2.4. Reflection Checkpoint: Core AWS Networking Services & Advanced VPC Design Mastery

You have now explored the core building blocks of AWS networking: advanced VPC design, inter-VPC connectivity, and hybrid cloud connectivity. You can evaluate different services within each category and understand the critical trade-offs involved in selecting the right tool for the job.

Scenario: You are tasked with designing a complete network architecture for a new enterprise application. You must select the most appropriate services for internal VPC segmentation, inter-VPC communication across multiple accounts, and secure connectivity to an on-premises data center, ensuring all components can communicate securely and scale effectively.

Reflection Question: How does a change in requirements for one layer (e.g., needing transitive routing between VPCs) influence your design choices for the other layers (e.g., hybrid connectivity or DNS resolution)? Provide a specific example.

Self-Assessment Prompts:

• Can you explain the difference between a public and private subnet and how they relate to Internet Gateways and NAT Gateways?
• Are you confident in choosing between VPC Peering and Transit Gateway for different inter-VPC connectivity scenarios?
• What are the key factors that would lead you to choose Direct Connect over Site-to-Site VPN, or vice-versa?
• Can you describe how Route 53 Resolver enables hybrid DNS?

Storytelling Checksum: You've assembled your networking toolkit. You now have the essential components—the VPC building blocks, the inter-VPC connectors, and the hybrid cloud bridges—ready to be combined into powerful, well-crafted network solutions.