Posted in AZ Network Engineer, AZ-500 Azure Security Engineer Associate, Azure Administrator, Azure Security Engineer, Azure Solutions Architect, MS Cyber Security Architect Expert

Azure Virtual WAN

   November 1, 2024

Azure Virtual WAN (VWAN) is a networking service that provides a simple, unified, and optimized way to connect your branch offices, data centers, and virtual networks across different regions and to seamlessly manage network routing, security, and connectivity in the Azure cloud. This guide covers the fundamentals of Azure Virtual WAN, including setup, configuration, management, and monitoring, and includes examples to illustrate its practical uses.

1. Overview of Azure Virtual WAN

Azure Virtual WAN serves as a centralized hub in the Azure cloud that simplifies network connections across your organization’s different locations. Using Azure Virtual WAN, you can connect your:

  • Branch offices (using site-to-site VPN or ExpressRoute),
  • Remote users (using Point-to-Site VPN),
  • On-premises data centers,
  • Virtual Networks (VNets) in Azure.

The centralized hub-and-spoke model in Azure Virtual WAN enables optimized routing and security features across the entire network.

2. Core Concepts and Features

Key Components

  • Virtual WAN (VWAN): The primary structure that holds different components, like hubs and connections. You create one VWAN per organization or per large geographical region.
  • Hub: A hub is a central point within a region where multiple networks connect. Hubs are created within a Virtual WAN and connect VNets, branch offices, remote users, and more.
  • Virtual Hub Router: A managed router inside each hub that handles routing traffic between VNets, branch offices, and other networks.
  • Connections: Connections are configurations that allow networks (branch offices, data centers, VNets, or remote users) to link to the hub and communicate.

Features of Azure Virtual WAN

  • Global Connectivity: Connect VNets and branches across regions for global reach.
  • Site-to-Site VPN and ExpressRoute Support: Use encrypted VPN connections or private links (ExpressRoute) for secure connections.
  • Point-to-Site VPN: Allows remote users to connect securely to the hub and access the network.
  • Automated Routing: Azure Virtual WAN dynamically routes traffic between connected networks.
  • Azure Firewall Integration: Integrated security features for threat detection, allowing the application of policies across different regions.
  • Traffic Optimizations and Monitoring: Latency-optimized routing and real-time performance monitoring tools.

3. Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Azure Virtual WAN

Step 1: Create a Virtual WAN Resource

  1. Go to the Azure portal and select Create a resource.
  2. Search for “Virtual WAN” and select Create.
  3. Enter the following details:
  • Name: Choose a name for your Virtual WAN.
  • Subscription and Resource Group: Select an Azure subscription and resource group.
  • Location: Choose a location for your Virtual WAN (e.g., East US). Note that a VWAN is a global resource, but you can only use it in Azure-supported regions.
  • Type: Select “Standard” for advanced features like Azure Firewall, ExpressRoute, and more.
  1. Select Review + Create and then Create.

Step 2: Create a Hub for Virtual WAN

  1. Go to the Virtual WAN you created, and select Hubs > + Add Hub.
  2. Enter the following information:
  • Region: Choose the region for your hub (e.g., East US).
  • Hub Name: Choose a name for the hub (e.g., EastUS-Hub).
  • Hub Network Address Space: Define an IP range (e.g., 10.0.0.0/24) that will act as a subnet for the hub.
  1. VPN Gateway and ExpressRoute Gateway: Enable these if you plan to connect your branch offices using VPN or ExpressRoute.
  2. Firewall Integration: Optionally enable if you want to use Azure Firewall with this hub.
  3. Select Review + Create to create the hub.

Step 3: Connect Virtual Networks (VNets) to the Hub

  1. Go to your Virtual WAN and select Virtual network connections > + Add connection.
  2. Select the hub you created (e.g., EastUS-Hub).
  3. Enter the following details:
  • Connection Name: Give the connection a name (e.g., VNet-EastUS-Connection).
  • Virtual Network: Select the VNet you want to connect to this hub.
  • Address Space Propagation: Enable if you want the address spaces in this VNet to be accessible across the VWAN.
  1. Repeat for other VNets in the region to create a hub-and-spoke model.

Step 4: Configure Site-to-Site (S2S) VPN or ExpressRoute Connections

To connect branch offices or on-premises data centers to your Virtual WAN hub using Site-to-Site VPN or ExpressRoute:

  1. In the Virtual WAN, select Sites > + Add Site.
  2. Enter site details:
  • Site Name and Location: Choose a name and select the location (where your branch or data center is located).
  • VPN/ExpressRoute Gateway Settings: Enter the IP address of the on-premises VPN or ExpressRoute gateway.
  1. After creating the site, go to Hub > Configure Site-to-Site or ExpressRoute Connections and link the site to the hub for connectivity.

Step 5: Enable Point-to-Site (P2S) VPN for Remote Users

  1. Go to Virtual WAN > Hubs > User VPN (Point to Site) and select Enable VPN.
  2. Configure the Point-to-Site settings:
  • Authentication Type: Choose the authentication type, such as Azure Active Directory or certificate-based.
  • IP Address Pool: Define the IP range that will be assigned to VPN clients (e.g., 192.168.100.0/24).
  1. Share the VPN client configuration files with your remote users to allow them to connect to the network securely.

4. Managing and Monitoring Azure Virtual WAN

Azure provides several tools to manage and monitor the Virtual WAN’s performance and security.

Managing Virtual WAN

  • Edit Connections: You can add or remove connections in each hub, adjusting routing as your network grows.
  • Hub and Spoke Expansion: As you expand to different regions, add additional hubs in each region and connect the new VNets, sites, or VPN connections.
  • Firewall Policies: If using Azure Firewall, create firewall policies under Azure Firewall Manager to apply consistent security rules.

Monitoring Virtual WAN

  1. Azure Monitor: Use Azure Monitor for monitoring VWAN performance, latency, and connectivity issues. You can set up alerts for traffic or connectivity drops.
  2. Network Insights: Access Network Insights to view a graphical representation of the hub-and-spoke connections, analyze health, and troubleshoot connectivity problems.
  3. Log Analytics: Integrate VWAN with Log Analytics for in-depth logging and metrics. Use Network Performance Monitoring (NPM) to visualize and optimize network performance.

5. Working and Usage Examples

Example 1: Connecting Branch Offices and VNets Across Regions

Suppose you have two branch offices and several Azure VNets in different regions. By using Azure Virtual WAN:

  • Create a hub in each Azure region (e.g., East US, West Europe).
  • Connect VNets in each region to their respective hub.
  • Set up Site-to-Site VPNs to connect the branch offices to the nearest hub.

This configuration enables each branch office and VNet to communicate, while Azure’s Virtual Hub Router dynamically manages routing between regions and sites.

Example 2: Secure Remote User Access with Point-to-Site VPN

Your organization wants to allow remote users to securely connect to applications hosted in Azure.

  • Enable Point-to-Site VPN on the hub closest to your remote user population.
  • Use Azure AD Authentication for secure identity verification.
  • Distribute VPN client configurations to remote users, allowing them to securely access Azure resources.

This configuration helps remote users connect to the organization’s network without relying on traditional VPN infrastructure.

Example 3: Enforcing Security with Azure Firewall

If you have sensitive data and require strict network security:

  • Enable Azure Firewall in your VWAN hubs.
  • Create Firewall Policies to control and inspect traffic moving between VNets, sites, and users.
  • Enforce rules like restricting specific ports, protocols, or IPs to minimize attack surface.

This setup ensures that all traffic moving through Azure VWAN is monitored and filtered according to your security policies.

6. Best Practices for Azure Virtual WAN

  • Organize VWAN by Geography: It’s often best to organize your VWAN by regions or large geographical areas.
  • Optimize Traffic with Nearby Hubs: Place hubs close to your primary user or branch locations to reduce latency.
  • Use Conditional Access for P2S VPN: For remote users, use Conditional Access policies with P2S VPN to enhance security.
  • Set Up Alerts for Connectivity Drops: Use Azure Monitor alerts to notify you of any connectivity issues between hubs, VNets, or branch offices.

Azure Virtual WAN is a powerful service that centralizes and simplifies global network connectivity. It allows you to connect branch offices, data centers, virtual networks, and remote users securely and seamlessly, while taking advantage of built-in Azure features for optimized routing, security, and monitoring. By following this guide, you can configure and use Azure Virtual WAN effectively to scale and secure your organization’s global network infrastructure.

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Author: tonyhughes