Organizations can use Azure Cloud to host their applications using Azure infrastructure and PaaS components. Customers can deploy most Azure PaaS services in VNet, which provides added protection for traffic and aligns with security principles. However, some PaaS components cannot be deployed in customer VNets and are accessible over the public endpoint. This configuration may conflict with customers’ security architecture and policies.
Azure’s Private Endpoint service addresses security concerns with confidence. This feature allows customers to securely access Azure services from a private network, whether a virtual network within Azure or an on-premises network. By using Private Endpoints, customers can establish a secure and private connection with Azure services without risking their data being exposed to the public internet. With Private Endpoints, you can confidently connect to Azure services while ensuring your data remains secure from public internet access. This boosts the security and compliance of your applications, giving you peace of mind.
You don’t need a separate subnet to set up a Private Endpoint. Instead, you can select an IP from any subnet within the VNet where your service is hosted. Once the Private Endpoint is established, it will be assigned a read-only NIC that can’t be changed and will stay in place for the endpoint’s lifecycle.
Network Security:
Private endpoints in Azure support Network Security Groups (NSG), User Defined Routes (UDR), and Application Security Groups (ASG) through network policies. Using private endpoints is crucial to direct traffic to a private-link resource securely. Azure platform takes every precaution to verify network connections and only permits those that lead to the designated private-link resource. If you wish to access additional subresources within the same Azure service, setting up more private endpoints with corresponding targets is mandatory. It is important to note that separate private endpoints are required to access the file and blob subresources in Azure Storage.
Requesting access to a private-link resource through an approval workflow:
To access a private-link resource, you have a few options for connection approval methods:
Automatically approve: If you have ownership or permission for a particular private-link resource, utilize this method.
Manual Request: If you lack the necessary permissions and need to request access, follow this method. It will trigger an approval workflow and create both the private endpoint and the private-endpoint connections in a Pending state. The private-link resource owner must approve the connection. Once approved, the private endpoint will be enabled to send traffic as usual.
The private endpoints in an approved state can be used to send traffic. The available status of the connection: Approved: The connection has been approved, either automatically or manually, and is now ready for use.
Pending: The connection has been established manually and is currently awaiting approval from the owner of the private-link resource.
Rejected: The connection request has been denied by the owner of the private-link resource.
Disconnected: The private-link resource owner has disconnected the connection. As a result, the private endpoint is no longer functional and should be deleted for cleanup purposes.
DNS Configuration:
The private endpoint’s network interface contains the necessary information for configuring DNS, such as the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) and private IP address for a private-link resource. Having the correct DNS settings is essential when connecting to a private-link resource. The DNS record should align with the lifespan of the private endpoint, meaning it will be automatically deleted when the private endpoint is removed. Customers will need separate DNS settings configured via private DNS zones to connect to the same service over a private endpoint.
Cost:
Please note that using a Private Endpoint incurs a fee for the endpoint itself and a cost for data transfer. The data transfer cost may differ depending on the region of the Private Endpoint and the quantity of data transferred. Here is the pricing snapshot in Australian Dollars as of the time this article was written.
To sum it up, Azure Private Endpoints serve as a crucial tool for safeguarding data access to Azure services. By using Private Endpoints, you can seamlessly connect to Azure services via a private endpoint without divulging your data to the public internet. This feature can enhance the security and compliance of your applications and offer an extra layer of protection for your confidential information.
Santhosh has over 15 years of experience in the IT organization. Working as a Cloud Infrastructure Architect and has a wide range of expertise in Microsoft technologies, with a specialization in public & private cloud services for enterprise customers. My varied background includes work in cloud computing, virtualization, storage, networks, automation and DevOps.
