Understanding AWS Route Table: A Practical Guide.

If you’re working with Amazon Web Services (AWS), understanding how the AWS route table functions is crucial for managing your cloud network. Route tables in AWS are essential components, especially when dealing with ipv4 or ipv6 CIDR blocks, public and private subnets, VPC endpoints, and more. So, let’s deep dive into AWS route tables and clarify them for you.

What is a Route Table in AWS?

In the AWS ecosystem, a route table is a set of rules, known as routes, that determines where network traffic is directed. Each subnet in your AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is associated with a route table that controls the traffic flow between subnets. A route table includes details like the Route Table ID and ‘The ID’ of its associated VPC.

For instance, a VPC route table specifies how packets are routed within your Amazon VPC. Depending on your architecture, you may also work with transit gateways, VPC peering connections, or egress-only internet gateways to route traffic.

What does a Route Table do?

The role of an AWS route table is to direct network traffic based on the destination IP address. Each route in the table specifies a destination (in the form of an IP address or CIDR block) and a target (like an internet gateway (IGW), network interface, or another route table). A local route is a special type of route that enables communication within the VPC.

For example, if you have a subnet with an associated route table that has a route pointing to an internet gateway (IGW), the traffic from that subnet to the internet is allowed. Similarly, traffic from a subnet with a route pointing to a transit gateway is directed to the appropriate network.

AWS Route Tables and Security Groups: The Difference

While both route tables and security groups play essential roles in network traffic management, they serve distinct functions. Security groups, managed through IAM, act as firewalls for EC2 instances, whereas route tables control the routing of network traffic.

It’s critical to understand the difference between route table and Network Access Control Lists (NACL) in AWS, too. While a route table defines rules for routing network traffic, a NACL is a subnet-level firewall controlling traffic in and out of subnets.

How to Create a Route Table in AWS

Creating a route table in AWS is a straightforward process, which you can complete using the ‘CreateRouteTable’ action. You can either create a custom route table or use the main route table that AWS automatically creates for your VPC. This process can be accomplished via the AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, AWS API, or even with Linux config files.

For custom route tables, you’ll need to specify your VPC ID and possibly some custom rules, then associate it with your desired subnets. Here, subnet associations play a crucial role in defining the network traffic rules for your AWS EC2 instances.

AWS Route Table: Key Considerations

When working with AWS route tables, there are some critical considerations to contemplate.

• Association: Each subnet must be associated with a route table, and a subnet can only be associated with one route table at a time.

• Limits: AWS limits the number of route tables you can create per VPC, so it’s essential to plan your architecture correctly.

• Priorities: If there are multiple possible routes, AWS prioritizes routes with the most specific CIDR range.

• Pricing: AWS charges for data transfer through some route table features such as VPC peering connections, NAT gateways, and VPC endpoints.

• Route Propagation: Route propagation enables the automatic propagation of routes from a gateway (like a transit gateway) to a route table.

• Terraform: If you’re using Infrastructure as Code (IaC), you can use Terraform to automate your AWS route table configurations. This enables efficient versioning and quick rollbacks.

• Interoperability: While this guide is primarily focused on AWS, it’s worth noting that other cloud providers like Azure also use similar concepts for network traffic routing, albeit with different terminologies.

How does Tufin fit in?

Tufin simplifies security policy management across complex, multi-vendor environments. With Tufin, you can automate security policies across legacy firewalls and all major cloud platforms including AWS, making it a tangible alternative to traditional manual methods.

Tufin offers an array of solutions for AWS infrastructure management, like AWS security policy orchestration and AWS policy automation. Network Security Automation is an additional advantage over other policy management solutions, such as Algosec & Firemon.

FAQs

Q: What is a route table in AWS?

A: In AWS, a route table is a set of rules that determines where network traffic is directed. Each subnet in your AWS VPC is associated with a route table which controls the traffic flow between subnets. Whether it’s a gateway route table for your IGW, a subnet route table for your private subnet, or a route table for your Amazon VPC, it serves the same fundamental purpose.

Want to know more about Tufin’s capabilities with AWS? Check out this blog post about Tufin & AWS.

Q: What does a route table do?

A: The role of an AWS route table is to direct network traffic based on the destination IP address. Each route in the table specifies a destination and a target (like an internet gateway or NAT gateway). The target could be a range of resources including an EC2 instance, RDS database, or even an AWS router for your VPC.

Curious about how Tufin enhances AWS functionalities? Read more about Tufin’s enhanced support for AWS support gateway load balancers.

Q: How do I add a route table in AWS?

A: Creating a route table in AWS involves using the AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, AWS API, or the ‘CreateRouteTable’ command. You’ll specify your VPC ID and possibly some custom rules, then associate it with your desired subnets.

Q: How does pricing for route tables work in AWS?

A: AWS charges for data transfer based on the features used in your route table, like VPC peering connections, NAT gateways, and VPC endpoints. For a detailed understanding of pricing, you can refer to the AWS user guide and official AWS pricing documentation.

Wrapping Up

To learn more about automating AWS policies with Tufin, read this blog post about AWS policy automation with Tufin.

Keep in mind that managing your network security doesn’t need to feel overly complicated. Whether you’re dealing with an AWS route table, a default route for your network, or an ipv6 cidr block, automation and orchestration with tools like Tufin can make your job significantly easier.

From creating a route table with a prefix-list to handling subnet associations, remember to leverage the available resources, and don’t shy away from using templates and automation tools for complex tasks!