By IT Brew Staff
less than 3 min read
Definition:
Networking traditionally involves a complex web of physical devices and wired plugins: ethernet cables connect computers to central management points known as switches, the switches communicate with routers, and the routers provide wi-fi or connect a section of, say, your office to the internet.
Cloud networking hands at least part of the infrastructure to a third-party cloud platform.
Virtual private clouds (VPCs)—isolated networks, available via the public cloud—offer access restrictions and security via mechanisms like:
- Subnets: Specific IP addresses reserved and configured for private (or public) use.
- Virtual private networks: Digital tunnels that encrypt data going to and from the VPC.
- VLANs: Virtual local area networks—also a key component with on-premise infrastructures—partition a network into smaller pieces.
- Virtual firewalls: The network guardians here inspect traffic and make block or allow decisions based on configured rules.
Cloud platform vendors like AWS, Microsoft, and Google offer virtual network options.
In addition to the access features, cloud networking and VPCs offer other operational functions. Load balancers strategically distribute network traffic across virtual servers, for example, and virtual routers examine incoming data and decide where in the cloud network to send it. Content delivery network (CDN) services cache content on edge virtual servers for faster availability.
Advantages. Network resources can be provisioned on demand. Tools like load balancers enable easy scaling of networking capabilities, and deployments are likely faster than the purchasing and installing physical assets.
Disadvantages. Handing networking to the cloud, however, does not remove maintenance responsibilities. An IT pro still requires expertise to configure functions like cloud-based access—and cloud network misconfigurations have been the source of data breaches.
As usual, too, with cloud services: handing over an IT function might sound like the lifting of a burden, but an IT pro does give up control during any unexpected incidents and outages.
