Azure Private Link vs Private Endpoint: Choosing the Right Option

Azure Private Link and Private Endpoint are two popular Azure services that enable secure and private connectivity to resources. Both services are used to secure data and applications, but they serve different purposes.

Azure Private Link is a service that enables you to access Azure services privately, without exposing them to the public internet. This is particularly useful for sensitive data that needs to be protected.

Private Endpoint, on the other hand, allows you to create a private entry point for your Azure resources, making it easier to access them securely. This is especially useful for applications that require high security and compliance.

To determine which service is right for your needs, let's break down the key differences between Azure Private Link and Private Endpoint.

To configure Azure private link or private endpoint, you'll need to pay attention to DNS settings. The DNS settings for a private-link resource are crucial, as they must resolve to the private IP address of the private endpoint.

The FQDN for a private-link resource is essential for the connection, and it must be configured correctly in the DNS settings. This is because the private IP address of the private endpoint is what the DNS settings need to resolve to.

The network interface associated with the private endpoint contains the necessary information for configuring the DNS settings, including the FQDN and private IP address.

A private endpoint specifies the following properties: Name, Subnet, Private-link resource, Target subresource, Connection approval method, Request message, and Connection status.

The Name property is a unique name within the resource group. It's essential to choose a name that accurately describes the purpose of the private endpoint.

The Subnet property specifies the subnet to deploy the private endpoint, where the private IP address is assigned. For subnet requirements, see the Limitations section later in this article.

The Private-link resource property specifies the private-link resource to connect to using a resource ID or alias, from the list of available types. A unique network identifier is generated for all traffic sent to this resource.

The Target subresource property specifies the subresource to connect to, and each private-link resource type has various options to select based on preference.

The Connection approval method property can be set to either Automatic or Manual, depending on the Azure role-based access control permissions. If you're connecting to a private-link resource without Azure role-based permissions, use the Manual method to allow the owner of the resource to approve the connection.

The Request message property allows you to specify a message for requested connections to be approved manually. This message can be used to identify a specific request.

The Connection status property is a read-only property that specifies whether the private endpoint is active. The available states are Approved, Pending, Rejected, and Disconnected.

Here are the possible states of a private endpoint:

To set up records, you must update your DNS records to ensure connectivity passes through Azure Private Link in the supported pattern. This is regardless of the DNS resolution option you selected when creating the Confluent Cloud network.

You can use Azure Private DNS Zone, which is one option for ensuring DNS is routed correctly. You can find these values on the networking detail page in the Confluent Cloud Console.

To create a Private DNS zone, browse to the Azure portal, create a Private DNS zone for the Private Link, and then add DNS records. The required DNS records map the Confluent Cloud DNS names to the Azure private endpoint addresses.

Here are the steps to create a Private DNS zone and DNS records:

To configure a VNet Subnet for the Power Platform, we must add a new Subnet to our new VNet.

This new Subnet will allow us to segregate our resources and improve network security.

We've already set up a new VNet, so we'll use that as the foundation for our Subnet.

A Subnet is a range of IP addresses within a VNet, and we'll need to specify the address range for our Power Platform resources.

For the Power Platform, we'll want to configure the Subnet to support the required resources and services.

This might involve setting up a dedicated Subnet for Power Apps, Power Automate, or other Power Platform services.

Network security is a top priority when using Azure Private Link and Private Endpoints. Private endpoints provide a privately accessible IP address for the Azure service, but don't necessarily restrict public network access to it.

To access more subresources within the same Azure service, more private endpoints with corresponding targets are required, such as separate private endpoints for Azure Storage's file and blob subresources.

Private endpoints support network policies, which enable support for Network Security Groups (NSG), User Defined Routes (UDR), and Application Security Groups (ASG).

Network Security Group limitations include effective routes and security rules being unavailable for private endpoint network interfaces, making them invisible in the Azure portal. This can make it harder to manage and troubleshoot these networks.

NSG flow logs are also unsupported for inbound traffic destined for a private endpoint, which can make it harder to monitor and analyze network activity.

A key limitation of Application Security Groups (ASGs) is that they can only have up to 50 members, which can lead to connection failures if exceeded.

Destination port ranges are supported up to a factor of 250 K, but be aware that excessive use can lead to invalid configurations.

Here's a breakdown of the supported configuration limits for destination port ranges:

Source port filtering is also interpreted as *, which means it's not actively used for traffic filtering destined for a private endpoint.

Some regions, including West India, Australia Central 2, South Africa West, Brazil Southeast, all Government regions, and all China regions, do not currently support Network Security Groups.

Microsoft customers have been asking for improvements and guidance to ensure Microsoft Platform as a Service (PaaS) services are secure and available without managing endless Network Security Groups (NSGs), resource firewalls, or access lists.

Private Link is an offering from Azure that includes two components: Private Endpoint and Private Link Service.

Private Endpoint lets you configure a private IP address endpoint for your PaaS applications, allowing internal resources and customers to connect to it over your VPN or peered networks. This eliminates the need for the service to be publicly available.

Traffic to these private endpoints traverses the Microsoft backbone network without ever touching the public Internet.

The Azure Private Link Service takes this a step further by allowing you to extend your Private Endpoints to business partners or customers, requiring an approval process as an added layer of security.

The benefits of Azure Private Link and Private Endpoint are numerous.

Eliminating the need for public Internet traversal is a primary benefit, especially for organizations bound by compliance or governance requirements.

Private Link also allows you to manage and maintain your private IP spaces and internal DNS systems without requiring public IP or DNS updates, which are often handled by external parties.

Each private endpoint is linked to a specific instance of the PaaS resource it represents, preventing data leakage and reducing the risk of applications and resources referencing the entire service.

By using Private Link in parallel with Azure Standard Load Balancer, you can make internal PaaS or IaaS services available via Private Endpoint to business units or external customers without allowing traffic to or from the Internet.

Using Azure Private Link can eliminate the hurdle of complying with security requirements that traffic must be privately secured throughout an organization.

Private Link benefits from private DNS and IP addressing, allowing you to manage and maintain your private IP spaces and internal DNS systems without requiring public IP or DNS updates.

This scenario also alleviates complex routing rules that would have internal apps sending PaaS services requests out to the Internet, now those calls can be sent internally.

Each private endpoint is linked to the specific instance of the PaaS resource it represents to prevent data leakage, greatly reducing the risk of sensitive information being exposed.

By referencing the specific service and instance combination, applications and resources can safely access the resources they need without compromising security.

Extending internal resources to other departments or customers is another key benefit of Private Link, allowing you to make internal PaaS or IaaS services available via Private Endpoint to business units or external customers without allowing traffic to or from the Internet.

Azure Private Link is a powerful tool for creating a secure connection between your private network and Azure resources. It can be used to create Azure Private Endpoints or Azure Private Service.

You can use Azure Private Link to give your customers access to your private deployed Azure resources, even if they have their own Virtual Network. They can create a private endpoint inside their virtual network and map it to your service.

Azure Private Endpoint is a great option when you want to deploy an Azure resource, such as Azure Storage or SQL Database, inside a private network. This way, the resource is hidden from the internet and can only be accessed by those with access to the private network.

Azure Virtual Network Service Endpoints, on the other hand, are easier to set up and require no additional services. However, they don't offer the same level of security and control as Azure Private Endpoint/Azure Private Link Service.

Here are some key benefits of using Azure Private Endpoint/Azure Private Link Service: