Windows Azure Virtual Network overview

June 6 We announced a preview version of the Windows http://www.aliyun.com/zixun/aggregation/13357.html ">azure virtual network." This blog will further explore this new feature and further explain the network features that already exist in Windows Azure in other cloud-spanning scenarios.

Before you publish a Windows Azure virtual network, you have a lot of options for connecting to a non-cloud IT environment with a public network. You can synchronize your data using SQL data sync, use Servicebus to implement application-level connectivity, and use Windows Azure Connect to securely connect IP-level machines. Now, with Windows Azure Virtual network, we are further strengthening our cloud-spanning connections by allowing you to set up site to site connections, just as you would set up a branch office network and use a VPN gateway to connect to your corporate network.

The following figure is a visual representation of the stack of connections across the cloud:

With this new feature, you can now create a logically separate private environment in Windows Azure and use a secure VPN tunnel to connect to your company's data center. Once set up, a stand-alone Windows Azure environment can be a logical extension of the corporate network.

Create a virtual private network in Windows Azure

You can create a private network (called a virtual network or vnet) in a Windows Azure environment where you can define a range of dedicated IP addresses. In Vnet, you can also choose to create a logical subnet and specify the DNS that the virtual machine will use. When a virtual machine or role instance is started in a vnet or a subnet, they are automatically assigned IP addresses within the specified range. The thing you need to be aware of is that logically vnet is independent, so your private IP address will not conflict with other clients ' private IP addresses, even if they may be the same.

Create a tunnel to a virtual network

Once you have created a vnet, you can choose to securely connect to your non-cloud network via a standard IPSec VPN tunnel. If you choose this, in Windows
Azure will automatically deploy a VPN gateway for you. Then, what you need to do is configure a non-cloud VPN gateway to complete the tunnel setup.

Using the features provided by Windows Azure Virtual network, we think you will be able to solve a variety of mixed cloud scenarios, such as building ' virtual ' extensions to the datacenter, or running portions of your application in the cloud or elsewhere in the data center. For example, you can now add a virtual machine running on Windows Azure to a non-cloud AD domain, and you can run SharePoint on the intranet in Windows Azure.

"Well, virtual networks and connect allow me to create secure IP-level connections across the cloud." But what is the difference? "You may ask. The following quick video shows the difference between the two services:

Establish and manage virtual networks

You can create a vnet in Windows Azure in fairly simple form through the admin portal. The video below explains how to install a vnet, assign an IP address range, and then create a connection using your non-cloud network.

We hope you will like Windows Azure virtual network. Click here for more information and tutorials on creating and managing virtual networks in Windows Azure.

Author，

Venkat
Gattamneni, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Windows Azure

Jason Chen, Chief project manager, Windows Azure