Azure - Service Endpoints

Introduction

• Service Endpoints in Azure provide secure and direct connectivity to Azure services over an optimized route through the Azure backbone network.
• They allow you to connect your virtual network (VNet) directly to various Azure services, bypassing the public internet.
• This enhances the security and performance of your network traffic.

Key Features of Service Endpoints

1. Enhanced Security: By connecting directly through the Azure backbone network, service endpoints provide a more secure path to Azure services, eliminating exposure to the public internet.
2. Improved Performance: Traffic to Azure services takes the shortest route through the Azure network, resulting in lower latency and higher reliability.
3. Simple Configuration: Service endpoints can be easily configured within your virtual network settings in the Azure portal.
4. Access Control: You can use network security groups (NSGs) to restrict access to the Azure services from specific subnets within your virtual network.

Supported Azure Services

• Service endpoints are available for a variety of Azure services, including:

1. Azure Storage
2. Azure SQL Database
3. Azure Cosmos DB
4. Azure Key Vault
5. Azure App Service
6. Azure Event Hub
7. Azure Service Bus
8. Azure Data Lake

How Service Endpoints Work

• VNet Integration: You enable service endpoints for a particular Azure service on a subnet within your VNet.
• Traffic Routing: Once enabled, traffic from the subnet to the specified Azure service is routed directly through the Azure backbone network, rather than over the public internet.
• Access Policies: You can then configure access policies on the Azure service to restrict access to only your VNet, enhancing security.

Benefits of Service Endpoints

• Secure Access: By eliminating internet exposure, service endpoints help protect your data from threats that might be present on the public internet.
• Optimal Routing: Direct routing through the Azure network backbone reduces latency and increases the reliability of the connection to Azure services.
• Ease of Use: Setting up service endpoints is straightforward and does not require any changes to your applications.
• Cost-Effective: There are no additional costs for using service endpoints, making it an efficient way to secure and optimize your network traffic.

Use Cases for Service Endpoints

1. Secure Data Storage: Ensuring that data stored in Azure Storage accounts is accessed only from your VNet.
2. Database Connectivity: Providing secure, low-latency access to Azure SQL Database or Azure Cosmos DB from within your VNet.
3. Access Control: Restricting access to Azure services based on VNet and subnet, enhancing security for sensitive data and applications.
4. Compliance: Meeting regulatory requirements that mandate secure connections to cloud services without internet exposure.

Service Endpoint vs Private Endpoint

• For the highest level of security and network isolation, Private Endpoints are preferred.
• They ensure that your storage account is accessible only via a private IP address within your VNet, providing enhanced security and compliance.
• For simpler configurations and cost-effectiveness, Service Endpoints can be used, providing good performance and keeping traffic within the Azure backbone while still allowing access via the public endpoint of the service.