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Design an enterprise network on AWS Cloud WAN around a policy-managed core network, deliberate routing segments, and explicit rules for placing attachments and sharing routes. Add network function groups where traffic must pass through inspection or controlled egress, then treat policy changes, account ownership, and monitoring as part of the architecture—not as afterthoughts.
The key design question is not simply how to connect Regions. It is which resources should communicate, under what controls, and how those rules will be reviewed and operated as the network changes.
What AWS Cloud WAN provides
A global network is the top-level container for an AWS Cloud WAN deployment. Its core network is the AWS-managed network defined by a declarative policy. For each Region configured in that policy, AWS creates a core network edge; AWS describes the edges as forming a full mesh, with redundant connections and multiple paths. The policy defines the network configuration, segments, route sharing, and attachment mapping, while AWS manages implementation details. AWS Cloud WAN overview
Attachments connect resources or networks to the core network. Segments are separate routing domains: attachments in a segment can communicate within that domain by default, while routes are not shared across segments unless the policy allows it. A useful mental model is globally consistent virtual routing and forwarding domains (VRFs), with the important qualification that Cloud WAN behavior is governed by its core network policy.
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Choose Regions and segments from requirements
Choose the Regions first
The Regions in the core network policy determine where core network edges are created and where attachments can connect. AWS keeps segment and routing configuration consistent across those edges. List the locations where applications, users, and on-premises networks need connectivity, then validate that each required Region is supported before committing to the topology. Core network policy parameters
Make segments express real trust boundaries
Build the segment model around the organization’s actual security and operating boundaries—not around convenience alone. Production, development, shared services, and distinct business or regulatory environments are possible candidates, but they should be separate only when the resulting routing and access policy needs to differ.
For each proposed segment, document who owns it, which attachments belong in it, and what communication it needs with other segments. Treat every cross-segment route as an explicit exception with a purpose and an owner. AWS’s published example uses Secured and Non-Secured segments across three Regions, with tag-based mapping and attachment acceptance; it is an example configuration, not a prescribed enterprise design. Two-segment, multi-Region example
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Map attachments to segments with controlled rules
Cloud WAN attachment policies can match attachment tags and metadata, including account, resource ID, attachment type, and Region. Rules are evaluated in ascending rule-number order, and the first matching rule is applied. If no rule matches, the attachment remains unassociated. This makes policy coverage and tag quality operational controls, not merely naming conventions. Core network policy parameters
- Define an ownership and tagging contract. Specify required tags for environment, owner, and any other attributes used by policy; assign responsibility for keeping them accurate.
- Write ordered rules from specific to broad. Put sensitive or exceptional attachment cases before general rules so a broad match cannot capture them first.
- Decide how new attachments are admitted. Use acceptance where review is needed, and include an owner review for placement into sensitive segments. AWS’s example demonstrates tag-based mapping and acceptance.
- Test both match and no-match cases. Confirm that intended attachments land in the correct segment and that incomplete or unexpected metadata leaves an attachment unassociated rather than silently routing it elsewhere.
Avoid manually mapping every attachment by resource ID as the default operating model: AWS notes that each new attachment then requires a policy change. Metadata-driven rules scale more naturally, provided tags and account ownership are governed.
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Design route sharing as an explicit access decision
Keeping attachments in separate segments does not by itself establish a complete cross-segment access design. Segment sharing is bidirectional by default unless filters restrict the direction. Decide which routes should be visible in each direction and document why they cross the boundary. Core network policy parameters
For more precise control, Cloud WAN routing policies support route filtering, summarization, and preference controls. AWS documents policy rules that can block routes or modify route attributes, including BGP communities and AS paths. Route policies require core network policy version 2025.11; AWS also lists 2021.12 as an available policy version. Confirm the version and current feature support in AWS documentation when preparing a deployment. Route policy guide
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsKeep the two controls conceptually distinct: segment sharing determines whether routes are shared between routing domains, while routing policies provide finer-grained control over routes. The policy should make both the intended sharing and the route-level restrictions reviewable.
Insert network functions where traffic needs inspection or controlled egress
Network function groups collect attachments that host network or security functions, such as firewalls or intrusion detection and prevention systems. Segment actions can steer east-west traffic through functions with send-via, or send north-south traffic to a function with send-to. AWS documents steering for both intra-Region and inter-Region traffic. Core network policy versions
For each intended path, specify which traffic is in scope, where the function runs, and what should happen if the path or function is unavailable. Validate routing symmetry and return paths as part of implementation testing; the cited AWS capability describes steering, but does not establish that any specific appliance or inspection design meets a compliance requirement. Appliance selection and compliance validation must be addressed separately.
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Choose connectivity and account ownership deliberately
AWS’s getting-started guide lists the following attachment types. Check current prerequisites and regional support for the specific attachment and design before implementation. Cloud WAN getting started
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- Site-to-Site VPN attachments
- Direct Connect gateway attachments
- Transit Gateway Connect attachments
- Transit Gateway route table attachments
The guide also discusses tunnel-less and GRE Connect peer connections with third-party appliances, including SD-WAN devices. Organizations with existing Transit Gateways can register and peer them with Cloud WAN, creating a possible coexistence or staged-transition path rather than requiring an all-at-once change.
Plan for two different kinds of responsibility. The core network owner controls policy and the network; attachment owners may manage attachments in accounts to which the network is shared. AWS describes AWS Resource Access Manager (AWS RAM) as the sharing mechanism. Assign accountable owners for policy approval, attachment admission, and incident response before distributing access across accounts. AWS Cloud WAN overview
Operate policy changes as controlled deployments
Core network policies can be authored using the console’s visual editor or as JSON. A change creates a policy version for review as a change set; it is not deployed automatically. A version in “Ready to execute” state can be deployed as the LIVE policy, and AWS supports restoring an older version. Core network policy versions
- Make policy changes in a reviewable source of truth, and require code review for changes to Regions, segments, attachment rules, route sharing, or function steering.
- Validate the proposed change set against expected attachment placement and route behavior before deployment.
- Deploy a reviewed version only when its status is “Ready to execute,” using an approved change window and a named deployment owner.
- Monitor the resulting network behavior and keep a rollback owner and recovery procedure available, including the option to restore an older policy version.
Code review, change windows, and a named rollback owner are operational recommendations; AWS’s documented product controls are policy versioning, change-set review, explicit deployment, and restoration.
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Build observability and data-location checks into the design
Cloud WAN dashboards, events, and metrics support network monitoring. AWS notes that CloudWatch Logs Insights onboarding is required before events appear on the dashboard. Include that setup in deployment readiness and assign an owner to review the signals used for operations. AWS says an initial core network deployment can sometimes take up to 30 minutes, so do not treat the absence of immediate completion as proof of failure. Cloud WAN getting started
Two service details may matter to architecture reviews. The AWS overview describes Cloud WAN IPv6 support on dual-stack endpoints while retaining IPv4 endpoint compatibility. It also describes Cloud WAN PrivateLink support as limited to us-west-2 and us-gov-west-1, with IPv6 dual-stack endpoints. These availability details can change; verify the current service documentation for the target Regions before relying on them. AWS Cloud WAN overview
The same overview states that the home Region for aggregated core-network data is US West (Oregon), cannot be changed once established, and receives regional usage and topology-related data. AWS describes transfer as encrypted in transit and encryption at rest. Organizations with data-location or governance requirements should assess this behavior before creating the core network; the overview reviewed for this article was dated October 7, 2026, and current documentation should be checked before deployment.
Evaluate Cloud WAN against the existing network
Cloud WAN is not automatically the right replacement for every Transit Gateway-centered or appliance-led WAN. Compare the design against the actual requirements across these dimensions:
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- Geography: Are all required Regions supported, and where must attachments connect?
- Segmentation: Can the segment and route-sharing model express the organization’s trust boundaries?
- Connectivity: Are the necessary AWS, on-premises, and third-party attachment types supported for the intended design?
- Inspection: Can required traffic paths be steered through the selected network functions?
- Operations: Can the team review, deploy, monitor, and recover policy changes with clear ownership?
- Governance: Do account sharing and aggregated-data location meet organizational requirements?
- Cost: Model the current AWS pricing for the chosen Regions, attachments, traffic, and services; do not assume cost from topology alone.
This is a decision framework, not a claim that Cloud WAN is universally superior. The right architecture is the one whose connectivity, controls, ownership, and operating process fit the enterprise’s requirements.
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