Imagine the millions of customers who use AWS services, and all the resources we create together!
The internet is so wide and public, so how is it that our AWS resources are private to us? How does AWS control who gets access to our resources in the cloud?
Amazon Virtual Private Cloud is what creates these invisible boundaries that decides what we get to access when we're on the internet.
We don't know it, but AWS automatically uses the default Virtual Private Cloud for resources we create, like EC2 instances. Before we dive into Virtual Private Cloud, let's take a step back and understand networking.
In the world of computing, a network is the lifeline connecting a web of devices like computers and servers.
Roads and highways are a core part of how we're all connected physically, and we can see the road when we're outside.
In comparison, networks are such a core part of how we're all connected over the internet, but they feel so 'invisible' - we can't see the connection lines!
It's a reminder of how technology has woven itself into the fabric of our lives, often working its magic behind the scenes - out of sight, but never out of mind.
Networks are important for both our homes and businesses. Business networks need to be more complicated compared to home networks because they are larger and have more demands. For example, just using a single Wi-Fi router isn't enough for business networks - they have many more users and devices, and need extra equipment and Wi-Fi hubs to handle this. Businesses handle more data, need better security, and need to make sure employees can access their network remotely at all times.
Fun fact: we don't see them, but there are huge cords under the sea so that data can travel quickly around the world. This is why websites hosted on servers in other continents can still be accessed on our laptops at home. Isn't that amazing?
If you're learning to be a car mechanic, it's probably important to learn the different parts of a car in detail. Otherwise, it'd be pretty hard to understand why something's wrong with your customers' cars!
To understand how networks work, it's important to know the key components that make it all possible, from cables and routers to servers and firewalls.
Now, imagine your network like a city: the cables are the roads, the router is the traffic cop, servers are the homes and libraries, wireless access points are the magical doors, switches are the post offices, and the firewall is the security guard.
Together, these components make sure your data flows smoothly, safely, and efficiently throughout your network.
So, when you use the internet, your router helps you connect, servers provide the websites and information, switches ensure your data reaches the right place, and the firewall keeps your network safe from harm.
Physical networking (also called on-premise, or traditional networking) is the traditional, tangible approach to networking.
Virtual networking is the more flexible, software-driven method. Yup, you've guessed it - virtual networking is a cloud computing service too.
Setting up a network using physical equipment, connecting computers with cables, routers, servers, wireless access points, switches, firewall... the list goes on!
Physical networking like building a road with bricks and mortar, where the path is fixed and doesn't change easily. Physical networks are well-suited for traditional setups where the physical infrastructure is readily available.
Virtual networking = creating a network using just cloud services and the internet. No need for physical equipment; you can set it up and change it easily. It's like drawing a road on a digital map, and you can reroute it anytime you want.
Amazon Virtual Private Cloud, which we'll dive into in the next topic, is an example of virtual networking. You'll see how it turns the different physical parts of a network into something in the cloud. It's pretty magical stuff!
Most businesses use a hybrid approach between the two, so their virtual network is an extension of their existing on-premises network. This helps their cloud resources communicate with each other and with their on-premise computers.
Virtual networking is all about creating a powerful, digital network in the cloud, like what you'd find in AWS. Businesses find virtual networking exciting for some great reasons: