Getting Started with Azure Private Link

Azure Private Link provides a secure and private way to access Azure Platform as a Service (PaaS) services, as well as Azure-hosted customer-owned services, over a private endpoint within your virtual network. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to get started with Azure Private Link.

What is Azure Private Link?

Traditionally, accessing PaaS services involved traversing the public internet or using VNet peering. Azure Private Link simplifies this by bringing Azure services directly into your virtual network. A private endpoint is a network interface that uses a private IP address from your virtual network, effectively bringing the service closer to your applications.

Prerequisites

  • An Azure subscription.
  • A virtual network with subnets configured.
  • An Azure service that supports Private Link (e.g., Azure Storage, Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB).
  • Necessary permissions to create and manage network resources and Azure services.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Navigate to the Azure Portal: Log in to the Azure portal.
  2. Locate Your Azure Service: Find the Azure service you want to connect to privately. For this example, let's assume you have an Azure Storage account.
  3. Access Networking Settings: Within the service's resource menu, find and select Networking.
  4. Enable Private Endpoint Connections: In the Networking blade, look for options related to Private Endpoint connections or private access. Select Create a private endpoint.
  5. Configure the Private Endpoint:
    • Basics: Select your subscription, resource group, name, and region for the private endpoint.
    • Resource: Choose the specific Azure service you want to connect to (e.g., your Storage account).
    • Virtual Network: Select the virtual network and subnet where you want to deploy the private endpoint.
    • DNS: Configure DNS settings. Typically, you'll want to integrate with your virtual network's DNS for seamless name resolution. The portal can help generate a private DNS zone.
  6. Review and Create: Review your configuration and click Create. It may take a few minutes for the private endpoint to be provisioned.
  7. Verify Connection: Once created, the private endpoint will appear under the networking settings of your Azure service. You should be able to access your service using its private IP address or its FQDN (which will resolve to the private IP via your DNS setup).
Tip: For services that require specific sub-resource targeting (e.g., blob, file for Azure Storage), ensure you select the correct sub-resource during private endpoint creation.

Key Concepts to Understand

  • Private Endpoint: A network interface with a private IP address in your VNet.
  • Private Link Service: A service that exposes your own services securely through Private Link.
  • Azure Private DNS Zone: Used to manage and resolve private endpoints within your virtual network.

Next Steps

After successfully creating a private endpoint, you can explore more advanced configurations such as connecting to multiple services, setting up Private Link Service for your own applications, and optimizing network security.

For detailed information on specific services, please refer to the respective service documentation.

Last updated: October 26, 2023