AWS WAN service aims to simplify global network deployments

A new managed WAN service from AWS promises to make it faster and easier for enterprises to build, manage, and monitor a global network that seamlessly connects cloud and on-premises environments.

AWS Cloud WAN, which the company previewed in December, lets customers link cloud resources in on-premises data centers, branch offices or colocation sites and manage that environment through a single dashboard. Using the dashboard, networking teams can apply policies, automate configuration and security tasks across their entire network.

The idea is to eliminate the need to individually configure and manage multiple networks that use different technologies across the enterprise, AWS stated.

Network teams have the option to use network policies to define the Amazon virtual private clouds and on-premises locations they want to connect through AWS VPN, AWS Transit Gateway, or third-party SD-WAN products.

The service supports SD-WAN technologies from a variety of industry players, including Aruba, Aviatrix, Checkpoint, Cisco Meraki, Cisco Systems, Prosimo and VMware.

Customers can use policies in Cloud WAN to segment network traffic regardless of how many AWS regions or on-premises locations they add to the network, Sébastien Stormacq, principle developer with AWS, wrote in a blog about the new service. 

“For example, you can easily isolate network traffic from retail payment processing from other traffic on your corporate network while still giving both segments access to shared corporate resources,” Stormacq stated. “Another example would be the isolation of your development and production environment by creating logical network segments for each environment. This makes it easier to ensure consistent security policies when connecting large numbers of locations with your VPCs [Virtual Private Cloud] especially when your policies need to apply to large groups with unique security and routing requirements.”

Cloud WAN can automatically attach new VPCs and network connections to the network, so customers do not need to approve each change manually. It reduces the operational overhead involved in managing a growing network. Network teams do this by tagging attachments and defining network policies that automatically map attachments with a certain tag to a specific network segment, Stormacq stated.

AWS Cloud WAN is available now in US East (N. Virginia), US East (Ohio), US West (N. California), US West (Oregon), Africa (Cape Town), Asia Pacific (Mumbai), Asia Pacific (Singapore), Asia Pacific (Sydney), Asia Pacific (Tokyo), Canada (Central), Europe (Frankfurt), Europe (Ireland), Europe (London), Europe (Milan), Europe (Paris), Europe (Stockholm), and Middle East (Bahrain) AWS Regions.