Azure Private Link is a feature of Azure that enables users to access Azure PaaS services (such as Azure Storage and Azure SQL) privately, over a private endpoint. This allows users to access these services directly from their virtual network, without going over the public internet.
With Azure Private Link, a private endpoint is created in the user’s virtual network. This private endpoint is mapped to the Azure PaaS service that the user wants to access, and it has its own private IP address in the virtual network. The user can then access the PaaS service using this private IP address, and the traffic stays within the Azure network.
By using Azure Private Link, users can improve the security of their connections to Azure PaaS services and reduce the attack surface. It also offers improved performance, as traffic does not have to traverse the public internet. Overall, Azure Private Link provides a powerful and flexible solution for securely and efficiently accessing Azure PaaS services.
Here is an example of how to use Azure Private Link to access an Azure Storage account privately:
- Create a virtual network and a subnet in the virtual network where the Azure Storage account will be accessed.
- Create a private endpoint for the Azure Storage account in the virtual network subnet. This will create a private IP address in the virtual network that is mapped to the Azure Storage account.
- Configure a network security group (NSG) in the virtual network subnet to allow traffic to the private endpoint.
- Configure a storage firewall in the Azure Storage account to allow access from the virtual network subnet.
- Use the private endpoint IP address to access the Azure Storage account from within the virtual network.
This example shows the basic steps for using Azure Private Link to access an Azure Storage account privately. In a real-world scenario, you may need to perform additional steps or customize the configuration to fit your specific requirements. For more information on Azure Private Link and how to use it, see the Azure Private Link documentation.
Azure Private Link pricing example
he pricing for Azure Private Link is based on the number of private endpoints that are created and the amount of data processed by the service.
For example, if you create 10 private endpoints and process 1 GB of data per hour, the cost of using Azure Private Link would be:
10 private endpoints * $0.01/private endpoint/hour = $0.10/hour 1 GB * $0.05/GB = $0.05/hour Total cost = $0.15/hour
This pricing example is for illustration purposes only and may not reflect the actual cost of using Azure Private Link. To get an accurate estimate of the cost of using Azure Private Link, you can use the Azure pricing calculator.
Additionally, Azure offers a free tier for Azure Private Link that allows you to use the service for free up to certain limits. For more information on the free tier and its limitations, see the Azure Private Link pricing page.
