In Microsoft Azure, the equivalent of a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is called a Virtual Network (VNet). A VNet is a logically isolated network in Azure that allows you to control IP address blocks, network traffic, and network security settings. Here’s an overview of VNets in Azure:

1. Virtual Network (VNet):

• A VNet is the fundamental building block for creating a private network in Azure. It provides network isolation and segmentation for your resources.

2. Address Space:

• When you create a VNet, you define an IP address space (CIDR block) for it. This address space determines the range of IP addresses that can be used within the VNet.

3. Subnets:

• Within a VNet, you can create one or more subnets. Subnets are used to further segment your network and group resources together. Each subnet is associated with a specific IP address range from the VNet’s address space.

4. Network Security Groups (NSGs):

• NSGs are used to control inbound and outbound network traffic to and from resources within a subnet. They act as a firewall by defining rules that allow or deny traffic based on source and destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols.

5. Route Tables:

• Azure VNets include route tables that control the flow of traffic within the VNet and between VNets. You can define custom route tables to specify how traffic should be routed.

6. Peering:

• VNet peering allows you to connect two VNets together, either within the same Azure region or across different regions. Peering enables resources in different VNets to communicate with each other securely.

7. VPN Gateway:

• Azure provides VPN Gateway services that allow you to connect your Azure VNet to on-premises networks using site-to-site or point-to-site VPN connections.

8. ExpressRoute:

• ExpressRoute is a dedicated, private connection between your on-premises data center and Azure. It provides a more reliable and consistent network connection compared to VPN.

9. Service Endpoints:

• Azure service endpoints enable resources in your VNet to securely access Azure services like Azure Storage and Azure SQL without going over the public internet.

10. Private Link:

• Private Link allows you to access Azure PaaS services (e.g., Azure SQL, Azure Cosmos DB) over a private connection, bypassing the public internet.

11. Azure Bastion:

• Azure Bastion is a service that provides secure and seamless remote access to virtual machines in your VNets using the Azure portal.

12. Network Watcher:

• Network Watcher is a set of network monitoring and diagnostic tools that help you monitor, diagnose, and troubleshoot network issues within your VNets.

13. Security Center:

• Azure Security Center provides threat detection and security monitoring for your VNets, helping you identify and respond to security threats.