Network Design Ideas for VMs in Azure

When designing a landing zone architecture in Azure, adopting a hub-and-spoke model is a best practice that can help streamline management, enhance security, and improve scalability. Here’s a refined approach:

Best Practices for Building a Landing Zone Architecture with Hub-and-Spoke Model

1. Centralized Management with Hub VNet:
   • Hub VNet: Acts as a central point for managing and routing traffic. It typically contains shared services like DNS, Active Directory, and firewalls[1].
   • Spoke VNets: Connect to the hub VNet and are used to isolate workloads. Each spoke can represent different environments (e.g., development, testing, production) or different applications[1].
2. Network Security:
   • Network Security Groups (NSGs): Apply NSGs to subnets within the spoke VNets to control inbound and outbound traffic. This ensures that only authorized traffic flows between the hub and spokes[1].
   • Azure Firewall: Deploy Azure Firewall in the hub VNet to provide centralized protection and logging for all traffic between the hub and spokes[1].
3. Scalability and Flexibility:
   • Peering Connections: Use VNet peering to connect the hub and spoke VNets. This allows for low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity while maintaining isolation[1].
   • Scalable Design: The hub-and-spoke model supports easy addition of new spokes as your environment grows, ensuring scalability[1].
4. Cost Management:
   • Shared Resources: Centralize shared services in the hub VNet to reduce redundancy and cost. This includes services like monitoring, security, and identity management[1].
   • Cost Tracking: Implement tagging and cost management policies to track and optimize spending across your VNets[2].
5. Governance and Compliance:
   • Azure Policy: Use Azure Policy to enforce organizational standards and compliance requirements across all VNets. This ensures that all resources adhere to best practices and regulatory requirements[3].
   • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Implement RBAC to control access to resources based on roles, ensuring that users have the minimum necessary permissions[2].

By following these best practices, you can create a robust, scalable, and secure landing zone architecture in Azure using the hub-and-spoke model. This approach not only simplifies management but also enhances security and compliance.

Would you like more details on any specific aspect of this architecture?

References

[1] Hub-spoke network topology in Azure - Azure Architecture Center

[2] From Zero to Hero with Azure Landing Zones | Microsoft Community Hub

[3] Tailor the Azure landing zone architecture to meet requirements