Amazon VPC allows you to secure and manage your AWS resources in a virtual private cloud that is isolated from the public internet. Learn more about its advantages and use cases, so you can make the most of this powerful tool.
Amazon VPC is a unique virtual private network almost similar to a conventional network you can run in your private data center. What makes the Amazon VPC exceptional is the ability to use a scalable infrastructure of AWS (Amazon Web Services).
Furthermore, this virtual network is allocated to your specific AWS account. And since Amazon VPC is separated from dissimilar virtual networks in AWS, it offers maximum security to its users. Its features allow you to develop a specific IP address range for your VPC and add extra subnets, gateways, and link security groups. So what are the benefits of Amazon VPC, and how much does it cost? Read on.
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Benefits of Amazon VPC
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VPCs have a couple of benefits, the most obvious being that they allow you to segment your service, but there are other benefits. You can use them to create private networks for your applications and services, isolate traffic from within the network and even provide access control.
It provides the same benefits as traditional networks and data centers but with some key advantages, including;
- VPC being a service, there's no need for hardware or software purchase, installation, or maintenance. You create an Amazon VPC, connect it to your network, and start using it.
- Amazon VPC is highly available. If one of your VPCs fails, the others will continue to function without interruption.
- Amazon VPC has additional features that make it even more flexible than traditional private networks.
- You can use it as a secure connection between two regions in the same AWS account or between two accounts in separate accounts.
- You can use EC2 instances launched into your Amazon VPC to perform public cloud tasks such as database hosting and file storage in your local environment.
Features of Amazon VPC
The following features are great in configuring the VPC to receive the connectivity that your application needs.
- Virtual private clouds (VPC): It is a network that resembles the conventional network you would operate within your own data center. Once a VPC has been formed, you can add subnets.
- Subnets: An IP address range in your VPC is referred to as a subnet. Only one Availability Zone can contain a subnet. After creating subnets, you can now install AWS resources in your VPC.
- Routing: You will use the routing table to direct your gateway and subnet network.
- Gateways and endpoints: You will use Gateway to connect your VPC to other networks, such as the Internet, and the VPC endpoint will connect AWS services privately.
- Traffic Mirroring: It copies all the network traffic from their interfaces and sends them to the security information for monitoring.
- VPN connections: It helps in connecting VPC with the network using AWS.
Where VPCs Live?
All VPCs exist and are created on the Amazon Web Services region. The region is a physical location where Amazon has a cloud data center. The beauty of regionalizing VPC is that it helps provide a network for a specific location.
Each account can host several VPCs as they are isolated from one another. You can easily duplicate your subnets to the VPCs using the same subnet on different data center locations. Besides, you can add a public IP address that you will use to launch your VPC.
Interfaces for Amazon VPC
You can use any of these interfaces to manage or create a VPC.
- AWS Management Console: You can use this interface to manage all AWS (Amazon Web Services) functions.
- AWS Software Development Kit (SDKs). It helps to provide language-specific APIs for the Amazon web service, such as handling request retries, calculating signatures, and error handling.
- AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) provides commands to mac, windows, or Linux operating systems to provide AWS services.
- Query API: This one helps to provide low-level API actions through HTTPS requests.
How VPCs Work?
You can use VPC to deploy, configure, and manage your AWS resources in a private network. For example, you can create an EC2 instance in a VPC and connect it to the internet using a public IP address.
You can create a new VPC using the AWS CLI or AWS Management Console. After creating the VPC, proceed to connect it to other networks on AWS by specifying its external access settings.
VPCs work by building a virtual network for your unique Amazon web service by creating an environment where other Amazon resources can operate.
If you have ever managed a physical data center, you must be familiar with AWS VPC (DC). It is a VPC function that works similarly to TCP or IP networks. It can be adjusted or expanded as needed. The difference is that VPC specifically has DC parts that you are used to using, such as switches, routers, and VLANs, that are designed and abstracted into the cloud software.
How Much Does Amazon VPC Cost?
You are charged for every hour for an active IP address monitored by IPAM. Amazon VPC has four pricing categories of 0 to 0.05 per hour.
- $0.00027 per active IP address that IPAM manages
- $0.015 per ENI
- $0.045 per NAT gateway
- A free trial
VPCs and Shared Responsibility
Check out the Shared Responsibility concept from Amazon before you begin configuring VPCs. According to Amazon, security and compliance are a joint duty between AWS and its clients. Security in the Cloud is the responsibility of the customer while Amazon is in charge of the security of its cloud.
The gear, networking, cloud software, and facilities used to host AWS services are all under AWS control.
Customers manage their servers, applications, encryption, data, operating systems, security, and other elements in the cloud.
The shared responsibility model identifies who is in charge of fixing particular problems, such as AWS outages, security flaws, or revenue losses. Understanding these restrictions is crucial when configuring your VPC. For more details, refer to the shared responsibility paradigm.
Bottom Line
VPC helps you in launching your Amazon Web Services into the cloud. It is a service with immense benefits to its users, such as secure connection, availability, and flexibility.