In today’s multi-cloud environment, organizations often leverage services across different cloud providers to optimize resources, improve resilience, and enhance geographic reach. A common requirement in such setups is establishing secure and reliable connectivity between these cloud environments. This guide focuses on setting up a site-to-site VPN connection from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to Amazon Web Services (AWS) Transit Gateway, facilitating secure communication between resources hosted on both cloud platforms.
Overview of Site-to-Site VPN Connectivity
Site-to-site VPN creates a secure tunnel between two or more networks, allowing them to communicate as if they were on the same network, despite being hosted on different cloud platforms. This connection encrypts data in transit, providing a secure path for sensitive information. When connecting OCI to AWS Transit Gateway, the setup involves configuring components on both sides to ensure seamless and secure connectivity.
Prerequisites
- OCI Account: Access to an OCI account with permissions to create Virtual Cloud Networks (VCNs), Dynamic Routing Gateways (DRGs), and VPN connections.
- AWS Account: Access to an AWS account with permissions to create Transit Gateways, Customer Gateways, and VPN connections.
- Networking Information: IP address ranges for your OCI and AWS networks that do not overlap, ensuring seamless routing.
Step 1: Setting Up AWS Transit Gateway
1.1 Create the Transit Gateway
Navigate to the VPC dashboard in the AWS Management Console, select “Transit Gateways,” and click “Create Transit Gateway”. Specify the required details, ensuring you enable “VPN ECMP support” for multiple VPN connections to propagate the same routes.
1.2 Create the Customer Gateway
Under the VPC dashboard, go to “Customer Gateways” and click “Create Customer Gateway”. Here, specify the public IP address of your OCI DRG (which you will create in the next steps), and select “Dynamic” routing.
1.3 Attach the Transit Gateway to Your VPC
Still in the VPC dashboard, navigate to “Transit Gateway Attachments” and create an attachment for your VPC to the Transit Gateway you just created.
Step 2: Setting Up OCI Components
2.1 Create a Virtual Cloud Network (VCN) and Subnets
In the OCI Console, navigate to “Networking” > “VCNs” and create a new VCN if you don’t already have one for this purpose. Within the VCN, create subnets that your resources in OCI will use.
2.2 Create a Dynamic Routing Gateway (DRG)
Go to “Networking” > “Dynamic Routing Gateways” and click “Create DRG”. Assign it a name and attach it to your VCN by navigating to your VCN details page, selecting “Attached Components”, and attaching the DRG.
2.3 Create the OCI VPN Connection
Navigate to “Networking” > “Customer Connect VPNs” and create a new VPN connection. Select the DRG you created, and for the CPE (Customer Premises Equipment), use the details from the AWS Customer Gateway you set up earlier.
Step 3: Configuring the Site-to-Site VPN Connection
3.1 AWS Side Configuration
After setting up the Transit Gateway and Customer Gateway, navigate to “Site-to-Site VPN Connections” in the AWS VPC dashboard and create a new VPN connection. Select the Transit Gateway and Customer Gateway you created, and choose dynamic routing.
3.2 OCI Side Configuration
Once you’ve created the VPN connection in OCI, you’ll receive configuration details, including the IP addresses of the VPN tunnels. Use these details to configure the AWS side, ensuring that the routing options match and that traffic is allowed to flow between the two networks.
Step 4: Testing Connectivity
After completing the configurations on both sides, it’s crucial to test the connectivity to ensure the tunnel is up and that data can flow securely between OCI and AWS. You can use tools like ping or traceroute from instances within your OCI VCN to resources in your AWS VPC, ensuring the traffic goes through the VPN tunnel.
Monitoring and Maintenance
Both OCI and AWS offer monitoring tools to observe the health and traffic of your VPN connection. Regularly check these tools to ensure the VPN connection remains active and performant. Additionally, consider setting up alerts for any downtime or performance issues.
Conclusion
Establishing a site-to-site VPN connection between OCI and AWS Transit Gateway allows organizations to securely and efficiently manage resources across multiple cloud environments. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up a robust and secure connectivity framework that leverages the strengths of both OCI and AWS, ensuring your multi-cloud strategy is well-supported. Remember, while the initial setup is crucial, ongoing monitoring and maintenance are key to maintaining a secure and reliable connection.