Connect Resources Across Cloud and On-Prem using AWS Cloud WAN

Introduction

Amazon Web Services offer 250+ services covering all types of businesses, customers, and industries. In this article, we will discuss AWS Cloud WAN, one of the most important networking and content delivery services. Let’s discuss this service further in the following section.

As we can see in the following architecture diagram, existing transit gateways and AWS cloud WAN core network can coexist without indulging any complexity. Taking the burden of managing complex networks off the shoulders of customers, AWS cloud WAN automates and manages core network components.

Figure 1: Architecture diagram of AWS Cloud WAN

Important key components

Following is the list of important key components of AWS Cloud WAN:

• AWS Network Manager – A unique consolidated view to manage network topologies, metrics, and events. Centrally manage a global network using the AWS Management Console user interface and associated APIs.
• Global Network – A single private network that acts as a root-level container for network objects. A global network can include both transit gateways and core networks.
• Core Network – The part of your global network managed by AWS. Virtual private networks (VPNs) and Amazon VPCs are examples of attachments and connection points in regional networks.
• Core Network Policy – A singular, versioned policy document outlining every element of your core network.
• Attachments – You can add any connections or resources to expand your core network. A VPC attachment, a VPN attachment, and a Connect attachment are supported.
• Core Network Edge (CNE) – In accordance with the policy, a regional connection point is established for your attachments. Technology such as Transit Gateway is used behind the scenes in Cloud WAN. Dynamic routing is an example of one difference (it is managed by AWS).
• Network Segments – Routing domains that, by default, only allow communication within a segment consistently throughout the global network. These are strongly enforced layer three routing domains (unless you create sharing relationships in your network policy).

Features

• Build global networks in minutes
• Use the AWS global network for hybrid connectivity
• Simplify WAN deployments and visibility
• Centralized traffic segmentation policy

Comparisons

AWS Transit Gateway and AWS Cloud WAN service seem similar to customers when they learn about their features and working mechanism, but they differ.

Pricing

Let’s investigate the pricing model of AWS Cloud WAN. There is an attachment per hour cost also data processing cost. It is important to notice that when we deploy Cloud WAN, we create a core network edge in the required AWS regions for the network. So basically, the pricing per region cost for the core network edge is also included.

Example for Asia Pacific (Mumbai)

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed a new service from Amazon Web Services called AWS Cloud WAN, which helps to manage WANs on-premises and networking components in the cloud. There is still more to learn about AWS Cloud WAN, so I encourage you to see the official documentation from AWS.

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