What is an Azure Virtual Network?

An Azure Virtual Network (VNet) is the foundational building block for your private network in Azure. It allows Azure resources, such as virtual machines, to communicate securely with each other, with the internet, and with on-premises networks.

Think of a VNet as your own network in Azure, but with the benefits of Azure's scalability, availability, and security.

Key Components of a VNet

  • Address Space: A private IP address range that you define for your VNet. Resources within the VNet are assigned IP addresses from this space.
  • Subnets: Segments of the VNet's address space. Each subnet can have its own security rules and routing policies, allowing for better organization and control.
  • Gateways: Components that enable connectivity between VNets, to on-premises networks (via VPN or ExpressRoute), and to the internet.
  • Network Security Groups (NSGs): Act as a distributed firewall to filter network traffic to and from Azure resources.

Benefits of Using Azure VNets

Enhanced Security: Isolate your resources, control inbound and outbound traffic with NSGs, and securely connect to your on-premises environment.
Scalability: Easily scale your network resources up or down as your application needs change.
Connectivity: Seamlessly connect your cloud resources to each other and to your existing on-premises infrastructure.

Creating Your First VNet (Conceptual Steps)

  1. Navigate to Virtual Networks: In the Azure portal, search for and select "Virtual networks".
  2. Create a Virtual Network: Click "Create" and fill in the required details:
    • Subscription and Resource Group: Choose your subscription and resource group.
    • Name: Give your VNet a descriptive name (e.g., `my-vnet`).
    • Region: Select the Azure region where you want to deploy your VNet.
    • IP Addresses: Define the address space for your VNet (e.g., `10.0.0.0/16`).
    • Subnets: Create one or more subnets within the VNet's address space (e.g., `default-subnet` with address range `10.0.1.0/24`).
  3. Review and Create: Review your settings and create the VNet.

Once created, you can deploy resources like Virtual Machines into specific subnets within your VNet.

Example VNet Configuration

Here's a simplified representation of a VNet configuration:

VNet Name: my-vnet Region: East US Address Space: 10.0.0.0/16 Subnets: - Name: subnet-web Address Range: 10.0.1.0/24 - Name: subnet-app Address Range: 10.0.2.0/24 - Name: subnet-db Address Range: 10.0.3.0/24

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics, explore these related topics: