0 VPC Index

🌐 VPC Index

AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is the foundation of AWS networking. This section covers everything you need to know about creating and managing isolated network environments in AWS.

Overview

VPC allows you to provision a logically isolated section of the AWS Cloud where you can launch AWS resources in a virtual network that you define. You have complete control over your virtual networking environment.

Core Concepts

Fundamentals

• 1 VPC Overview - VPC basics, RFC 1918 private IP ranges, and CIDR notation
• 2 VPC High Level - High-level VPC architecture and components
• 3 IP Addresses in AWS - Understanding IP addressing in AWS VPC

Connectivity

• 4 Internet Gateway and Route Tables - Connecting VPC to the internet and routing traffic
• 7 NAT Gateway - Enabling outbound internet access for private subnets

Security

• 5 Security Groups - Instance-level firewall rules
• 6 Network ACLs - Subnet-level network access control lists

Access Patterns

• 8 Bastion Host Setup - Secure access to private instances

Reference

• 9 AWS CLI Export - Exporting VPC configurations via CLI

Learning Path

Follow this sequence for optimal understanding:

1. Start Here: 1 VPC Overview - Understand CIDR notation and IP ranges
2. Architecture: 2 VPC High Level - Learn VPC components and structure
3. IP Addressing: 3 IP Addresses in AWS - Master IP allocation
4. Routing: 4 Internet Gateway and Route Tables - Configure internet connectivity
5. Security: 5 Security Groups and 6 Network ACLs - Secure your network
6. NAT: 7 NAT Gateway - Enable private subnet internet access
7. Access: 8 Bastion Host Setup - Set up secure access patterns

Key Concepts

VPC Components

• Subnets - Segments of VPC IP address range
• Route Tables - Control traffic routing
• Internet Gateway - Connect to the internet
• NAT Gateway - Outbound internet for private subnets
• Security Groups - Stateful firewall at instance level
• Network ACLs - Stateless firewall at subnet level

Best Practices

• Always use RFC 1918 private IP ranges
• Plan your CIDR blocks carefully (they cannot be changed)
• Use multiple availability zones for high availability
• Implement defense in depth with both Security Groups and NACLs
• Use NAT Gateways instead of NAT instances for production
• Document your network architecture

Related Topics

Prerequisites

• Internet Fundamentals - Networking basics
• OSI Model - Network layers
• UDP - Transport protocols

Next Steps

• EC2 - Launch instances in your VPC
• ALB - Load balancing in VPC
• NLB - Network load balancing

Advanced Topics

• ECS - Container networking in VPC
• System Design - Network architecture patterns

Tools and Resources

• Visual Subnet Calculator: https://visualsubnetcalc.com/
• AWS VPC Documentation: Official AWS VPC guides
• CIDR Calculator: Plan your IP address ranges

Common Use Cases

1. Multi-tier Web Application - Public subnet for web servers, private subnet for databases
2. Hybrid Cloud - Connect on-premises network to AWS via VPN or Direct Connect
3. Isolated Environments - Separate VPCs for dev, staging, and production
4. Microservices Architecture - Service-to-service communication within VPC

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