Category: Learning Levels

AWS Direct Connect (DX) recently launched support for virtual interface (VIF) metrics in Amazon CloudWatch. With this new enhancement, CloudWatch can now track metrics at the DX VIF level and provide greater insight into utilization. You can set up alarms based on metrics and trigger actions to remediate problems. I’ve heard from many customers that […]

AWS gives you the ability to extend existing on-premises remote access VPN solutions to the cloud. This not only allows access to resources within AWS, but using hybrid connectivity, also to on-premises resources. VPN clients use AWS internet connectivity as an entry point, and the flexibility of Amazon EC2 to scale capacity behind remote access […]

Traditional on-premises VPN services are fixed in capacity and difficult to scale up, or down, in a rapid and on-demand fashion. Hardware constraints, licensing, and bandwidth can all be factors that prevent traditional client VPN services from scaling to meet the needs of a rapidly growing mobile workforce. Fortunately, the elasticity of cloud and pay-as-you-go […]

You can now enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for users connecting to an AWS Client VPN endpoint. This solution is ideal for organizations that want additional security when remote users are accessing AWS or on-premises resources. MFA improves the authentication process by requiring more than a user name, password, and certificate (the first factor). MFA requires […]

Many Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) offer a feature to obfuscate the source origin through functionality commonly referred to as origin cloaking. Using AWS Global Accelerator with Client IP Address Preservation capability, similar functionally can be facilitated. Private Application Load Balancers (ALBs) and private EC2 instances can be accessed through Global Accelerator in a secure and simplified manner. AWS […]

In a typical enterprise network, customers have VPCs across multiple accounts within an AWS Region to segment workloads. This segmentation can take different forms and depends on the company structure, security policy, business functions, and model. The drivers of the segmentation can vary. For example, segmentation could be driven by security and regulatory requirements, costs, […]

Update October 11, 2020 – While the implementations described in this post remain valid, it was written before Gateway Load Balancer became available. Gateway Load Balancer is designed specifically for adding firewalls and other virtual network appliances to your AWS network. If you would like to learn more, Introducing AWS Gateway Load Balancer: supported architecture […]

Direct Connect Senior Product Managers Madhura Kale and Erik Klavon contributed to this post. AWS Direct Connect (DX) has been a popular method for businesses to connect to AWS services, giving users a secure and reliable connection to an AWS Region. There are more than 100 DX locations available globally across major cities. However, you […]

As IT environments grow, they can become more complex, with additional accounts, VPCs, and the networking between them. AWS Transit Gateway is a service that addresses networking complexity by building a hub-and-spoke network to simplify your network routing and security. With Transit Gateway, you can connect your Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) that span multiple accounts […]

Update August 8,2022: AWS Direct Connect now supports connections to AWS Transit Gateway at speeds of 500 megabits per second (Mbps) and lower. The architecture described in this post is no longer needed. AWS Transit Gateway provides you with the ability to connect multiple VPCs, VPNs and scale up to 5,000 attachments. It simplifies management […]