With businesses increasingly needing reliable connectivity across multiple cloud regions, building a scalable and resilient network architecture in Azure has become critical. For multi-region setups, the combination of Azure Route Server and Meraki vMX can enhance performance, simplify routing, and add robust failover options. Here, we’ll guide you through setting up these components to optimize cross-region connectivity in a practical, accessible way.
Introduction to Multi-Region Network Architecture
Multi-region networking can be challenging, but it’s essential for modern, high-availability cloud environments. When applications are deployed in different Azure regions, they require a streamlined connection to ensure data moves swiftly and securely. Azure Route Server and Meraki vMX help achieve this by supporting dynamic routing and centralized management, creating an efficient, scalable, and redundant multi-region network architecture.
Challenges of Multi-Region Connectivity
Key challenges in multi-region connectivity include:
Ensuring low-latency data transfer across regions
Managing traffic flow between different Azure VNets
Creating redundancy for failover if one region experiences an outage
Azure Route Server and Meraki vMX address these issues by automating route management, enhancing cross-region visibility, and allowing for easy configuration and failover setup.
Understanding Azure Route Server for Dynamic Routing
Azure Route Server serves as a dynamic route management solution, enabling seamless integration of network virtual appliances (NVAs) and supporting BGP-based routing. It simplifies connectivity between virtual networks (VNets) and NVAs, dynamically updating routes as network topology changes.
Core Features and Benefits for Multi-Region Setups
Dynamic Routing with BGP: Azure Route Server allows NVAs to exchange routing information directly with Azure’s network, using BGP. This adaptability is especially useful in multi-region designs, where routes must update in real-time to avoid disruptions.
Simplified Configuration: By automating route propagation, Route Server reduces the need for manually managing routes between regions, saving time and lowering complexity.
Resilience and Redundancy: In multi-region networks, Route Server can detect failures in real time, routing traffic to the healthiest available paths.
Setting Up Azure Route Server with Meraki vMX
Combining Azure Route Server with Cisco Meraki’s vMX appliances can give businesses robust, redundant connections across Azure regions. Here’s how to set up Route Server with Meraki vMX for seamless cross-region traffic management.
Overview of Meraki vMX Deployment in Azure
The Meraki vMX, a virtual SD-WAN appliance, enables easy integration with Azure and provides the control needed to manage network traffic between VNets across regions. Deployed through the Azure Marketplace, vMX connects to Route Server using BGP, allowing for automated route management.
Configuring BGP Peering between vMX and Azure Route Server
To link Route Server with vMX, BGP peering is established. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Deploy the Meraki vMX in each Azure region’s VNet. Each appliance should ideally be in a different region or availability zone for redundancy.
Configure Route Server in each region’s VNet. Azure Route Server must be in a dedicated subnet with a minimum of a /27 address range.
Set Up BGP Peering: Access Route Server, select Peers, and add your vMX as a BGP peer. You’ll need the ASN and IP address of each vMX appliance.
Enable Auto VPN on the vMX through the Meraki dashboard, then configure BGP settings to match those of Route Server.
Once BGP peering is set up, Route Server will dynamically handle routes, ensuring that traffic flows between regions efficiently and rerouting traffic if an appliance goes offline.
Connecting and Peering VNets Across Regions
Peering VNets in each Azure region allows the Meraki vMX to direct traffic smoothly across the network. Use Azure’s global VNet peering to connect VNets and enable cross-region communication. Select the option to “Use remote virtual network’s gateway” for each peered VNet to allow Route Server’s routing.
Managing Failover and Redundancy in Azure
In a multi-region setup, failover and redundancy are critical to maintaining uptime and avoiding disruptions. Both Route Server and Meraki vMX offer options for redundancy.
Active-Passive vs. Active-Active Configuration
In an active-passive configuration, traffic flows through a primary appliance (vMX) until it fails, at which point it switches to the backup appliance. This configuration is simpler but may cause slight delays during failover. In an active-active configuration, traffic flows through both appliances, providing continuous service. While more complex, it offers immediate failover and load-balancing benefits.
Using Azure Load Balancer with UDRs for Redundant NVAs
For enhanced failover, combine User-Defined Routes (UDRs) with Azure Load Balancer. UDRs allow you to specify custom routes with Azure Route Server, directing traffic to healthy paths in case of appliance or network failure.
User-Defined Routes (UDRs) for Manual Traffic Control
UDRs are useful for organizations that prefer hands-on control over routing paths, especially if Azure Route Server’s automated routing costs are a concern.
When to Use UDRs Over Azure Route Server
If cost is a major consideration or if you only need basic routing, UDRs may be sufficient. UDRs let you set priorities manually for each route, making it easier to specify preferred routes and fallback paths.
Setting Up Administrative Distances for Traffic Routing
To ensure traffic follows the correct path, adjust administrative distances in UDRs. For example:
Create UDRs for each subnet, with primary routes having lower administrative distances.
Set Failover Routes by increasing administrative distances, so these are only used if the primary routes fail.
Optimizing Performance Across Regions with Route Server and vMX
Performance optimization in a multi-region setup involves prioritizing regional traffic and managing route symmetry to reduce latency.
Regional Traffic Prioritization Based on Latency and Load
Azure Route Server and Meraki vMX can automatically direct traffic to the closest or least congested VNet, reducing latency for end-users. Use load balancers in conjunction with Route Server to ensure traffic is balanced across all available routes.
Avoiding Routing Loops in Multi-Region Deployments
To prevent routing loops:
Disable gateway route propagation on secondary NICs of NVAs, keeping only direct routes to specific regions.
Use overlay networks or load balancers to manage multi-region routes if multiple NVAs are deployed across regions.
Special Focus: Using Azure Route Server with Meraki vMX in Two Regions
For a setup with two regions, deploying Route Server in each region alongside Meraki vMX enables dynamic routing and high availability. Azure Route Server’s automated BGP peering ensures that if one region’s vMX fails, traffic seamlessly reroutes to the other.
If you’re thinking about simplifying this for your organization, here’s where ECS LEAD can help. We specialize in designing resilient, multi-region networks in Azure tailored to your specific needs. We’ll guide you through configuring Azure Route Server and Meraki vMX, ensuring that failover, redundancy, and performance meet your business goals. Our expertise will keep your network stable and your team focused on what matters.
Troubleshooting and Maintaining Multi-Region Routing with Azure
Maintenance and troubleshooting in multi-region networks can be simplified with a few tools and practices.
Common Issues with Multi-Region BGP Peering
Some common issues include:
Route Propagation Failures: Ensure BGP peer configurations are correct, as incorrect ASN or IPs can disrupt route updates.
BGP Flapping: This can result from unstable network links or incorrect settings in the Meraki dashboard. Adjust BGP timers if needed.
Monitoring Tools and Alerts for Route Server and vMX
Azure Network Watcher and Meraki Dashboard provide monitoring options to help you track traffic and detect issues in real time. Set up alerts to notify you of significant changes in traffic patterns or BGP peer status.
Advanced Techniques: Multi-Hub, Hub-Spoke, and Overlay Networks
In larger environments, advanced configurations like hub-spoke or overlay networks are often beneficial.
Hub-and-Spoke Topologies for Large-Scale Deployments
For complex multi-region environments, a hub-spoke setup can streamline routing. Each region has a central hub VNet, with spokes connecting resources. Azure Route Server dynamically manages these routes across hubs.
Implementing Overlay Networks to Simplify Cross-Region Routing
Overlay networks add a virtual layer to the routing path, giving more flexibility in directing traffic between VNets. Use NVAs and load balancers to direct traffic without relying solely on Azure’s internal routing.
