As cloud infrastructures grow more complex, connecting isolated environments securely and efficiently becomes increasingly important. Whether you’re managing multi-account setups, separating production from development, or building shared services, VPC Peering offers a simple, scalable solution. VPC Peering enables direct, private communication between virtual networks, making it an essential tool in modern cloud architecture.
In this blog, we’ll explore what VPC peering is, when to use it, how to set it up, and what to watch out for.
VPC Peering enables private communication between two Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) using internal IP addresses. With peering in place, instances in one VPC can communicate with those in another as if they were part of the same network, without the need for public IPs, VPNs, or gateways.
Peering works both within the same AWS account and across different accounts, and can even span regions (via inter-region VPC peering).
Applications
VPC peering is ideal for several common use cases:
- Multi-Account Architecture
Isolate environments (e.g., dev, staging, prod) in separate AWS accounts, yet allow secure, direct communication between them.
- Shared Services Access
Enable centralized access to services like authentication, logging, or databases across multiple VPCs.
- Cross-Region Communication
Establish low-latency, private links between VPCs in different AWS regions for high availability or disaster recovery.
- Cost-Effective Private Traffic
Avoid NAT Gateway or VPN charges by routing internal traffic directly between VPCs over AWS’s network.
How to Set Up VPC Peering in AWS
1. Create the Peering Connection
Go to the AWS VPC console.
Click on Peering Connections > Create Peering Connection.
Choose the requester and accepter VPCs (they can be in different accounts or regions).
2. Accept the Request
If it’s an inter-account peering, switch to the accepting account and approve the request.
3. Update Route Tables
Add routes in both VPCs to allow traffic to flow between their CIDR blocks via the peering connection.
4. Adjust Security Groups and NACLs
Ensure the VPCs’ security groups and network ACLs allow the necessary traffic.
Once done, traffic between the VPCs will flow privately over AWS’s backbone network.
Conclusion
VPC Peering is a simple yet effective solution for connecting your cloud environments securely and privately. It’s perfect for scenarios where you need to connect separate VPCs across accounts, regions, or environments while keeping your traffic off the public internet.
While it offers low-latency communication and cost savings, it’s important to carefully consider CIDR blocks, route table management, and security configurations to ensure seamless connectivity. For more complex network architectures, such as those requiring transitive routing, AWS Transit Gateway or PrivateLink might be more appropriate.
By understanding the strengths and limitations of VPC Peering, you can design an efficient, scalable cloud infrastructure that meets your business needs while maintaining security and cost-effectiveness.
If you’re ready to implement VPC Peering in your environment or need further assistance with advanced cloud networking, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help. At Skynats, we specialize in AWS Management Services, providing tailored solutions for secure, scalable, and high-performance cloud infrastructures.
