AWS network architecture multiple VPCs (Virtual Private Clouds) connectivity solutions

Posted on January 28, 2024

The diagram represents an AWS (Amazon Web Services) network architecture that includes multiple VPCs (Virtual Private Clouds), connectivity solutions, and a centralized service access model. Here’s a breakdown of its components:

  1. AWS Direct Connect: This service establishes a dedicated network connection from the user’s premises to AWS. In the diagram, it connects a user to the AWS network, bypassing the internet for enhanced consistency and bandwidth performance.
  2. VPN (Virtual Private Network): The VPN connection also links the user to AWS, providing an encrypted tunnel over the internet. It’s a secure way to connect to AWS resources, often used as a backup to AWS Direct Connect.
  3. Route 53 (DNS): Amazon Route 53 is a scalable Domain Name System (DNS) web service. It’s represented in the diagram as part of the connectivity from the user’s premises, suggesting that it is being used for DNS resolution for the services hosted in AWS.
  4. VPC (Virtual Private Cloud): The diagram shows two VPCs, which are isolated sections of the AWS cloud where you can launch AWS resources in a virtual network that you define. Inside each VPC, there are “In VPC Applications”, which likely represent the application servers or services running in each VPC.
  5. Gateway Endpoint: These are VPC endpoints that allow you to privately connect your VPC to supported AWS services and VPC endpoint services powered by AWS PrivateLink without requiring an internet gateway, NAT device, VPN connection, or AWS Direct Connect connection. The services provided by the Gateway Endpoints in the diagram are not specified but could be services like Amazon S3 or DynamoDB.
  6. Interface Endpoint: An interface VPC endpoint (AWS PrivateLink) enables you to connect your VPC to supported AWS services and services hosted by other AWS accounts. The diagram shows the use of AWS PrivateLink to connect to Amazon S3, which means the data to and from S3 does not leave the Amazon network.
  7. AWS Transit Gateway: It simplifies the network and puts it in a hub-and-spoke (centralized) connection model. The Transit Gateway acts as a cloud router, each new connection is only made once. In this diagram, the Transit Gateway is being used to route traffic between the different VPCs, potentially allowing for transitive connectivity between them.
  8. Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service): This is an object storage service that offers industry-leading scalability, data availability, security, and performance. In this architecture, it’s connected via AWS PrivateLink, likely for enhanced security and network performance.

Overall, this architecture is designed for organizations that require a highly available, fault-tolerant, and secure network infrastructure in AWS that supports multiple VPCs. It facilitates private connectivity to AWS services, efficient routing via the Transit Gateway, and direct connectivity options from on-premises to AWS.