Explore Courses
Liverpool Business SchoolLiverpool Business SchoolMBA by Liverpool Business School
  • 18 Months
Bestseller
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityMBA (Master of Business Administration)
  • 15 Months
Popular
O.P.Jindal Global UniversityO.P.Jindal Global UniversityMaster of Business Administration (MBA)
  • 12 Months
New
Birla Institute of Management Technology Birla Institute of Management Technology Post Graduate Diploma in Management (BIMTECH)
  • 24 Months
Liverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool John Moores UniversityMS in Data Science
  • 18 Months
Popular
IIIT BangaloreIIIT BangalorePost Graduate Programme in Data Science & AI (Executive)
  • 12 Months
Bestseller
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityDBA in Emerging Technologies with concentration in Generative AI
  • 3 Years
upGradupGradData Science Bootcamp with AI
  • 6 Months
New
University of MarylandIIIT BangalorePost Graduate Certificate in Data Science & AI (Executive)
  • 8-8.5 Months
upGradupGradData Science Bootcamp with AI
  • 6 months
Popular
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutData Engineer Bootcamp
  • Self-Paced
upGradupGradCertificate Course in Business Analytics & Consulting in association with PwC India
  • 06 Months
OP Jindal Global UniversityOP Jindal Global UniversityMaster of Design in User Experience Design
  • 12 Months
Popular
WoolfWoolfMaster of Science in Computer Science
  • 18 Months
New
Jindal Global UniversityJindal Global UniversityMaster of Design in User Experience
  • 12 Months
New
Rushford, GenevaRushford Business SchoolDBA Doctorate in Technology (Computer Science)
  • 36 Months
IIIT BangaloreIIIT BangaloreCloud Computing and DevOps Program (Executive)
  • 8 Months
New
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutAWS Solutions Architect Certification
  • 32 Hours
upGradupGradFull Stack Software Development Bootcamp
  • 6 Months
Popular
upGradupGradUI/UX Bootcamp
  • 3 Months
upGradupGradCloud Computing Bootcamp
  • 7.5 Months
Golden Gate University Golden Gate University Doctor of Business Administration in Digital Leadership
  • 36 Months
New
Jindal Global UniversityJindal Global UniversityMaster of Design in User Experience
  • 12 Months
New
Golden Gate University Golden Gate University Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
  • 36 Months
Bestseller
Ecole Supérieure de Gestion et Commerce International ParisEcole Supérieure de Gestion et Commerce International ParisDoctorate of Business Administration (DBA)
  • 36 Months
Rushford, GenevaRushford Business SchoolDoctorate of Business Administration (DBA)
  • 36 Months
KnowledgeHut upGradKnowledgeHut upGradSAFe® 6.0 Certified ScrumMaster (SSM) Training
  • Self-Paced
KnowledgeHut upGradKnowledgeHut upGradPMP® certification
  • Self-Paced
IIM KozhikodeIIM KozhikodeProfessional Certification in HR Management and Analytics
  • 6 Months
Bestseller
Duke CEDuke CEPost Graduate Certificate in Product Management
  • 4-8 Months
Bestseller
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutLeading SAFe® 6.0 Certification
  • 16 Hours
Popular
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutCertified ScrumMaster®(CSM) Training
  • 16 Hours
Bestseller
PwCupGrad CampusCertification Program in Financial Modelling & Analysis in association with PwC India
  • 4 Months
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutSAFe® 6.0 POPM Certification
  • 16 Hours
O.P.Jindal Global UniversityO.P.Jindal Global UniversityMaster of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
  • 12 Months
Bestseller
Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool John Moores University MS in Machine Learning & AI
  • 18 Months
Popular
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityDBA in Emerging Technologies with concentration in Generative AI
  • 3 Years
IIIT BangaloreIIIT BangaloreExecutive Post Graduate Programme in Machine Learning & AI
  • 13 Months
Bestseller
IIITBIIITBExecutive Program in Generative AI for Leaders
  • 4 Months
upGradupGradAdvanced Certificate Program in GenerativeAI
  • 4 Months
New
IIIT BangaloreIIIT BangalorePost Graduate Certificate in Machine Learning & Deep Learning (Executive)
  • 8 Months
Bestseller
Jindal Global UniversityJindal Global UniversityMaster of Design in User Experience
  • 12 Months
New
Liverpool Business SchoolLiverpool Business SchoolMBA with Marketing Concentration
  • 18 Months
Bestseller
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityMBA with Marketing Concentration
  • 15 Months
Popular
MICAMICAAdvanced Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communication
  • 6 Months
Bestseller
MICAMICAAdvanced Certificate in Brand Communication Management
  • 5 Months
Popular
upGradupGradDigital Marketing Accelerator Program
  • 05 Months
Jindal Global Law SchoolJindal Global Law SchoolLL.M. in Corporate & Financial Law
  • 12 Months
Bestseller
Jindal Global Law SchoolJindal Global Law SchoolLL.M. in AI and Emerging Technologies (Blended Learning Program)
  • 12 Months
Jindal Global Law SchoolJindal Global Law SchoolLL.M. in Intellectual Property & Technology Law
  • 12 Months
Jindal Global Law SchoolJindal Global Law SchoolLL.M. in Dispute Resolution
  • 12 Months
upGradupGradContract Law Certificate Program
  • Self paced
New
ESGCI, ParisESGCI, ParisDoctorate of Business Administration (DBA) from ESGCI, Paris
  • 36 Months
Golden Gate University Golden Gate University Doctor of Business Administration From Golden Gate University, San Francisco
  • 36 Months
Rushford Business SchoolRushford Business SchoolDoctor of Business Administration from Rushford Business School, Switzerland)
  • 36 Months
Edgewood CollegeEdgewood CollegeDoctorate of Business Administration from Edgewood College
  • 24 Months
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityDBA in Emerging Technologies with Concentration in Generative AI
  • 36 Months
Golden Gate University Golden Gate University DBA in Digital Leadership from Golden Gate University, San Francisco
  • 36 Months
Liverpool Business SchoolLiverpool Business SchoolMBA by Liverpool Business School
  • 18 Months
Bestseller
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityMBA (Master of Business Administration)
  • 15 Months
Popular
O.P.Jindal Global UniversityO.P.Jindal Global UniversityMaster of Business Administration (MBA)
  • 12 Months
New
Deakin Business School and Institute of Management Technology, GhaziabadDeakin Business School and IMT, GhaziabadMBA (Master of Business Administration)
  • 12 Months
Liverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool John Moores UniversityMS in Data Science
  • 18 Months
Bestseller
O.P.Jindal Global UniversityO.P.Jindal Global UniversityMaster of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
  • 12 Months
Bestseller
IIIT BangaloreIIIT BangalorePost Graduate Programme in Data Science (Executive)
  • 12 Months
Bestseller
O.P.Jindal Global UniversityO.P.Jindal Global UniversityO.P.Jindal Global University
  • 12 Months
WoolfWoolfMaster of Science in Computer Science
  • 18 Months
New
Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool John Moores University MS in Machine Learning & AI
  • 18 Months
Popular
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityDBA in Emerging Technologies with concentration in Generative AI
  • 3 Years
Rushford, GenevaRushford Business SchoolDoctorate of Business Administration (AI/ML)
  • 36 Months
Ecole Supérieure de Gestion et Commerce International ParisEcole Supérieure de Gestion et Commerce International ParisDBA Specialisation in AI & ML
  • 36 Months
Golden Gate University Golden Gate University Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
  • 36 Months
Bestseller
Ecole Supérieure de Gestion et Commerce International ParisEcole Supérieure de Gestion et Commerce International ParisDoctorate of Business Administration (DBA)
  • 36 Months
Rushford, GenevaRushford Business SchoolDoctorate of Business Administration (DBA)
  • 36 Months
Liverpool Business SchoolLiverpool Business SchoolMBA with Marketing Concentration
  • 18 Months
Bestseller
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityMBA with Marketing Concentration
  • 15 Months
Popular
Jindal Global Law SchoolJindal Global Law SchoolLL.M. in Corporate & Financial Law
  • 12 Months
Bestseller
Jindal Global Law SchoolJindal Global Law SchoolLL.M. in Intellectual Property & Technology Law
  • 12 Months
Jindal Global Law SchoolJindal Global Law SchoolLL.M. in Dispute Resolution
  • 12 Months
IIITBIIITBExecutive Program in Generative AI for Leaders
  • 4 Months
New
IIIT BangaloreIIIT BangaloreExecutive Post Graduate Programme in Machine Learning & AI
  • 13 Months
Bestseller
upGradupGradData Science Bootcamp with AI
  • 6 Months
New
upGradupGradAdvanced Certificate Program in GenerativeAI
  • 4 Months
New
KnowledgeHut upGradKnowledgeHut upGradSAFe® 6.0 Certified ScrumMaster (SSM) Training
  • Self-Paced
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutCertified ScrumMaster®(CSM) Training
  • 16 Hours
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutLeading SAFe® 6.0 Certification
  • 16 Hours
KnowledgeHut upGradKnowledgeHut upGradPMP® certification
  • Self-Paced
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutAWS Solutions Architect Certification
  • 32 Hours
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutAzure Administrator Certification (AZ-104)
  • 24 Hours
KnowledgeHut upGradKnowledgeHut upGradAWS Cloud Practioner Essentials Certification
  • 1 Week
KnowledgeHut upGradKnowledgeHut upGradAzure Data Engineering Training (DP-203)
  • 1 Week
MICAMICAAdvanced Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communication
  • 6 Months
Bestseller
MICAMICAAdvanced Certificate in Brand Communication Management
  • 5 Months
Popular
IIM KozhikodeIIM KozhikodeProfessional Certification in HR Management and Analytics
  • 6 Months
Bestseller
Duke CEDuke CEPost Graduate Certificate in Product Management
  • 4-8 Months
Bestseller
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA)Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA)Executive PG Programme in Human Resource Management
  • 11 Months
Popular
Goa Institute of ManagementGoa Institute of ManagementExecutive PG Program in Healthcare Management
  • 11 Months
IMT GhaziabadIMT GhaziabadAdvanced General Management Program
  • 11 Months
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityProfessional Certificate in Global Business Management
  • 6-8 Months
upGradupGradContract Law Certificate Program
  • Self paced
New
IU, GermanyIU, GermanyMaster of Business Administration (90 ECTS)
  • 18 Months
Bestseller
IU, GermanyIU, GermanyMaster in International Management (120 ECTS)
  • 24 Months
Popular
IU, GermanyIU, GermanyB.Sc. Computer Science (180 ECTS)
  • 36 Months
Clark UniversityClark UniversityMaster of Business Administration
  • 23 Months
New
Golden Gate UniversityGolden Gate UniversityMaster of Business Administration
  • 20 Months
Clark University, USClark University, USMS in Project Management
  • 20 Months
New
Edgewood CollegeEdgewood CollegeMaster of Business Administration
  • 23 Months
The American Business SchoolThe American Business SchoolMBA with specialization
  • 23 Months
New
Aivancity ParisAivancity ParisMSc Artificial Intelligence Engineering
  • 24 Months
Aivancity ParisAivancity ParisMSc Data Engineering
  • 24 Months
The American Business SchoolThe American Business SchoolMBA with specialization
  • 23 Months
New
Aivancity ParisAivancity ParisMSc Artificial Intelligence Engineering
  • 24 Months
Aivancity ParisAivancity ParisMSc Data Engineering
  • 24 Months
upGradupGradData Science Bootcamp with AI
  • 6 Months
Popular
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutData Engineer Bootcamp
  • Self-Paced
upGradupGradFull Stack Software Development Bootcamp
  • 6 Months
Bestseller
KnowledgeHut upGradKnowledgeHut upGradBackend Development Bootcamp
  • Self-Paced
upGradupGradUI/UX Bootcamp
  • 3 Months
upGradupGradCloud Computing Bootcamp
  • 7.5 Months
PwCupGrad CampusCertification Program in Financial Modelling & Analysis in association with PwC India
  • 5 Months
upGrad KnowledgeHutupGrad KnowledgeHutSAFe® 6.0 POPM Certification
  • 16 Hours
upGradupGradDigital Marketing Accelerator Program
  • 05 Months
upGradupGradAdvanced Certificate Program in GenerativeAI
  • 4 Months
New
upGradupGradData Science Bootcamp with AI
  • 6 Months
Popular
upGradupGradFull Stack Software Development Bootcamp
  • 6 Months
Bestseller
upGradupGradUI/UX Bootcamp
  • 3 Months
PwCupGrad CampusCertification Program in Financial Modelling & Analysis in association with PwC India
  • 4 Months
upGradupGradCertificate Course in Business Analytics & Consulting in association with PwC India
  • 06 Months
upGradupGradDigital Marketing Accelerator Program
  • 05 Months

How Does an Azure Virtual Network Work? Everything You Need to Know

Updated on 03 July, 2023

6.51K+ views
11 min read

Having trouble with understanding virtual networks? Then this guide is a must-read for you. 

In this article, we’ll be discussing what virtual networks are, how they function, and what is Azure virtual network. You’ll also learn how you can set up your virtual network in Azure. 

The Azure Virtual Network (VNet) is a critical Microsoft Azure component that allows customers to establish and administer virtual private networks inside the Azure cloud architecture. This article seeks to offer a thorough overview of Azure Virtual Networks and the ideas related to them.

Virtual networks are vital for organizations that use clouds for storing their data. They provide additional security and accessibility to their systems. The concept of virtual networks is straightforward, and after going through this article, you’ll be quite familiar with it. 

So, let’s dive in. 

What are Virtual Networks?

You use the internet every day, right? A virtual network is just like the internet; it’s a simpler version of the same. A virtual network (also known as VNet) allows you to manage various virtual private networks for creating a firmly secure network. Virtual networks give you the ability to connect with other virtual networks as well.

Get Machine Learning Certification from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career.

This way, you have the option of creating a broad and secure network of different servers and systems that are connected. The best advantage of this network is, you can’t access it from the internet; this way, it’s highly secure and safe. The virtual machines present in a virtual network only respond to a request you make within the network.

Special VPN keys secure virtual networks. You can’t access the system without using the VPN key. This means you can’t access the applications and virtual machines present in the net, too, if you don’t have the unique VPN key. 

Why do we use Virtual Networks?

Virtual networks facilitate communication between two resources present in your cloud. We call them ‘virtual’ networks because there is no hardware required for connection. All the resources current in the system are connected virtually. 

There are many advantages to using virtual networks:

  • They reduce operation costs. You don’t need much hardware for running a virtual network in comparison to conventional methods. 
  • They are secure. One can’t access the network without having the secure VPN key. As a result, they provide your organization with much-needed safety.
  • They are fast. Virtual networks enable communication between the different components of your cloud. This way, your operation gets quicker and more efficient.

Azure Virtual Network Explained

The Azure Virtual Network (VNet Azure) represents your network in your cloud. It is the isolation of Azure according to your subscription. Remember the advantages of using virtual networks we discussed above? Azure provides you those advantages with a punch. 

In simple terms, with the use of Azure VNet, you can enable the resources present in your cloud to interact with each other. How do you do that? 

Well, that’s what we’ll discuss in this guide. But we can summarize it here.

Suppose you want to connect two computers. But to join them, you need to have permission. For this purpose, you’ll need to access the settings of your virtual network. After you’ve done that, you can connect those two computers, and they can work with one another. 

Azure VNet lets you use other Azure resources in your cloud with high effectiveness. 

While a simple virtual network has its advantages, Azure provides you with its unique features such as isolation, availability, and scaling. 

Azure Networking includes various sophisticated networking capabilities that improve network security, flexibility, and availability. Some of these characteristics can help you have a better knowledge of Azure Virtual Networks:

NSGs have previously been highlighted, but their importance cannot be overstated. These groups enable granular oversight of network traffic within subnets and virtual machines by defining inbound and outbound security procedures. You may enforce network safety regulations by providing rules for standards, ports, and source/destination IP addresses.

Azure Load Balancer is a scalable, high-availability load-distributing system supplied by Azure. It aggregates incoming traffic over several virtual machines or resources, delivering optimum performance and high accessibility for virtual network applications or operations.

Azure Application Gateway is a layer 7 load balancer with powerful application distribution and security capabilities. It allows you to govern and optimize traffic in accordance with URL routing, SSL termination, and application-layer security settings, enabling safe and scalable online application delivery.

Basics of Virtual Networks

The Azure Network Interface is essential for Azure Virtual Networks. It connects a virtual machine to the Azure Virtual Network by acting as an extensive system adapter. You may allow connectivity between the virtual machine and various additional assets within the virtual network by establishing a network interface with it.

Before we begin discussing Azure virtual network, we should first take a look at some of its fundamental concepts:

Subnets

You can divide a virtual network into different sections. And we call those sections ‘subnets’. Subnets are also of two sorts. 

  • Private
  • Public

Private subnets have no internet access, and public subnets do. You’d need both of these in your network. For example, if you run a website, its web server would be a public subnet. And its database server would be a private subnet. That’s because the former needs to stay connected to the internet, but the latter doesn’t. 

Resource Groups

The resource group refers to the logical container of all relevant resources. You can put in all the Azure resources of a particular setting in a single resource group and use it according to your requirements. You can create multiple resource groups for specific environments and then build them within their corresponding resource group. Creating resource groups allows you to scale the resources properly.

You can separate the dev team’s resources and the test team’s resources and assign them their resources accordingly. 

Read: How to Become a Good Cloud Engineer?

Network Security Groups

Your network handles a lot of outgoing and incoming requests. A network security group is a group of rules for the same. It’s attached to the subnets’ level. Network security groups allow you to control the data flow of your subnets. You can define the IP range for the incoming requests of your network as well, by using the network security group. 

How does an Azure Virtual Network work?

The working of an Azure Virtual Network is simple. First, you create the network, then you add its subnets, and associate them with their respective cloud instances or virtual machines. After that, you’d attach the required Network Security Groups to the subnets and configure their properties. Let’s discuss each step in detail to understand the concept properly.

Step #1

For this example, we’ll deploy a database, two servers, and a website server. They’ll interact with each other. The two servers we discussed would be present in the virtual network. 

For the first step, you should click on your Azure dashboard and search for Network Security Group. We’ll create one. 

Step #2

Now, you’ll need to fill the details in the NSG. After you’ve entered the required details such as name and subscription type, click on the ‘Create’ button. You’ll also see a menu for creating a resource group. Make sure that all the components are present in one group so you can manage them with more ease. 

Step #3

Now that we have a correctly set up Network Security Group, we can create a Virtual Network. For this purpose, select the option ‘Virtual Networks’ in your Azure dashboard and click on the “Add” button.

You’ll see a form where you’ll need to add all the details related to the network. Fill in the details accordingly. Don’t miss to select the ‘Use Existing’ option while choosing a resource group. You’d want to use the resource group we created in step #2. 

Step #4

Next up, we’ll create two subnets. The first one would be for our website, and the other one would be for the database. Go to the menu of your newly created Virtual Network, and select the ‘Subnets’ button. You’ll have to choose the ‘+Subnet’ button for adding a new subnet.

Read: Top 7 Cloud Applications in Real World

Step #5

In this screen, you’ll have to create the required subnets. We need two. Create one for the web server and one for the database server. Make sure that you connect the Network Security Groups for them as well. 

Step #6

In this step, you’ll configure the NSGs and create your servers inside the network we’ve just created. So in the dashboard, click on the ‘Virtual Machines’ button and then click on the ‘Add’ button for adding a new server. 

Step #7

The system will ask you to choose an OS. We recommend selecting Ubuntu for this tutorial. You’ll also have to enter the required information, such as the name of the server. You will also have to enter the username for it. After you’ve added that information, select the basic configuration settings for your server. 

We recommend selecting the most basic settings for this tutorial. After you’ve chosen the configuration, you will select the virtual network. Click on the ‘Setting’ and select your virtual network there. 

Step #8

After you’ve chosen your virtual network, you’ll select the subnet, the option for which is just below the virtual network’s option. There, you should select the website server you had added to the system. In the network security group section, select the ‘None’ button. That’s because you’ve already added your NSG previously. After performing the configuration, you can click the ‘OK’ button and start the deployment process. Now repeat the same process for adding your database server. 

Step #9

We haven’t added anything else in our network, so we can’t connect our server through its IP address. You should add inbound security rule, for Source choose ‘Custom,’ for Protocol, choose ‘Any’, and for Action select ‘Allow.’ After this configuration, select the ‘OK’ button. 

After this, we’ll perform SSH configuration for connecting our virtual network to the internet. 

And that’s it. Now you know how to set up your Azure virtual network, and you must’ve seen how easy it is. 

Network Security Recommended Practices  

  1. Network Segmentation: To define logical barriers and separate resources depending on security needs, divide your Azure Virtual Network into subnets. Control access to the internet and secure critical data by properly using both public and private subnets.
  2. Just-In-Time (JIT) Access: Use the Just-In-Time access control function of Azure Security Center to limit incoming traffic to virtual machines. Administrators can use JIT access to open network connections for a set period of time, decreasing their exposure to possible security issues.
  3. Network Monitoring and Logging: Monitor network traffic, discover abnormalities, and get insight into the network’s operation using Azure Network Watcher and Azure Monitor. Enable monitoring and analytics for network-related data to determine and react to security events efficiently.

Learn more about VNET Azure

We hope you learned everything you needed from this guide. However, if you’re interested in learning more, head on to our blog and find other articles based on Microsoft Azure and servers. You can also check our courses if you’re looking for a more complete and in-depth learning experience.

The reason upGrad has launched an Master of Science in Machine Learning & AI , the best engineering school in the country is to create a program that teaches you not only machine learning but also the effective deployment of it using the cloud infrastructure. Our aim with this program is to open the doors of the most selective institute in the country and give learners access to amazing faculty & resources in order to master a skill that is in high & growing demand.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is Azure?

Azure is a cloud computing platform founded and run by Microsoft. It is also known as Microsoft Azure and was earlier known as Windows Azure. It offers a wide range of cloud computing services such as storing, computing, analytics, and networking. Many industries use it as it is compatible with various open source technologies. This platform offers four different types of cloud computing options which are IaaS (Infrastructure as a service), PaaS (Platform as a service), SaaS (Software as a service), and serverless.

2. What are the advantages of virtual networking?

Virtual networking has a number of commercial advantages, including reduced capital expenditures and maintenance expenses and the ability to partition networks quickly. A virtual network, in particular, reduces the amount of network hardware by delegating numerous operations to software. Centralized control in virtual networking lowers the cost and complexity of managing network gear and software. It also provides more flexible network routing layout and configuration choices, such as simpler network segmentation and subdividing. With additional fine-grained choices, such as installing firewalls at the virtual NIC level, virtual networking enhances network traffic control. It boosts IT efficiency by automating and remote-activating services and performing performance tests. Virtual upgrades, automated configuration, and modular modifications to network appliances and apps improve company scalability and flexibility.

3. How do industries make use of the Azure virtual network?

Virtual networking is an integral part of every digital company strategy in today's world. It's a technological advancement covering remote access, safety, flexibility, scalability, and cost savings. Enterprise firms can outsource virtual networking as it will save time, money, and useful resources. Virtual networking will also ensure that all of the technological needs of your company gets fulfilled. The Azure platform is designed and developed to aid individuals and companies in overcoming hindrances and achieving their objectives. It provides different tools for a wide range of businesses, including e-commerce, banking, and a number of others. This platform gives consumers the freedom to use whichever tools and technologies they want.