Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
■ Used to provision a logically isolated section of a cloud provider’s infrastructure
■ Allows launching resources inside a defined virtual network
■ Part of the larger concept of Infrastructure as Code (IAC)
● Infrastructure as Code (IAC)
○ Includes the provisioning of architecture where the deployment of resources is performed by scripted automation and orchestration
Key components of VPC
● Subnet
○ A range within a VPC for allocating instances
○ Can be public or private
● Route Tables
○ Contain rules (routes) for directing network traffic within a VPC
○ Associated with each subnet
● Internet Gateway
○ Enables communication between VPC instances and the public internet
○ Horizontally scalable, redundant, and highly available
● Network Access Translation (NAT) Gateway
○ Enables private subnet instances to connect to the internet, but prevents the internet from initiating a connection with those instances in he VPC
Key components of VPC part 2
● Network Access Control List (ACL)
○ Subnet-level firewalls for controlling inbound and outbound traffic
○ Operates like stateless firewall
■ Each rule for inbound or outbound traffic is evaluated independently
○ May be used to supplement Security Groups but not to replace them
● Security Groups
○ Instance-level firewalls for controlling inbound and outbound traffic
○ Operate like stateful firewall
○ Newly created security group has no inbound rule and has allow outbound rule by default
Key components of VPC part 3
● VPC Peering
○ Network connection between two VPCs for private traffic routing
● VPC Endpoints
○ Allow private connectivity to services within a cloud provider without using the internet
● VPN Connections
○ Connect VPCs to remote networks or other VPCs
Advantages of VPCs
● Allow mixing products from different vendors
● Speed up network development
● Added layers of automation and policy management
● Enables fully automated deployments
○ Critical for high-velocity or high-availability architectures and disaster recovery
Challenges of VPCs
● Risk of being a single point of failure if connectivity is lost
● Centralized nature can make them a potential target for attackers, requiring proper security measures
