一、What is CEN?
Before understanding CEN, it's essential to grasp MPLS. MPLS is an architecture that relies on the network of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as the primary transmission channel. It integrates the networks of various branch offices or workplaces through the MPLS communication protocol, establishing a larger enterprise network. However, MPLS services are usually expensive and have limited coverage areas from ISPs. To address this issue, Cloud Enterprise Network (CEN) is utilized, offering multi-national, low-latency, low-packet-loss, and high-stability large-scale network architecture services.
Cloud Enterprise Network (CEN) is a proprietary private enterprise network environment within Alibaba Cloud, characterized by low latency and low packet loss. In addition to spanning various regions, CEN also supports connecting other cloud or on-premises networks to Alibaba Cloud in the form of VPNs, allowing all offices and cloud networks to share the same intranet environment and providing secure and reliable enterprise network connections.
二、How to use CEN
Here, we will use the integration of two regional intranets as an example to set up a small CEN, enabling machines in different regions to communicate with each other via CEN. We will deploy two machines as an example.
Let's start by navigating to the Cloud Enterprise Network from the upper-left corner and clicking on "Create Cloud Enterprise Network".
- Enter any name and create.
- After successful creation, click on "Create Network Instance Connection.
- Choose the Private Network (VPC) option. For the region example, select North China 5 (Hohhot). Since this region is unused, there are no available network instances to bind. Click on "Create Instance" (a new window will pop up).
- Enter the name, desired network segment, switch name, and availability zone, then click "Confirm." Once confirmed, close this page.
- Return to the previously created network instance connection. After refreshing, select the instance type and region. The newly created network instance will appear below. Click "Confirm" to create.
- After completion, click "Continue to Create Connection."
- This time, select another region, such as UAE (Dubai). Since it's an unused region, we need to create another instance.
- Repeat the previous process, but ensure the network segment settings are different for distinction.
- Once created, return to the network instance connection. After refreshing, the newly created network instance will appear below. Click "Confirm" to create.
- Once done, click "Return to List."
- Now, both regions are created.
- Next, go to ECS within these two regions to create new virtual machines. Navigate to ECS building from the upper-left navigation, then select the two regions where the network instances were just created. Remember to select the previously created VPC in the network and security group settings.
- Confirm that the created machines are using the designated VPC.
- One machine's intranet is 192.168.10.71, while the other is 10.10.10.69.
- SSH into these two machines. You can see the machine in Dubai and successfully ping the machine in Hohhot through the intranet without packet loss.
- Here's the machine in Hohhot. You can successfully ping the machine in Dubai through the intranet without packet loss.
The Cloud Enterprise Network defaults to 1Kbps bandwidth for testing purposes. With simple configuration, the internal networks of both locations can be integrated. If data transmission is required, purchase bandwidth packages within the Cloud Enterprise Network based on the desired bandwidth requirements, considering whether the region corresponds to Asia-Pacific or Europe for purchasing.
Solution Architecture
黃冠霖 Tom Huang