How Cloud Networking Transform Traditional Networking

What is Cloud Networking?

A cloud network is a type of IT architecture in which some or all of an organization's network capabilities and resources are hosted on public or private cloud platforms, controlled by the business or by service providers, and made available on demand. Enterprises can establish private cloud networks using local cloud network resources, public cloud network resources, or a hybrid cloud combination of the two. Virtual routers, firewalls, bandwidth and network management software, as well as other tools and services, may be included in these network resources.

Cloud networking connects network resources by using the cloud, which is a centralized third-party resource provider. Cloud networking serves as an application gatekeeper.  Networks in the cloud are adaptable. We can choose between cloud-based networking and cloud-enabled networking depending on the project we're working on.

Key Elements

There are two main elements of Cloud Networking, namely the application and access components.

• Applications: Workloads, microservices, and infrastructure can be delivered, managed, scaled, and secured quickly and consistently.
• Access: Users have consistent security, dependability, and performance when accessing applications (on-premises, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and so on).

How Does It Works?

The network can be cloud-enabled or totally cloud-based with cloud networking.

• The network is on-premises in a cloud-enabled network, but part or all of the resources used to operate it are in the cloud. The network's fundamental infrastructure—packet forwarding, routing, and data—remains in-house, while network administration, monitoring, maintenance, and security services are handled in the cloud. Using a SaaS-based firewall to protect the local network is one approach.
  

• The entire network is in the cloud in a cloud-based network. This comprises physical hardware and network management resources. Connectivity between cloud-based applications and resources is provided via cloud-based networks.

Who Should Care About This?

Collaboration across IT operations (compute infrastructure, networking, and security), as well as application teams, cloud architects, and business stakeholders, is required for cloud networking:

• NetOps: is the process of configuring and maintaining networking topologies for various teams in order to ensure that users have access to apps and resources.
• Data centers and computational infrastructure: Enforcing application-aware policies to ensure that networking across on-premises and public cloud environments is consistent.
• SecOps: Users, access, apps, and data across numerous networks.
• Teams for DevOps and application development: To deploy apps and ensure performance, use networking designs and resources.
• Architects of the cloud: Contributing to the development of a multi cloud networking strategy

‍

What Makes It Different From Traditional Networking?

A cloud network is primarily used to communicate between a cloud computing infrastructure/solution, its related components, and external users/applications/services. A cloud network is comparable to a traditional computer network from its components, devices, and operations are all focused on cloud computing. 

Network management software and physical hardware are both in the cloud with cloud-based networking. Interconnecting virtual computers for a client or company is an example of this type of cloud network. Traditional onsite network infrastructure and cloud access are combined in cloud-enabled networking. The fundamental network infrastructure is kept remote under this architecture, while the network's general management is handled in the cloud.

A cloud network, for example, will allow a remote user to connect to a cloud application (SaaS) or cloud infrastructure (IaaS). User queries are transmitted to and from the remote/backend cloud infrastructure via a web browser or the internet. Similarly, a cloud network allows virtual machines to communicate via a network.

The software-based network distinguishes Cloud Networking from Traditional Networking. Traditional networks rely on switches and routers, whereas cloud networks rely on virtualization via the control plane. Cloud networking, on the other hand, requires significantly less user-owned hardware and software. Instead, network hardware and software resources are hosted in the cloud, allowing for on-demand, pay-as-you-go access to real-time functionality. This decreases the chance of duplicating resources and gives network architects a leg up on the competition when it comes to personalizing individual requirements as situations change.

‍

How Does It Transform Traditional Networking?

Users all across the world require consistent and safe access to the data and apps they use on a daily basis. However, IT faces new issues as applications and services are distributed throughout the cloud and data center. In a hybrid and multi-cloud world, traditional application delivery controllers (ADC) and load balancing are no longer sufficient to provide applications. SD-WAN can assist merge various networks to give a uniform user experience, whether users are in a branch or home office, or across many networks.

Furthermore, as enterprises move their software to the cloud, they become increasingly exposed to internet-based attacks. Businesses are shifting away from the "connect first, then authenticate" paradigm to address this problem. Instead, a secure digital perimeter—which includes ADCs, web application firewalls, and secure web gateway components—is used to authenticate users before giving access based on who they are, where they are, and what device they're using.

Finally, in a hybrid or multi-cloud environment, deploying separate solutions to address each application might be challenging to secure and administer. End-to-end visibility and analysis of programs, users, and devices throughout the network is vital.

‍

The Benefits of Cloud Networking

As the cloud matures, so are the benefits provided by various resources. These are some of the advantages:

• Companies save money on capital costs because they don't have to buy and maintain pricey servers and hardware. This provides technical departments with more budget freedom and enables upgrades for network performance optimizations that would otherwise be impossible.
• Minimum downtime: The cloud provider is in charge of all upgrades to the cloud resources it provides. This means the network team will have one fewer operational issue to deal with. If there is any downtime, it is usually announced in advance, giving time to adopt alternate alternatives.
• Scalability: IT teams may assess company needs and adjust capacity as needed with cloud networking. In the cloud, this is normally a seamless procedure, while in traditional networks, it usually causes disruptions.
• Productivity: With a service provider in charge of cloud network maintenance, automatic updates, and testing, you'll save a lot of time on administrative activities. As a result, you'll have more time to concentrate on other technical requirements.

Resilience and elasticity: When designing the future of a computer network, uptime and constant performance must be considered. Cloud networking has shown to be dependable (when planned for) and reliable with the correct supplier