What Is Cloud Networking?

A cloud network enables the computing resources within a cloud environment to seamlessly connect and communicate. Leveraging the power of virtualization, software-defined networking, and cloud native services, a cloud network provides the network infrastructure, services, and management capabilities that allow organizations to take advantage of distributed cloud-based applications and services. As organizations rely more heavily on cloud resources, cloud networks have become essential for designing, deploying, and managing resilient cloud infrastructures.

A cloud network is a virtual network infrastructure, using virtualized components and services to connect resources within and between data centers. Key technologies include:

• Virtual private cloud (VPC): A VPC enables IT teams to create isolated networks within a public cloud. This delivers more control over virtual network environments, including IP address ranges, subnets, and route tables.
• Subnets: Subnets are created by segmenting the network into smaller parts in order to better isolate and organize network components.
• Routing: Virtual routers organize routing of data between subnets, VPCs, and other network components.
• Connectivity: Cloud networks use high-speed connections and VPNs to link cloud resources within cloud environments and to on-premises infrastructure.
• Load balancers: Load balancers distribute network traffic across multiple servers for greater reliability and high availability.
• Firewalls: Firewalls help secure cloud networks by controlling and monitoring incoming and outgoing network traffic based on rules established by security teams.

Traditional networking models use physical network infrastructure like routers, switches, and cables to connect devices and networks. These legacy technologies require IT teams to manually configure and manage network devices, and they offer limited scalability and flexibility.

Cloud networking provides a more flexible and scalable alternative that also allows for on-demand allocation of cloud resources. Cloud networks rely on virtualized technology, and they can be centrally managed using software-defined networking (SDN) tools. With the ability to create dynamic, programmable, and scalable networks, cloud networking provides organizations with greater agility, automation, and centralized network management capabilities.

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services like servers, storage, and applications over the internet. This includes highly popular service models such as IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. By making these resources available on demand, cloud computing enables organizations to access the computing resources and virtual machines they require without needing to deploy physical resources on-premises.

In contrast, cloud networking provides network infrastructure that enables connectivity and communication between cloud computing resources.

Organizations may benefit from several types of cloud networks.

• Public cloud networks are multi-tenant networks provided by cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Networking. Organizations using public cloud networks will share network infrastructure and services with their customers.
• Private cloud networks are networks that are exclusively used by a single organization. They may be hosted on-premises or in a cloud service provider’s data center, offering greater control, security, and customization.
• Hybrid cloud networks combine both public and private networks, allowing organizations to seamlessly connect and integrate on-premises infrastructure with cloud resources.
• Multicloud networks involve multiple cloud service providers, allowing organizations to take advantage of best-in-class solutions while avoiding vendor lock-in and maintaining a unified network infrastructure.

Cloud networks offer significant advantages to organizations and IT teams.

• Greater scalability: Cloud networks can easily scale up or down to handle increasing bandwidth demands and to support the growth of applications and services.
• Improved cost-effectiveness: Cloud networking eliminates the need for capital investments in physical network infrastructure and provides organizations with a pay-as-you-go pricing model.
• Global reach: Cloud providers offer global network connectivity, enabling organizations to seamlessly connect across multiple geographic locations.
• Immense flexibility: By creating custom network topologies and configurations, organizations can quickly adapt to meet evolving business needs.
• Increased agility: A cloud network can be provisioned and configured quickly, allowing faster deployment of applications and services.
• Better connectivity: High-speed connections and reliable bandwidth ensure more efficient data transfer.
• Stronger security: Cloud networks provide advanced cloud security features like firewalls, encryption, and identity and access management (IAM) solutions to protect data and applications.
• Reduced latency: Organizations can achieve low-latency connectivity by optimizing routing and connecting to local data centers.
• Simplified management: Cloud networking services offer centralized management dashboards, automation tools, and APIs to streamline network operations and monitoring.
• High-availability: Redundancy and failover mechanisms in cloud networks ensure high availability and greater resilience against disruptions.

IT teams rely on multiple techniques and best practices to improve the performance of cloud networks.

• Load balancing distributes traffic to prevent overload on a single resource and ensure optimal performance under varying loads.
• Bandwidth management ensures adequate bandwidth for essential applications and provides QoS functionality.
• DNS optimization uses efficient DNS routing to reduce latency.
• Content delivery networks (CDNs) and caching technology store data closer to end users to speed up access.
• Network segmentation and subnetting isolate network resources and control traffic flow.
• Continuous monitoring helps teams to track performance metrics and establish alerts to proactively identify performance issues and accelerate troubleshooting.

To mitigate threats to cybersecurity, organizations can implement a variety of security controls and measures.

• Firewalls and security groups help control traffic flow and enforce security policies.
• Encryption protects data at rest and in transit.
• Access controls enforce user permissions and authorize least-privilege access for authorized entities.
• Regular security audits and assessments identify and address potential network security vulnerabilities.
• Virtual private networks (VPNs) securely connect on-premises networks to a cloud.
• Cloud infrastructure segmentation and microsegmentation technologies create security boundaries, prevent lateral movement, and limit the blast radius of potential security incidents. Configuring network access control lists (ACLs) restricts inbound and outbound traffic at the instance and subnet levels.
• Regular updates and patches to network devices and software mitigate known vulnerabilities that attackers may exploit.