What VPN Types Are Supported By Azure?

What is VPN?

Before learning about what VPN types are supported by Azure, let's first understand the need of Azure VPN with a sample scenario.

Alice is a marketing executive who frequently travels for business meetings and conferences. Today, she finds herself at an airport waiting for her flight. With a few hours to spare, Alice decides to catch up on some work tasks, including accessing her company's internal marketing reports and customer data.

However, she's concerned about using the airport's public Wi-Fi because of the potential security risks. Public Wi-Fi networks are notorious for being vulnerable to hackers and cybercriminals who can intercept data transmitted over them.

To address this security concern, Alice opens her company-provided laptop and connects to the corporate VPN. Once connected, the VPN establishes an encrypted tunnel between her laptop and the company's private network. This secure tunnel ensures that all data transmitted between Alice's laptop and the company's servers is encrypted and protected from unauthorized access.

Benfits of using Azure VPN

Following are the benefits of using Azure VPN:

• Secure Connectivity: Azure VPN provides encrypted communication between on-premises networks and Azure virtual networks, ensuring data security and privacy. Azure VPN is a secure and reliable way to connect on-premises networks to Azure.
• Remote Access: Point-to-Site VPN allows remote users to securely connect to Azure resources from anywhere, enhancing flexibility and productivity.
• Private Connectivity: ExpressRoute offers dedicated private connections that bypass the public internet, enhancing network performance and reducing exposure to security risks.
• Hybrid Scenarios: Azure VPN supports hybrid scenarios where you can integrate on-premises resources with Azure services, creating a unified infrastructure.
• Data Transfer Control: With VPN, you have control over the flow of data between on-premises networks and Azure, ensuring compliance and regulatory requirements are met.
• Scalability: Azure VPN is designed to handle various levels of network traffic, providing the scalability needed as your business grows. Azure VPN is a scalable solution that can be used to connect multiple on-premises networks to Azure.
• Multi-Layer Security: Azure VPN employs multiple layers of security, including encryption and authentication, to ensure data protection and access control.
• Cost-Effective: Azure VPN provides flexible pricing options, allowing you to choose the right solution for your organization's needs while managing costs effectively.
• Redundancy and High Availability: Azure VPN gateways offer redundancy and high availability features, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous connectivity.
• Ease of Management: Azure provides a centralized interface for managing your VPN connections, simplifying configuration and monitoring tasks.
• Support for Different Use Cases: Azure VPN supports various use cases, such as remote work, disaster recovery, application testing, and connecting multiple branches.
• Improve Performance and Latency: Azure VPN can help to improve performance and reduce latency for applications that are hosted in Azure.
• Protect Sensetive Data: Azure VPN can help to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.

What VPN Types are Supported By Azure

Various types of VPNs exist to cater to different use cases and requirements. Each type of VPN offers specific features and benefits, making them suitable for various scenarios.

Let's learn about what VPN types are supported by azure.

Point To Site VPN

Point-to-Site VPN allows individual client devices (laptops, desktops, etc.) to securely connect to an Azure virtual network over the internet. Clients install a VPN client software and authenticate using certificates or username/password. The Azure VPN gateway creates an encrypted tunnel, enabling remote users to access resources in Azure while keeping their connection secure.

• Provides secure remote access for individual client devices to connect to a virtual network in Azure.
• Ideal for remote workers or users who need access to resources in Azure without being physically present on-premises.
• Clients can use various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Supports up to 128 concurrent client connections per Azure VPN gateway.
• Clients connect over the internet to the Azure VPN gateway, establishing an encrypted tunnel for secure communication.

Use Cases

Some common use cases for Point-to-Site (P2S) VPN in Azure:

1. Remote Work Enablement:
   • Allow remote employees to securely access company resources hosted in Azure.
   • Provide access to internal applications, files, and services from remote locations.
   • Facilitate collaboration and productivity for off-site team members.
2. Development and Testing:
   • Grant developers secure access to development or testing environments hosted in Azure.
   • Enable testing of applications, services, and configurations in a controlled environment.
3. Secure Access to Applications:
   • Enable external partners or contractors to access specific applications or services without exposing them to the public internet.
   • Securely provide vendors with controlled access to shared resources.

Pricing Considerations:

Point-to-Site VPN pricing is typically based on the number of active client connections and the selected VPN gateway SKU. Costs can increase as the number of concurrent client connections grows.

Cost Implications:

If you have a large number of remote users or devices requiring simultaneous connections, costs can add up. Choosing the right gateway SKU and optimizing the number of connections can help manage expenses.

Site To Site VPN

Site-to-Site VPN establishes a secure connection between an on-premises network and an Azure virtual network. It uses VPN gateways on both ends to encrypt data and create a secure tunnel over the internet. This enables seamless communication between on-premises resources and resources hosted in Azure, as if they are part of the same network.

• Establishes a secure connection between an on-premises network and a virtual network in Azure.
• Allows on-premises resources to communicate with Azure resources as if they are part of the same network.
• Suited for scenarios where the entire on-premises network needs to integrate with the Azure cloud environment.
• Utilizes a VPN gateway on both ends to create an encrypted connection over the internet.
• Supports route-based VPN gateways, providing more flexibility and advanced configurations.

Use Cases

Some common use cases for Site To Site VPN VPN in Azure:

1. Hybrid Cloud Integration:
   • Connect on-premises infrastructure with Azure resources for hybrid cloud deployments.
   • Extend your data center's network into Azure to seamlessly access cloud services.
2. Multi-Location Connectivity:
   • Establish secure connections between multiple branch offices and Azure virtual networks.
   • Enable consistent communication between distributed locations and centralized resources.
3. Data Backup and Recovery:
   • Replicate on-premises data to Azure for off-site backup and disaster recovery.
   • Ensure data redundancy and business continuity in case of data center failures.

Pricing Considerations:

Site-to-Site VPN pricing involves factors like data transfer volume, gateway deployment, and gateway SKU selection. Costs increase with higher data transfer and higher-performance gateways.

Cost Implications:

Site-to-Site VPN costs can vary based on data transfer requirements and the size of your organization's network. Choosing the appropriate gateway SKU and monitoring data transfer can help control expenses.

MultiSite

MultiSite VPN allows multiple on-premises locations or branch offices to connect to a single Azure virtual network using the same VPN gateway. Each site establishes a secure connection with the Azure VPN gateway over the internet. It simplifies network management by centralizing connectivity to Azure resources.

• Enables a single Azure VPN gateway to connect with multiple on-premises sites.
• Offers a cost-effective solution for organizations with multiple branch offices or locations that need to connect to the same Azure virtual network.
• Simplifies network management by using a single VPN gateway for all the sites.
• Provides secure and encrypted connections between each on-premises site and the Azure virtual network.

Use Cases

Some common use cases of MultiSite VPN in Azure are:

1. Multi-Branch Connectivity:
   • Connect multiple branch offices or remote locations to Azure using a single network topology.
   • Enable consistent communication between various branches and central resources.
2. Centralized Management:
   • Manage network connectivity and security policies for multiple branch offices from a centralized location.
   • Streamline network administration and ensure uniform policies across all sites.
3. Redundant Connectivity:
   • Provide redundancy by establishing connections to multiple Azure virtual networks from different branch offices.
   • Ensure continuous access to cloud resources even if one connection experiences downtime.

Pricing Considerations:

MultiSite VPN costs are similar to Site-to-Site VPN costs, as they involve data transfer and gateway deployment fees. Costs increase with the number of on-premises locations connected.

Cost Implications:

Connecting multiple sites can increase data transfer costs and require more powerful gateways. Optimizing gateway SKUs and managing data transfer efficiently can help mitigate expenses.

Express route

ExpressRoute provides a private and dedicated connection between on-premises networks and Azure. It involves physical connections, such as MPLS or Ethernet, offered by Microsoft partners, ISPs, or NSPs. ExpressRoute bypasses the public internet, ensuring higher data transfer rates, lower latency, and enhanced security for critical workloads and large-scale data transfers to and from Azure.

• Offers a private, dedicated, and high-throughput connection between on-premises networks and Azure.
• Provides a more reliable and predictable network performance compared to VPN over the internet.
• Offers higher data transfer rates, lower latency, and increased security.
• Available through Microsoft partners, internet service providers (ISPs), or network service providers (NSPs).
• Suitable for enterprises with critical workloads, large data transfer requirements, and the need for consistent network performance

Use Case

Some common use cases of ExpressRoute in Azure VPN are:

1. High-Performance Connectivity:
   • Establish dedicated private connections to Azure for high-speed and low-latency communication.
   • Achieve consistent and reliable network performance for mission-critical applications.
2. Data-Intensive Workloads:
   • Support data-intensive workloads like big data analytics, machine learning, and data warehousing.
   • Transfer large volumes of data between on-premises and Azure with reduced latency.
3. Hybrid Cloud Integration:
   • Enable seamless integration of on-premises data centers with Azure cloud services.
   • Extend your network infrastructure to Azure while maintaining security and compliance.

Pricing Considerations:

ExpressRoute costs depend on factors like circuit type, bandwidth, and location. Costs are generally higher compared to VPN due to the dedicated nature of the connection.

Cost Implications:

While ExpressRoute offers superior performance, it comes with higher costs. Organizations needing consistent, high-performance connectivity should consider ExpressRoute, but budget constraints may be a factor.