Task 1: Azure Virtual WAN

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Azure Virtual WAN

Azure Virtual WAN is a networking service that brings many networking, security, and routing functionalities together to provide a single operational interface. Some of the main features include:

  • Branch connectivity (via connectivity automation from Virtual WAN Partner devices such as SD-WAN or VPN CPE).
  • Site-to-site VPN connectivity.
  • Remote user VPN connectivity (point-to-site).
  • Private connectivity (ExpressRoute).
  • Intra-cloud connectivity (transitive connectivity for virtual networks).
  • VPN ExpressRoute inter-connectivity.
  • Routing, Azure Firewall, and encryption for private connectivity.

All of these use cases are not required to start using Virtual WAN. Get started with just one use case and adjust as the network needs evolve.

The Virtual WAN follows a hub and spoke architecture with scale and performance built in for branches (VPN/SD-WAN devices), users (Azure VPN/OpenVPN/IKEv2 clients), ExpressRoute circuits, and virtual networks. Enabling a global transit network architecture, where the cloud hosted network ‘hub’ provides transitive connectivity between endpoints that can be distributed across different types of ‘spokes’.

Virtual WAN offers the following advantages:

  • Integrated connectivity solutions in hub and spoke: Automate site-to-site configuration and connectivity between on-premises sites and an Azure hub.
  • Automated spoke setup and configuration: Connect your virtual networks and workloads to the Azure hub seamlessly.
  • Intuitive troubleshooting: You can see the end-to-end flow within Azure, and then use this information to take required actions.

In this course, the vWAN has already been deployed.

Continue to Chapter 2 - Task 2: Azure vWAN resources