Introduction to AWS Cloud WAN
Tags: aws, beginners, productivity, devops
Published: 2022-10-09 14:05:23



![wan1](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/qpjqnobzx972atl393aq.png)

`AWS Cloud WAN` is a wide area network service that helps you build, manage, and monitor a single global network. This service manages traffic between `AWS resources and your on-premises environment`. 




## What is the use of Cloud WAN ?

- Cloud WAN allows you to create global networks across multiple locations and networks using a `central dashboard and network policies`, eliminating the need to configure and manage different networks individually using different technologies. 
- The Cloud WAN central dashboard provides a `comprehensive network overview` to help you monitor network health, security and performance. 
- Cloud WAN uses `Border Gateway Protocol` to automatically create global networks across AWS regions, facilitating the exchange of routes around the world. 

## How it works

![wan](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/udzz5tfy3i468gnbyb5r.png)


- AWS Cloud WAN creates a global network in just a few clicks, providing a central dashboard that creates connections between `branch offices, data centers, and Amazon Virtual Private Cloud`. 
- `Automate network management and security tasks` in one place with `network policies`. 
- Cloud WAN helps you monitor network health, security, and performance, creating a `holistic view of your on-premises and AWS networks`.

## AWS Cloud WAN Features

With Cloud WAN, you choose an on-premises network provider, connect to AWS, and then use a central dashboard and network policies to create a unified network that connects locations and network types. This eliminates the need to separately configure and manage different networks, even with different technologies. 



### Central dashboard

- The Cloud WAN dashboard allows you to monitor network traffic, events and view network status in one place. 
- It reduces the operational complexity of managing large global networks and **simplifies day-to-day operations**. 

### Centralized policy management

- When using a cloud WAN, you define access control and traffic routing in a central network policy document. 
- When you update your policy, Cloud WAN uses a two-step process to ensure that accidental errors do not affect your global network.
 


### Network segmentation

- No matter how many AWS Regions or on-premises locations you add to your network, you can easily segment your network traffic using policies in Cloud WAN. 
- This makes it easier to ensure consistent security policies when connecting large numbers of sites and VPCs, especially when you need to apply policies to large groups with unique security and routing requirements. 
- Cloud WAN maintains a `consistent configuration across all AWS regions` on your behalf. 


### Built-in automation

- Cloud WAN `automatically adds new VPCs and network connections` to your network, reducing operational costs associated with managing your growing network and eliminating the need to manually approve each change. 
- You do this by `tagging attachments and defining network policies` that automatically assign attachments with specific tags to specific network segments. 
- You can use this `tag structure` to select which attachments can be automatically added to a segment, which segments require manual approval, and whether attachments in the same segment can communicate with each other or all of them, depending on the selected tag.


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