Configure virtual networks, IP addressing, load balancers, and security.
Overview
The Networking service provides software-defined networking for cloud resources. Create isolated networks, manage IP addressing, secure traffic via firewalls, and connect compute and load-balancing resources.
Prerequisites
- Cloud dashboard access with network permissions
- Compute resources (VMs, bare-metal, containers) to attach
- IP address and subnet plan
- (Optional) Network security policy
Step 1: Create Virtual Network
- Navigate to Networking > Networks
- Click Create Network
- Configure:
| Setting | Description |
|---|
| Network name | e.g., app-internal-net |
| Type | Public (internet-facing) or Private (internal only) |
| CIDR block | e.g., 10.0.0.0/24 |
- Save network
Step 2: Create Subnets and Interfaces
- Add subnets to segment traffic (e.g.,
app-subnet, db-subnet)
- Assign network interfaces to resources:
- At resource creation, or
- Attach later via network-interface configuration
| IP Assignment | Description |
|---|
| Dynamic/DHCP | Automatic IP assignment |
| Static | Manually assigned IP |
- Go to IP Addresses in Networking
- Allocate public or floating IP
- Attach to resource (VM, load balancer)
- Floating IPs can move between resources without DNS changes
Step 4: Set Up Routers
- Create Router and associate with networks
- Configure routing rules and Internet Gateway
- Set default route (
0.0.0.0/0) for outbound access
- (Optional) Configure VPN for hybrid connectivity
Step 5: Deploy Load Balancers
- Navigate to Load Balancers
- Click Create Load Balancer
- Configure:
| Setting | Description |
|---|
| Listener protocols | HTTP, HTTPS, TCP |
| Backend pool | VMs or bare-metal servers |
| Health check | e.g., /health, interval 10s, threshold 3 |
- Attach public IP and create DNS record
- Traffic distributes to backend pool when active
- Open Firewall / Security Groups
- Create rules:
| Rule Component | Description |
|---|
| Source | CIDR or IP range |
| Destination | Resource or network |
| Ports/Protocols | e.g., TCP 80/443, ICMP |
| Action | Allow or Deny |
- Attach security group to resources
- Segment internal and external traffic properly
Step 7: Monitor Network Health
- View traffic volumes, connection counts, error rates
- Enable load balancer monitoring and logs
- Review subnet utilization and IP usage
- Audit periodically:
- Unused IP allocations
- Idle subnets or routers
- Over-permissive firewall rules
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|
| No internet access | Missing gateway | Attach router, set default route |
| Internal comms fail | Misconfigured subnet | Check interfaces and routing |
| Load balancer 502 | Backend health failing | Verify health check and backend |
| Public IP unresponsive | DNS or IP not attached | Confirm IP assignment and DNS |
| Unexpected traffic | Firewall too open | Restrict to necessary ports |