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🔹 Service Endpoint 🔒 Private Endpoint
- Uses public DNS - Uses private IP
- Traffic stays on Azure backbone - Traffic fully private
- Easier to configure - More secure, more complex
Great question! **Azure Private Link** and **Azure Private Endpoint** are closely related but **not
exactly the same**. Here's a clear breakdown:
### 🔐 Azure Private Link vs. Private Endpoint
| Concept | **Azure Private Link** | **Azure Private Endpoint** |
|--------|------------------------|-----------------------------|
| **What it is** | A **service** that enables private access to Azure PaaS, partner, or your own services
over the Microsoft backbone network | A **network interface** with a private IP address that connects
your VNet to a Private Link-enabled service |
| **Role** | The **underlying technology** that powers private connectivity | The **resource you
deploy** in your VNet to use Private Link |
| **Purpose** | Enables secure, private access to services without exposing them to the internet |
Provides the actual **connection point** in your VNet to access the service privately |
| **Example** | Azure SQL, Storage, or your own app exposed via Private Link | A private IP in your
VNet that connects to an Azure SQL database via Private Link |
### 🧠 Think of it like this:
- **Private Link** is the **framework or platform**.
- **Private Endpoint** is the **implementation**—the actual object you create in your VNet to use
Private Link.
### 🧪 Example Scenario
You want a VM in your VNet to access an Azure SQL Database **without using the public internet**:
1. **Azure SQL** supports **Private Link**.
2. You create a **Private Endpoint** in your VNet.
3. That endpoint gets a **private IP** and connects to the SQL Database.
4. Now, your VM can access the database **entirely over the Azure backbone**, not the internet.
For more technical details, you can check out [Microsoft’s FAQ on Private Link and Private Endpoints]
(https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/private-link/private-link-faq) or this [Cloud Security Alliance
guide](https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/blog/2020/11/24/cloud-network-security-101-azure-private-
link-private-endpoints).
Here’s a detailed explanation of **Azure Endpoints**, including their **purpose**, **features**, and
**use cases**:
### 📘 What Is an Endpoint in Azure?
In Azure networking, an **endpoint** refers to a **network interface or access point** that allows
communication between Azure resources or between Azure and external services. There are two main
types:
1. **Service Endpoints**
2. **Private Endpoints**
### 🎯 Purpose
| Endpoint Type | Purpose |
|---------------|---------|
| **Service Endpoint** | Securely connect to Azure services (like Storage, SQL, Key Vault) over the
**Azure backbone network** instead of the public internet. |
| **Private Endpoint** | Provide **private IP-based access** to Azure services from within your VNet,
fully isolating traffic from the public internet. |
### ✨ Key Features
#### 🔹 **Service Endpoints**
- Extend your VNet’s private IP space to Azure services.
- Traffic stays on the Azure backbone (not public internet).
- Easy to configure from the subnet level.
- Works with **Network Security Groups (NSGs)**.
- Uses **public DNS names** but routes traffic privately.
#### 🔹 **Private Endpoints**
- Assign a **private IP** from your VNet to an Azure resource.
- Fully isolates traffic from the public internet.
- Supports **Private Link**, enabling secure access to PaaS services.
- Requires DNS configuration for name resolution.
---
### 🛠️Use Cases
| Scenario | Recommended Endpoint |
|----------|----------------------|
| Access Azure Storage securely from a VM in a VNet | **Service Endpoint** |
| Access Azure SQL Database without exposing it to the internet | **Private Endpoint** |
| Enforce tighter security and compliance (e.g., financial data) | **Private Endpoint** |
| Simplify access control using NSGs | **Service Endpoint** |
---
### 🧪 Example
You have a VM in a VNet that needs to access an Azure Storage Account:
- With a **Service Endpoint**, you enable access from the subnet and restrict the storage account to
only allow traffic from that VNet.
- With a **Private Endpoint**, you create a network interface in your VNet that maps directly to the
storage account, and all traffic stays private.
---
### ✅ Summary
| Feature | **Service Endpoint** | **Private Endpoint** |
|--------|----------------------|----------------------|
| **Traffic Path** | Azure backbone | Private IP in VNet |
| **DNS** | Public DNS | Private DNS zone |
| **Security** | Medium | High |
| **Use Case** | Quick secure access to Azure services | Full isolation from public internet |
| **Complexity** | Low | Moderate to High |
