AWS Network Architectures Overview
Overview
AWS networking services enable robust, secure, and scalable architectures for VPC designs, hybrid connectivity, and global content delivery. This comparison matrix covers key patterns: VPC designs (isolated or interconnected), hybrid connectivity (on-premises to AWS), and global delivery (low-latency content distribution).
These architectures leverage services like VPC, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, CloudFront, and more to meet diverse enterprise needs.
Section 1 - VPC Designs
VPC designs define how resources are organized and connected within AWS. Key patterns include:
- Isolated VPC: Single VPC with public and private subnets—e.g., a web app with ALB in public subnets (10.0.0.0/24) and RDS in private subnets (10.0.1.0/24). Uses Internet Gateway and NAT Gateway.
- Multi-VPC Peering: Point-to-point VPC connections—e.g., 5 VPCs peered for resource sharing. Scales poorly (n*(n-1)/2 connections).
- Transit Gateway Hub: Centralized hub for multiple VPCs—e.g., 50 VPCs connected via one Transit Gateway with dynamic routing. Scales to 5,000 attachments.
Scenario: Isolated VPC for a startup’s app; Transit Gateway for a corporation’s 100-VPC network.
Section 2 - Hybrid Connectivity
Hybrid connectivity links on-premises networks to AWS, enabling seamless cloud integration. Key patterns include:
- Site-to-Site VPN: IPsec tunnel over the internet—e.g., connecting a data center (192.168.0.0/16) to a VPC (10.0.0.0/16). Quick setup, variable latency (~20-50ms).
- Direct Connect: Dedicated fiber link—e.g., 1 Gbps connection with ~5ms latency for large-scale backups. Requires weeks for provisioning.
- Transit Gateway with Hybrid: Combines VPCs and on-premises via a single hub—e.g., linking 10 VPCs and a Direct Connect. Simplifies routing with BGP.
Scenario: VPN for a temporary dev link; Direct Connect for a production ERP system.
Section 3 - Global Delivery Patterns
Global delivery ensures low-latency content access worldwide. Key patterns include:
- CloudFront CDN: Caches HTTP/HTTPS content at edge locations—e.g., serving a website’s images in ~50ms with 90% cache hits. Integrates with WAF.
- Global Accelerator: Routes TCP/UDP traffic via edge locations—e.g., reducing latency for a gaming app from 100ms to 40ms. Uses static IPs.
- Route 53 with Multi-Region: DNS-based routing to multiple regions—e.g., latency-based routing to the nearest ALB for an API. Supports failover.
Scenario: CloudFront for a streaming service; Global Accelerator for real-time IoT.
Section 4 - Cost and Scalability Considerations
Costs vary by architecture:
- VPC Designs: Isolated VPCs are low-cost (data transfer only, ~$0.09/GB out); Transit Gateway adds attachment fees (~$0.05/hour per VPC). Scales to thousands.
- Hybrid Connectivity: VPN is cheaper (~$128.40 for 1TB/month); Direct Connect costs more (~$236.40 for 1TB). Scales to multiple links.
- Global Delivery: CloudFront (~$162.50 for 1TB/month) vs. Global Accelerator (~$111 for 1TB). Scales to petabytes or millions of connections.
Scalability: Transit Gateway and CloudFront handle enterprise-scale; VPC Peering and VPN suit smaller setups.
Scenario: Isolated VPC for prototypes; Transit Gateway and CloudFront for global apps.
Section 5 - Comparison Matrix
| Aspect | Isolated VPC | Transit Gateway | Direct Connect | CloudFront |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Single VPC | Multi-VPC/Hybrid | On-premises | Global Content |
| Scalability | Low | High (5,000) | Moderate | High (Petabytes) |
| Cost | Data Only | Attachment + Data | Port + Data | Data + Requests |
| Latency | Standard | Low (Regional) | Low (~5ms) | Low (~50ms) |
| Best For | Simple Apps | Enterprise Hubs | Hybrid Clouds | Content Delivery |
Choose architectures based on scale, connectivity, and performance needs.
Conclusion
AWS networking architectures support diverse use cases through VPC designs, hybrid connectivity, and global delivery. Isolated VPCs suit simple apps, Transit Gateway enables enterprise-scale hubs, Direct Connect powers hybrid clouds, and CloudFront delivers content globally.
Weigh scale (small vs. enterprise), connectivity (cloud vs. hybrid), and cost (data vs. hourly). Start with isolated VPCs and VPN for prototypes, scale to Transit Gateway and CloudFront for production—or combine: Transit Gateway for VPCs, Direct Connect for on-premises, CloudFront for users.