Single and Multi-Cloud Network Architecture
As part of their cloud network environment, orgaistations are faced with the challenge to implement a consistent network and security architecture that provides enterprise grade capability. Aviatrix has been supporting its customers with this challenge and provides:
efficient and simple approach to building cloud networks
network visibility across all cloud providers
consistent network architecture
consistent security across all cloud providers
consistent operational support across all cloud providers
This post will describe the Aviatrix Multi-Cloud Network Architecture (MCNA), a framework to provide the consistency in cloud network architect and security.
Aviatrix MCNA
Aviatrix defined the MCNA to provide organsisations with a framework and blueprint to enable consistent implementation of cloud networks, simplifing the process from the first cloud, first region and scaling to multiple clouds across multiple regions.
The MCNA framework defines 3 layers supported by 2 key pillars across those layers for the multi-cloud network.
The networking layers are:
Cloud Application Layer Networking The first layer is the Cloud Application Layer Networking, which provides the virtual data centre in the cloud, such as AWS VPCs, GCP VPCs, Alicloud VPC, Azure VNets and Oracle OCI VCNs. It defines the location where organisations deploy their workloads, applications and services.
Common Cloud Transit Layer Networking The second layer is Common Cloud Transit Layer Networking and provides the networking for all intra and inter-cloud connectivity. This can be a simple as a single region single cloud through to mult-region multi-clouds.
Cloud Access Layer Networking The third layer is the Cloud Access Layer Networking and it determines the access for cloud ingress, cloud egress, access from data centres, branch locations and remote users.
Supporting Pillars
Building on the architecture and the touch points for network connectivity, Aviatrix extends the architecture to encompass Operations and Security. These pillars provide consistent operational visibility, control, automation and security.
Operations As organisations progress with operating their cloud network environment and the dynamic nature of cloud environments, they need the tools to efficently perform, moves-add-changes and troubleshoot issues. When things go wrong, and they do, organisations need to be able to troubleshoot issues and get to the root cause as quickly and effienctly as possible to keep the business operating. To deploy the cloud infrastructure with consistent reproducible patterns, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is now seen as a requirement for enterprises. This IaC needs to be cloud agnostic due to organisations trending to multiple clouds for their business requirements.
Security Often overlooked as organisations first make the move to the cloud, however, security professionals need to be enagaged as early as possible and be part of the design, implementation and operation of cloud networks. Having a framework that covers not only the requirements of a single cloud provider, security professionals require the capability to provide a consistent security architecture across all providers. This includes consistency on securing ingress and egress, remote user access, encrypting data throughout the cloud network and the ability to segment the cloud network to meet the security policy of the business.
MCNA Organising Architecture Requirements
The purpose of an Architecture is to organise the business and technical requirements. The graphic above outlines the requirements you may have and Aviatrix has aligned these to the MCNA networking layer and Operation and Security Pillars. This provides architects and operation teams a clear understanding of the components of the architecture that will address a specific requirements.
Conclusion
Architecture should not be an after-thought, it needs to be considered at the outset of your cloud journey. Even if your organisation is only in a single cloud single region to start, having a foundational architecture in place will allow a smooth expansion into other regions and other clouds. The Aviatrix MCNA outlines the architecture requirements for a framework that will allow organisations to implement efficiently and consisitently for cloud network and security requirements.
In an upcoming post that relates to Aviatrix MCNA, I will outline the building blocks used by the Aviatrix platform and how they fit together to provide an multi-cloud network.
Resources
Refer to the Aviatrix website to get more information how the Aviatrix MCNA is used to solve business outcomes for customers. https://aviatrix.com https://aviatrix.com/cloud-network-platform/ https://aviatrix.com/aviatrix-transit/