Configure secure access to workloads with Azure virtual networking services

#azure #networking #virtualmachine #cloudpractitioner

Create and configure virtual networks

*Networking in the digital and telecommunication environment can be described as interconnected computing devices that exchange data and share resources, and in some cases, external objects and locations. * These networked devices use a system of rules, called communications protocols, to transmit information over physical or wireless technologies. This operation is not different in a virtual environment (e.g, Cloud); however, it is called Virtual Networking

Introduction: Purpose and Objectives

Purpose

Azure virtual networking services help organizations build secure, private cloud networks that protect workloads and ensure reliable connectivity. Their main purpose is to provide network isolation, traffic filtering, and encryption to safeguard sensitive data and applications. These measures support compliance, reduce threats, and optimize performance in hybrid and cloud-native environments. With these services, you can control network traffic, integrate with on-premises systems, and monitor for anomalies to reduce risks like DDoS attacks and data breaches.

Objectives

Create and configure virtual networks, subnets, and IP addressing.
Implement network security groups (NSGs) and Azure Firewall for traffic control.
Set up DNS zones and records for reliable name resolution.
Establish secure connectivity options like peering, VPN, or ExpressRoute.
Apply best practices for Zero Trust security, segmentation, and monitoring.
Validate configurations through hands-on deployment and testing.
These objectives align with Microsoft Applied Skills credentials and demonstrate your ability to secure workloads effectively.

Overview of Azure Virtual Networking Services

Azure networking services provide essential tools for secure connectivity, management, and protection of workloads. Key services include:

- Azure Virtual Network (VNet): A logically isolated network in Azure, supporting subnets, IP addressing, and integration with security features.
***- Network Security Groups (NSGs):* Act as virtual firewalls, filtering traffic based on rules (source/destination IP, port, protocol).
- Azure Firewall: A managed, cloud-native firewall for centralized policy enforcement, FQDN filtering, and threat intelligence.
- Azure DNS: Provides public and private DNS hosting for domain resolution within VNets.
- Azure Bastion: Enables secure RDP/SSH access to VMs without public IPs.
- Private Link: Secures access to PaaS services via private endpoints.
- VPN Gateway and ExpressRoute: Facilitate encrypted or private connections to on-premises networks.
- Load Balancer and Application Gateway: Distribute traffic securely with Layer 4/7 capabilities.
- DDoS Protection: Mitigates volumetric attacks.

- Network Watcher and Azure Monitor: Provide diagnostics, logging, and insights.

These services support a Zero Trust model by granting access based on identity, device, and context, helping protect workloads from both external and internal threats.

This professional article provides a comprehensive guide to configuring secure access to workloads using Azure virtual networking services. Drawing from official Microsoft documentation, it covers objectives, purpose, key components, deployment procedures, guidelines, and detailed tutorials. The content progresses from foundational concepts to advanced configurations, ensuring secure, efficient, and scalable access to Azure resources.

Now, to show the reality of all the above explanations, I will be taking you through a few steps of a hands-on procedure to; Configure secure access to workloads with Azure virtual networking services. i will break it down into sessions of series of configurations for the deployment

Session 1

Create and configure virtual networks

Scenario
__Your organization is migrating a web-based application to Azure. Your first task is to put in place the virtual networks and subnets. You also need to securely peer the virtual networks. You identify these requirements.

Two virtual networks are required: app-vnet and hub-vnet. This simulates a hub and spoke network architecture.
The app-vnet will host the application. This virtual network requires two subnets. The frontend subnet will host the web servers. The backend subnet will host the database servers.
The hub-vnet only requires a subnet for the firewall.
The two virtual networks must be able to communicate with each other securely and privately through virtual network peering.
Both virtual networks should be in the same region._
_
Skilling tasks

_Create a virtual network.
_Create a subnet.
Configure vnet peering.

Create hub and spoke virtual networks and subnets

An Azure virtual network enables many types of Azure resources to securely communicate with each other, the internet, and on-premises networks. All Azure resources in a virtual network are deployed into subnets within the virtual network.

Search for and select Virtual Networks.

Select + Create and complete the configuration of the app-vnet. This virtual network requires two subnets, frontend and backend.

on IP Address tab.

Edit Virtual Network IP Address space, and validate it, create Subnets, and name it.

The Subnet can equally be created after the Virtual Network deployment as well.

Now, let us add the backend subnet according to the scenario,

Click on Add Subnet and enter the subnet name, edit the IP address column, and add.

Review all properties of the subnets and now create.

Virtual Network and subnets deployed successfully.

Note...
Two subnets will not have the same IP address, which will create an "overlapping" of the two subnets and cause a conflict in the subnet communication, just as the way it occurs in our normal traditional premises network IP-conflict. so, we need to ensure this does not occur.

Create the Hub-vnet virtual network configuration. This virtual network has the firewall subnet.

Configuration properties