host the application and is divided into two subnets: a frontend subnet for web servers and a backend subnet for database servers. The second virtual network,hub-vnet, will only require a subnet for the firewall. - Virtual Network Peering: The two virtual networks must be able to communicate with each other securely and privately through virtual network peering.
- Region: Both virtual networks should be located in the same region.
Skilling Tasks
- ✅ Create a virtual network
- ✅ Create a subnet
- ✅ Configure VNet Peering
Exercise Instructions
To complete this exercise, I signed in to the Azure portal and began by creating the required virtual networks and configuring their subnets.
Step 1: Create Hub and Spoke Virtual Networks and Subnets
I started by creating the app-vnet, which required two subnets: a frontend subnet and a backend subnet. Here's the process I followed:
1️⃣ Sign in to the Azure Portal: I navigated to Azure Portal and searched for Virtual Networks.
2️⃣ Create the app-vnet:
- I clicked on + Create to start creating a new virtual network.
- I filled out the following information for the app-vnet:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Resource Group | RG1 |
| Virtual Network Name | app-vnet |
| Region | Uk South |
| IPv4 Address Space | 10.1.0.0/16 |
| Subnet Name (Frontend) | frontend |
| Subnet Address Range (Frontend) | 10.1.0.0/24 |
| Subnet Name (Backend) | backend |
| Subnet Address Range (Backend) | 10.1.1.0/24 |
I left all other settings as their defaults and clicked Review + Create, then Create.
3️⃣ Create the hub-vnet: This network only needed one subnet for the firewall.
- I followed similar steps as the
app-vnetcreation, but for the hub-vnet:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Resource Group | RG1 |
| Name | hub-vnet |
| Region | Uk South |
| IPv4 Address Space | 10.0.0.0/16 |
| Subnet Name | AzureFirewallSubnet |
| Subnet Address Range | 10.0.0.0/26 |
After filling in the details, I clicked Review + Create and then Create.
4️⃣ Verify Virtual Networks and Subnets:
- Once both virtual networks were deployed, I searched for and selected Virtual Networks in the Azure portal.
- I confirmed that both
app-vnetandhub-vnetwere created with their respective subnets.
Step 2: Configure VNet Peering
Now that I had both virtual networks set up, I moved on to configure VNet Peering to ensure they could communicate securely.
1️⃣ Search for and select app-vnet:
- In the Settings blade of
app-vnet, I selected Peerings.
2️⃣ Add Peering:
- I clicked + Add to set up the peering between
app-vnetandhub-vnet.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Remote Peering Link Name | app-vnet-to-hub |
| Virtual Network | hub-vnet |
| Local Virtual Network Peering Link Name | hub-to-app-vnet |
I left all other settings as defaults and clicked Add to create the virtual network peering.
3️⃣ Verify Peering Status:
- After the deployment completed, I verified that the Peering Status for both networks showed Connected.
Key Learnings
Here are the key takeaways from this exercise:
1️⃣ Azure Virtual Networks (VNets)
Azure virtual networks provide a secure and isolated network environment for Azure resources. Each VNet can have multiple subnets that segment IP address ranges, providing organization and security.
2️⃣ Subnets
A subnet is a range of IP addresses within a VNet. You can create multiple subnets within a VNet, each serving different purposes (e.g., frontend, backend, firewall).
3️⃣ Virtual Network Peering
Virtual network peering connects two virtual networks and allows them to communicate as though they are part of the same network. In my case, I created a hub-and-spoke architecture, where app-vnet (the spoke) communicates with hub-vnet (the hub) via peering.
Conclusion
In this exercise, I successfully created two virtual networks (app-vnet and hub-vnet) in Azure, configured subnets within these networks, and established VNet peering to enable secure communication between the networks. Through these steps, I gained hands-on experience with creating and managing virtual networks in Azure, which is fundamental for building secure cloud infrastructures.
🌐 Stay tuned for more as I continue my learning journey with Azure networking and other Azure services!
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