Introduction to Azure Virtual WAN
Azure Virtual WAN is a networking service that brings together various network functionalities, including branch office connectivity, site-to-site VPN, ExpressRoute, and point-to-site VPN, into a single operational management experience.
It offers a highly available and scalable solution for connecting your on-premises networks and multiple Azure regions. Virtual WAN is designed to simplify network management and provide a unified hub-and-spoke architecture.
Why Use Azure Virtual WAN?
Traditional network architectures often involve complex configurations for connecting dispersed sites and cloud resources. Azure Virtual WAN streamlines this by providing:
- Simplified Management: A single pane of glass for managing your global network.
- Scalability and High Availability: Built to handle large-scale deployments with built-in redundancy.
- Global Transit Connectivity: Enables seamless communication between different branches and Azure regions.
- Optimized Routing: Intelligent routing ensures traffic takes the most efficient path.
- Integrated Security: Leverages Azure Firewall and other security services for robust protection.
Key Components of Virtual WAN
Virtual WAN is built upon several key components:
- Virtual WAN Resource: The top-level resource that represents your Virtual WAN. It acts as a management container for your network.
- Virtual Hub: A managed virtual network that acts as a connectivity hub in a region. It contains network services like VPN gateways, ExpressRoute gateways, and Azure Firewall.
- Site: Represents your on-premises network location. This can include physical sites, branch offices, or even other cloud environments.
- Connection: Links a site to a virtual hub, enabling connectivity. This could be a Site-to-Site VPN connection or an ExpressRoute circuit.
Virtual WAN Hub-and-Spoke Model
Virtual WAN promotes a hub-and-spoke model for your network topology. The Virtual WAN hub acts as the central point of connectivity, connecting to various spokes (like VNet spokes) and remote sites (on-premises or other clouds).
This model simplifies management and provides efficient transit routing between all connected endpoints.
Use Cases
Azure Virtual WAN is ideal for a variety of scenarios, including:
- Connecting numerous branch offices to Azure.
- Establishing global transit connectivity between Azure regions.
- Migrating existing network infrastructures to a cloud-native solution.
- Securing traffic between on-premises locations and Azure.
Did You Know? Virtual WAN supports automatic fault tolerance and failover, ensuring your network remains available even in the event of component failures.
This documentation provides a comprehensive guide to understanding, deploying, and managing Azure Virtual WAN. Explore the following sections to delve deeper into its capabilities.