Azure VPN Gateway is primarily used for high-availability connectivity between on-premises and Azure cloud networks. When customers or organizations need to connect their on-premises network to their Azure network, the Azure VPN Gateway is the appropriate tool. Setting up this connectivity requires deploying an Azure VPN Gateway within the Azure environment and a compatible VPN gateway on the on-premises side. Azure supports various VPN gateway options from manufacturers like Fortinet and Cisco.
Once both VPN gateways are in place - the Azure VPN Gateway (Azure VPN v3) and the on-premises VPN gateway - you can establish point-to-site or site-to-site connectivity. Point-to-site connectivity enables remote connections, particularly for employees working from home. In this scenario, there is no need for a VPN gateway at the on-premises location. Instead, you only need to configure the Azure VPN Gateway, generate a VPN profile, and distribute it to the relevant users. This allows remote users to connect securely to the Azure network from anywhere, as long as they have the VPN profile configured on their system.
Azure VPN Gateway has several SKUs, each with a specific capacity, bandwidth, and throughput. We currently use the Basic SKU, which Azure is working on phasing out soon. This SKU might become unavailable for customization soon. The next tier is VPN GW1, which faces the same issues as the first generation. Azure checks automation for all SKUs with a defined bandwidth and throughput.
When the VPN tunnel is created, the bandwidth impacts traffic flow within the tunnel. For organizations or corporations using the VPN, the workload will determine the amount of traffic handled. They can select the appropriate SKU to match their traffic needs.
Azure VPN Gateway is a managed service dedicated solely to allowing traffic in and out, functioning purely as a VPN gateway without additional firewall capabilities.