Cloud networks

Cloud networks are Abiquo's self-service virtual networks.

Private network

Features of the private network type are as follows:

• Available in private cloud and cloud providers with networking support
  
  • Abiquo may synchronize networks in cloud providers
• Created in the context of a VDC, which can have multiple private networks
  
  • A default private network is always created, even if another type of network is the default for the VDC
• Private networks are tracked against resource allocation and are chargeable
• Abiquo assigns VLAN tags automatically from the tags the administrator defined for the rack. Abiquo can also use SDN systems to manage private networks
• You cannot reserve addresses, e.g. as ‘static’ IPs

External network

This network also exists outside a VDC or even outside the Abiquo environment. Features are:

• Created at datacenter level and assigned to an enterprise, which can have multiple external networks
• It is fully configurable - the network address and VLAN tags are specified by the administrator
  
  • VMs can access other VMs on other VLANs with the same tag if they are on the same IP subnet, etc.
• An external network can be selected as the ‘default’ network for an Enterprise in a datacenter or a VDC
• IPs assigned from an external network are not tracked against resource allocations and are not chargeable
• Administrator creates IPs, and makes them available or unavailable, and can quarantine IPs
• Reserved IPs can be used for static assignment for gateways, firewalls, control DHCP assignment, user static IP assignment
• Abiquo can use SDN systems to manage IPs in external networks
  
  

Public networks are typically used only for providing incoming connections on Internet routable IPs.  Features of this type of network are:

• Created at cloud level, usually for use by mutliple enterprises
• IP addresses MUST be manually made available and then selected (reserved) for a specific VDC and then attached to the VM
• Assigned IPs are tracked against allocations and can be billed for
• Cannot be assigned as the default network for an Enterprise but can be assigned as a VDC default 
• Abiquo can use SDN systems to manage IPs in public networks

Floating public IP

This type of IP address is not attached to a specific Abiquo network. If the cloud provider supports floating public IPs (e.g. AWS Elastic IPs), a floating public IP can be purchased by an enterprise from the public cloud provider for a virtual datacenter and assigned to a virtual machine.