architecting-networks

Network Architecture

Design secure, scalable cloud network architectures using proven patterns across AWS, GCP, and Azure. This skill provides decision frameworks for VPC design, subnet strategy, zero trust implementation, and hybrid connectivity.

When to Use This Skill

Invoke this skill when:

• Designing VPC/VNet topology for new cloud environments
• Implementing network segmentation and security controls
• Planning multi-VPC or multi-cloud connectivity
• Establishing hybrid cloud connectivity (on-premises to cloud)
• Migrating from flat network to sophisticated architecture
• Implementing zero trust network principles
• Optimizing network costs and performance

Core Network Architecture Patterns

Pattern 1: Flat (Single VPC) Architecture

Use When: Small applications, single environment, simple security requirements, team < 10 engineers

Characteristics:

• All resources in one VPC with subnet-level segmentation
• Public, private, and database subnet tiers
• Simplest to understand and manage
• No inter-VPC routing complexity

Tradeoffs:

• ✓ Lowest cost, fastest to set up
• ✗ Poor isolation, difficult to scale, entire VPC is blast radius

Pattern 2: Multi-VPC (Isolated) Architecture

Use When: Multiple environments (dev/staging/prod), strong isolation requirements, compliance mandates separation

Characteristics:

• Separate VPCs per environment or workload
• No direct connectivity without explicit setup
• Independent CIDR ranges

Tradeoffs:

• ✓ Strong blast radius containment, clear security boundaries
• ✗ Management overhead, duplicate infrastructure, higher costs

Pattern 3: Hub-and-Spoke (Transit Gateway) Architecture

Use When: 5+ VPCs need communication, centralized security inspection required, hybrid connectivity, multi-account setup

Characteristics:

• Central hub VPC/Transit Gateway
• Spoke VPCs connect to hub
• All inter-VPC traffic routes through hub

Tradeoffs:

• ✓ Simplified routing, centralized security, scales easily (100+ VPCs)
• ✗ Transit Gateway costs (~$0.05/hour + $0.02/GB), increased latency (hub hop)

Pattern 4: Full Mesh (VPC Peering) Architecture

Use When: Small number of VPCs (< 5), low latency critical, no centralized inspection needed

Characteristics:

• Every VPC directly connected via peering
• Direct VPC-to-VPC communication

Tradeoffs:

• ✓ Lowest latency, no Transit Gateway costs
• ✗ Management complexity scales as O(n²), doesn't scale beyond ~10 VPCs

Pattern 5: Hybrid (Multi-Pattern) Architecture

Use When: Large enterprise with diverse requirements, balancing cost/performance/security

Characteristics:

• Hub-spoke for most VPCs + direct peering for latency-sensitive pairs
• Combination based on workload requirements

Tradeoffs:

• ✓ Optimized for specific needs
• ✗ More complex to design and manage

Pattern Selection Framework

Number of VPCs?
│
├─► 1 VPC → Flat (Single VPC)
├─► 2-4 VPCs + No inter-VPC communication → Multi-VPC (Isolated)
├─► 2-5 VPCs + Low latency critical → Full Mesh (VPC Peering)
├─► 5+ VPCs + Centralized inspection → Hub-and-Spoke (Transit Gateway)
└─► 10+ VPCs + Mixed requirements → Hybrid (Multi-Pattern)

Additional Considerations:
├─► Hybrid connectivity required? → Hub-and-Spoke preferred
├─► Centralized egress/inspection? → Hub-and-Spoke with Inspection VPC
├─► Multi-account environment? → Hub-and-Spoke with AWS RAM sharing
└─► Cost optimization priority? → Flat or Multi-VPC (avoid TGW fees)

Subnet Strategy

Standard Three-Tier Design

Public Subnets:

• Route to Internet Gateway
• Use for load balancers, bastion hosts, NAT Gateways
• CIDR: /24 to /27 (256 to 32 IPs)

Private Subnets:

• Route to NAT Gateway for outbound
• Use for application servers, containers, compute workloads
• CIDR: /20 to /22 (4,096 to 1,024 IPs)

Database Subnets:

• No direct internet route
• Use for RDS, ElastiCache, managed databases
• CIDR: /24 to /26 (256 to 64 IPs)

Multi-AZ Distribution

Production: Distribute each tier across 3 Availability Zones minimum Dev/Test: 1-2 AZs acceptable for cost savings

CIDR Block Planning

VPC Sizing:

• /16 (65,536 IPs) - Large production environments
• /20 (4,096 IPs) - Medium environments
• /24 (256 IPs) - Small/dev environments

Critical Rules:

• Non-overlapping CIDR ranges across VPCs
• Coordinate with on-premises network team for hybrid connectivity
• Reserve address space for future expansion

For detailed subnet planning, see references/subnet-strategy.md

NAT Gateway Strategy

Decision Framework

Cost vs Resilience?
│
├─► Cost Priority (Dev/Test)
│   └─► Single NAT Gateway (~$32/month)
│       └─► Risk: Single point of failure
│
├─► Balanced (Most Production)
│   └─► One NAT Gateway per AZ (~$96/month for 3 AZs)
│       └─► Resilience: AZ failure doesn't break connectivity
│
└─► Maximum Resilience
    └─► Multiple NAT Gateways per AZ + monitoring
        └─► Critical workloads, SLA-dependent

Alternative: Centralized Egress Pattern
└─► Hub-and-Spoke: Single egress VPC with NAT
    └─► Reduces NAT Gateway count, centralized logging

No Outbound Internet Needed?

• Skip NAT Gateway entirely (cost savings)
• Use VPC Endpoints for AWS service access

Security Controls

Security Groups (Recommended)

Characteristics:

• Stateful (return traffic auto-allowed)
• Instance-level control
• Allow rules only (implicit deny)
• Can reference other security groups

Use For:

• Service-to-service communication
• Instance-level security
• Most common use case

Best Practices:

• Use descriptive names (app-alb-sg, app-backend-sg)
• Reference other security groups instead of CIDR blocks
• Keep rules minimal and specific

Network ACLs (Optional)

Characteristics:

• Stateless (must allow both request and response)
• Subnet-level control
• Allow and deny rules
• Processes rules in order (lowest number first)

Use For:

• Explicit deny rules (block specific IPs)
• Compliance requirements (defense in depth)
• Additional layer beyond security groups

Best Practices:

• Use sparingly (complex to manage)
• Remember to allow ephemeral ports (1024-65535)
• Test thoroughly (stateless nature causes issues)

For security group architecture patterns, see references/security-controls.md

Zero Trust Principles

Core Tenets

1. Never Trust, Always Verify

   • Authenticate every request regardless of source
   • No implicit trust based on network location

2. Least Privilege Access

   • Grant minimum necessary permissions
   • Time-bound access (just-in-time)

3. Assume Breach

   • Segment network aggressively
   • Monitor all traffic
   • Rapid detection and response

Implementation Patterns

Microsegmentation:

• Isolate every workload with granular security group rules
• Service-to-service communication only between specific services
• Reduce blast radius

Identity-Based Access:

• Use IAM roles instead of IP addresses for authorization
• VPC Endpoints with IAM policies
• Service-to-service identity verification

Continuous Verification:

• VPC Flow Logs for traffic analysis
• Monitor rejected connections
• Alert on anomalies

For zero trust architecture patterns, see references/zero-trust-networking.md

Hybrid Connectivity

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Use When: Dev/test environments, backup connectivity, temporary connections

Characteristics:

• Encrypted tunnel over public internet
• Throughput: ~1.25 Gbps per tunnel
• Latency: Variable (internet-dependent)
• Cost: Low (~$0.05/hour + data transfer)
• Setup: Quick (no contracts)

Direct Connect / ExpressRoute / Cloud Interconnect

Use When: Production workloads, large data transfers, real-time applications

Characteristics:

• Dedicated network connection (bypasses public internet)
• Throughput: Up to 100 Gbps
• Latency: Low and consistent
• Cost: Higher (port fees + data transfer)
• Setup: Slower (contracts, coordination)

Transit Gateway + Direct Connect

Use When: Multiple VPCs need on-premises connectivity

Benefits:

• Single Direct Connect connection → Transit Gateway → Multiple VPCs
• Cost efficient and scalable
• Centralized hybrid connectivity

For hybrid connectivity patterns and examples, see references/hybrid-connectivity.md

Multi-Cloud Networking

Unified Concepts Across Providers

Concept	AWS	GCP	Azure
Virtual Network	VPC	VPC	Virtual Network (VNet)
Subnets	Subnets (AZ-scoped)	Subnets (Regional)	Subnets
NAT	NAT Gateway	Cloud NAT	NAT Gateway
Peering	VPC Peering	VPC Peering	VNet Peering
Hub-Spoke	Transit Gateway	Cloud Router	Virtual WAN
Private Endpoints	PrivateLink	Private Service Connect	Private Link
Hybrid VPN	VPN	Cloud VPN	VPN Gateway
Hybrid Dedicated	Direct Connect	Cloud Interconnect	ExpressRoute

Provider-Specific Best Practices

AWS:

• Multi-AZ baseline for production
• Prefer Transit Gateway for 5+ VPCs
• Use VPC Endpoints to avoid NAT charges

GCP:

• Custom mode VPC (not auto-mode)
• Start with single VPC, use Shared VPC for multi-project
• Grant network user role at subnet level

Azure:

• Hub-and-spoke network topology as standard
• Few large VNets vs many small VNets
• Private endpoints for Azure services

For multi-cloud implementations, see references/multi-cloud-networking.md

Network Observability

VPC Flow Logs

Enable Flow Logs for:

• Traffic analysis and troubleshooting
• Security monitoring (detect unauthorized access)
• Cost attribution by network path
• Compliance requirements

Configuration:

• Traffic type: ALL (capture accepted and rejected)
• Aggregation interval: 1-10 minutes
• Destination: CloudWatch Logs or S3

Monitoring Patterns

Monitor:

• Rejected connections (security anomalies)
• Traffic volume spikes
• Cross-VPC communication patterns
• NAT Gateway utilization

Alert On:

• Spike in rejected connections
• Unusual traffic patterns
• High data transfer costs
• Network errors

For observability patterns and flow log analysis, see references/network-observability.md

Cost Optimization

Common Cost Drivers

1. NAT Gateway: $0.045/hour + $0.045/GB data processed
2. Transit Gateway: $0.05/hour/attachment + $0.02/GB
3. Data Transfer: Egress charges vary by destination
4. VPN/Direct Connect: Port fees + data transfer

Optimization Strategies

Reduce NAT Gateway Costs:

• Use VPC Endpoints for AWS services (S3, DynamoDB)
• Centralized egress VPC pattern
• Single NAT Gateway for dev/test (accept availability risk)

Reduce Data Transfer Costs:

• Keep traffic within same region
• Use VPC Endpoints instead of public internet
• Private connectivity for high-volume transfers

Avoid Transit Gateway Costs:

• Use VPC Peering for small number of VPCs (< 5)
• Direct peering for latency-sensitive pairs

For detailed cost optimization strategies, see references/cost-optimization.md

Implementation Workflow

Step 1: Analyze Requirements

• How many VPCs/environments needed?
• Hybrid connectivity required?
• Latency requirements?
• Security/compliance requirements?
• Budget constraints?

Step 2: Select Pattern

Use pattern selection framework above to choose:

• Flat, Multi-VPC, Hub-Spoke, Mesh, or Hybrid

Step 3: Design Subnets

• Calculate CIDR blocks (non-overlapping)
• Plan multi-AZ distribution
• Determine public/private/database tiers

Step 4: Configure Security

• Design security group architecture
• Plan microsegmentation
• Configure Network ACLs if needed

Step 5: Implement with IaC

Use infrastructure-as-code skill to implement with Terraform/Pulumi

Step 6: Enable Observability

• Configure VPC Flow Logs
• Set up monitoring and alerting
• Cost tracking

Quick Reference

VPC Pattern Selection

Requirement	Recommended Pattern
Single environment	Flat (Single VPC)
Multiple isolated environments	Multi-VPC (Isolated)
2-5 VPCs, low latency	Full Mesh (Peering)
5+ VPCs, centralized security	Hub-and-Spoke (TGW)
Hybrid connectivity	Hub-and-Spoke (TGW)
Cost optimization	Flat or Multi-VPC

NAT Gateway Configuration

Scenario	Configuration	Monthly Cost (3 AZs)
Dev/Test	Single NAT	~$32
Production	NAT per AZ	~$96
Centralized Egress	Hub VPC NAT	~$32-96

Hybrid Connectivity

Requirement	Solution	Throughput	Latency
Dev/Test	VPN	~1.25 Gbps	Variable
Production	Direct Connect	Up to 100 Gbps	Low, consistent
Backup	VPN (backup to DX)	~1.25 Gbps	Variable

Reference Documentation

Detailed Guides:

• references/vpc-design-patterns.md - Comprehensive pattern descriptions with diagrams
• references/subnet-strategy.md - CIDR planning, IPAM, multi-AZ best practices
• references/zero-trust-networking.md - Microsegmentation, IAM integration, continuous verification
• references/hybrid-connectivity.md - VPN, Direct Connect, Transit Gateway patterns
• references/multi-cloud-networking.md - AWS, GCP, Azure implementations
• references/security-controls.md - Security groups, NACLs, firewall patterns
• references/private-networking.md - VPC Endpoints, PrivateLink, Private Service Connect
• references/multi-region-networking.md - Cross-region peering, global load balancing
• references/network-observability.md - Flow logs, monitoring, troubleshooting
• references/cost-optimization.md - Egress reduction, NAT strategies

Code Examples:

• examples/aws/ - AWS VPC patterns (flat, hub-spoke, peering, VPN, Direct Connect)
• examples/gcp/ - GCP VPC patterns (custom VPC, Shared VPC, Cloud Interconnect)
• examples/azure/ - Azure VNet patterns (hub-spoke, peering, ExpressRoute)
• examples/multi-cloud/ - Cross-cloud connectivity examples

Utility Scripts:

• scripts/cidr-calculator.py - Calculate CIDR blocks and plan IP addressing
• scripts/cost-estimator.sh - Estimate network infrastructure costs
• scripts/validate-sg-rules.py - Validate security group rule configurations
• scripts/flow-log-analyzer.py - Analyze VPC flow logs for security and cost

Integration with Other Skills

Use infrastructure-as-code skill to:

• Implement network architectures with Terraform/Pulumi
• Version control network configurations
• Automate network provisioning

Use kubernetes-operations skill to:

• Configure Kubernetes networking (CNI) on top of VPC design
• Implement pod networking and service meshes

Use security-hardening skill to:

• Implement firewall rules and WAF configurations
• Configure network-level DDoS protection
• Set up intrusion detection systems

Use observability skill to:

• Implement comprehensive network monitoring
• Set up distributed tracing across network boundaries
• Configure performance dashboards

Use disaster-recovery skill to:

• Design multi-region failover networking
• Implement cross-region backup connectivity
• Plan network recovery procedures