What is cloud networking?

What is cloud networking?

Cloud networking uses cloud-based technologies to connect users, applications, and other essential resources. All of the networking technologies — including physical hardware and management capabilities — are hosted in a public or private cloud environment.

To implement cloud networking, some organizations opt for network-as-a-service (NaaS) offerings from cloud providers. These offerings enable organizations to connect their on-premises data centers and cloud environments while reducing management complexity. Organizations do not need any of their own network infrastructure — only Internet connectivity. In other cases, organizations might choose to use cloud technologies to support private cloud or hybrid cloud environments.

Multi-cloud networking uses capabilities from more than one public cloud platform. With multi-cloud networking, organizations can optimize networking functions across those clouds for performance, cost, availability, and other criteria.

How does cloud networking work?

Cloud networking typically requires three primary components: cloud infrastructure, virtualization capabilities, and cloud-based management tools.

• Cloud infrastructure: When you use a public cloud platform for cloud networking, the cloud provider owns and operates the physical infrastructure. If that infrastructure is available across globally distributed data centers, you can give your users low-latency access to apps and resources from anywhere.
• Virtualization: Cloud networking virtualizes network components, abstracting their functions from underlying physical infrastructure. Virtualization enhances the flexibility of network configurations and increases resource utilization, which in turn helps reduce the costs for cloud networking.
• Cloud-based management: With cloud networking, you can manage, monitor, and secure the network through cloud-based tools. Like with software-defined networking, using cloud-based tools to manage networking enhances flexibility and increases efficiency.

What are the benefits of cloud networking?

When you use public cloud platforms for cloud networking, you can realize several key cloud computing benefits.

• Security: You can often tap into a wide range of security capabilities offered by cloud providers. In many cases, those providers offer more advanced capabilities than you could cost-effectively deploy on premises.
• Performance: By taking advantage of a cloud provider’s distributed data centers, you can deliver robust, low-latency performance to users around the globe.
• Scalability: Unlike with traditional networking, you can easily scale services up — or down — as your needs change, without large infrastructure purchases.
• Availability: Cloud platforms’ multiple, distributed data centers can offer the redundancy needed to maintain high networking availability.
• Efficiency: Administrators can manage all networking functions with straightforward, centralized software, eliminating the complexity of traditional network management.
• Costs: When using a public cloud platform, you can avoid upfront capital expenditures and choose subscriptions that let you pay for what you use. Still, efficient management is essential for controlling ongoing costs.
• Agility: Cloud networking lets you make changes quickly. Instead of taking weeks to support new enterprise locations or integrate new resources, you can make connections in a few hours.

What are the limitations of cloud networking?

Though there are numerous benefits from cloud networking, some organizations might be concerned with the potential for latency, vendor lock-in, and loss of control.

• Latency: Using a public cloud for cloud networking requires reliable, low-latency Internet connectivity. If you choose a cloud platform that does not have data centers close to all users, some users could experience latency when accessing key apps or other resources.
• Vendor lock-in: If you select a public cloud platform with proprietary technologies, it might be difficult to integrate additional clouds or move to other platforms in the future.
• Limited control: When you use a public cloud provider for cloud networking, you rely on that provider to manage the underlying physical infrastructure. You have less control and might have less configurability than if you owned and operated the infrastructure yourself.

Cloud networking vs. traditional networking

In a traditional networking model, an organization owns and operates their own networking equipment, including switches, routers, gateways, load balancers, and firewalls. That network infrastructure is housed in on-premises data centers. When teams need to scale up their networking resources, they must buy and implement additional equipment.

If you use a public cloud for cloud networking, the physical infrastructure is owned and operated by the cloud provider. Because networking functions are abstracted from physical equipment, you have great configuration flexibility. And because cloud providers often have vast infrastructure resources, you can scale easily. Your team can configure and manage the network virtually, using cloud-based tools.

Cloud-based networking vs. cloud-enabled networking

Cloud networking, sometimes called “cloud-based networking,” is different than “cloud-enabled” networking. With cloud-based networking, the physical infrastructure, networking capabilities, and management tools all come from a cloud provider.

With cloud-enabled networking, you have a traditional, on-premises network, but your administrators manage or secure that network using cloud-based resources. So, for example, you might use a cloud firewall or anti-virus solution to protect your on-premises network.

Cloud networking vs. cloud computing

Cloud networking is just one of many types of services offered by cloud providers. These providers typically have additional types of infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) offerings, such as compute and storage services. Most providers also have multiple software-as-a-service(SaaS) offerings, including databases, analytics, security services, artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) services, developer tools, and more.

How does Cloudflare support cloud networking?

Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud provides robust cloud networking, enabling organizations to connect everything — employees, apps, and other resources — while maintaining visibility and control over IT. Organizations can tap into a full range of network connectivity and security capabilities, all delivered as services within a secure access service edge (SASE) framework.

Learn more about Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud.