Overview of Azure Private Link

Azure Private Link service enables you to access Azure Platform as a Service (PaaS) services, such as Azure Storage and SQL Database, and Azure hosted customer-owned/partner services, or Azure shared services, over a private endpoint in your virtual network.

Traffic between your virtual network and the service travels the Microsoft backbone network without traversing the public internet. This provides a secure and efficient way to connect to Azure services.

Key Benefits

  • Enhanced Security: Data doesn't travel over the public internet, reducing exposure to threats.
  • Simplified Network Architecture: Eliminates the need for complex network configurations like VPNs or ExpressRoutes for accessing PaaS services.
  • Compliance: Helps meet strict compliance requirements by keeping traffic private.
  • Consistent Connectivity: Provides a consistent private connection experience for various Azure services.

How it Works

Azure Private Link leverages private endpoints, which are network interfaces that connect privately and securely to a service powered by Azure Private Link. A private endpoint uses a private IP address from your virtual network, effectively bringing the service into your virtual network.

Note: A private endpoint is created for a specific service instance, ensuring granular access control.

Use Cases

  • Connecting to Azure SQL Database securely from an Azure Virtual Machine.
  • Accessing Azure Blob Storage privately from an on-premises network via an Azure VPN Gateway or ExpressRoute.
  • Enabling developers to access Azure services without exposing them to the public internet.
  • Providing secure access to customer-hosted applications within Azure.

Supported Services

Azure Private Link supports a wide range of Azure PaaS services and can also be used for customer-owned or partner services. Some commonly supported services include:

  • Azure Storage (Blob, File, Queue, Table)
  • Azure SQL Database
  • Azure Cosmos DB
  • Azure Key Vault
  • Azure Service Bus
  • Azure Event Hubs
  • And many more...

Getting Started

To start using Azure Private Link, you typically need to:

  1. Create a Private Endpoint in your virtual network.
  2. Specify the target Azure service and resource.
  3. Configure DNS settings to resolve the service FQDN to the private IP address of the private endpoint.
Tip: Review the quickstart guide to set up your first private endpoint for a supported Azure service.

Learn More

Explore the following resources to deepen your understanding of Azure Private Link: