Cloud Network Architecture Options in VMware Cloud Director

Key Components

Symbol Description
![VDC] Virtual Datacenter Boundary
![VM] Virtual Machine (or VM group)
![Cloud Network] Virtual Switch (Created in Cloud Director)
![Edge] Edge Gateway (Router/Firewall/NAT)

Addressing Standards:

  • Private: 192.168.0.0/16 (RFC1918)

  • Public: 192.0.2.0/24, 198.51.100.0/24 (RFC5737)

 

Option 1: Basic NAT Configuration

Topology:

 

Characteristics:

  • 1 public IP on Edge Gateway

  • VMs use private IPs

  • Outbound internet via Source NAT

  • Inbound access via Destination NAT rules

Use Case: Default test environment configuration

 

Option 2: Multi-IP Edge Gateway

Topology:

 

Advantages:

  • Multiple public IPs for different NAT services

  • Improved service isolation

  • Flexible port forwarding rules

 

Option 3: Multi-Network Segmentation

Topology:

 

Security Benefits:

  • Isolated network segments

  • Granular firewall policies

  • Separate NAT rules per network

Option 4: Multi-Edge Gateway Deployment

Topology:

Enterprise Features:

  • Separate security domains

  • Avoids hairpin NAT scenarios

  • Cross-network routing via dedicated links

Option 5: Public IP Assignment

Topology:

Implementation Notes:

  • Available subnet sizes: /30 to /28

  • Typical /30 allocation:

    • .0: Network address

    • .1: Edge GW (internal)

    • .2: Assignable to VM

    • .3: Broadcast

  • Request via support ticket

Critical Reminder: Network addressing cannot be modified after creation.

Option 6: Virtual Router Overlay

Topology:

 

Considerations:

  • Deploy third-party routers (Cisco/Juniper/Mikrotik)

  • NAT still handled at Edge level

  • Maintains private addressing internally

Planning Recommendations

  1. Address Space: Allocate 25% more IPs than currently needed

  2. Growth: Prefer larger subnets for future expansion

  3. Migration: Create new networks during maintenance windows

  4. Documentation: Maintain IPAM records for all allocations

 

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