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Build a hub-and-spoke Azure network by deciding which flows must be inspected, routing those flows deliberately, assigning clear DNS authority, and using NSGs to segment workloads. Peering alone does not create transitive connectivity or force traffic through a firewall. Use this checklist to define the intended paths, configure the controls, and verify the deployed design.
Set the topology and connectivity boundaries first
Plan non-overlapping address spaces
- Allocate non-overlapping CIDR ranges to the hub, each spoke, and connected on-premises networks. Leave address space for future spokes.
- Check the ranges together before creating peerings; overlapping VNet address spaces prevent peering.
Microsoft’s hub-and-spoke topology guidance describes the addressing and peering requirements.
Put shared services in the hub and workloads in spokes
Use the hub for shared network services such as Azure Firewall, VPN or ExpressRoute gateways, Bastion, and DNS services. Place application workloads in spokes so they can be organized and governed separately from shared infrastructure.
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VNet peering is non-transitive: peering two spokes to the hub does not, by itself, let those spokes reach one another. Decide explicitly which model applies to each spoke pair:
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- Isolated spokes: Do not provide a path for lateral traffic unless a workload requirement calls for one.
- Inspected spoke-to-spoke traffic: Route selected inter-spoke prefixes through the hub firewall or another network virtual appliance (NVA).
- Direct connectivity: Use direct peering or Azure Virtual Network Manager connectivity for selected trusted flows. Those flows can bypass central inspection.
Azure Virtual Network Manager can apply connectivity and routing configurations across network groups; manually managed peerings and route tables may suit a smaller scope. See Microsoft’s hub-and-spoke deployment guidance for Azure Virtual Network Manager.
Decide which spokes need hybrid routes
Determine whether spokes need to reach on-premises networks through the hub VPN or ExpressRoute gateway. Gateway transit shares gateway routes with connected spokes, so grant it only where the resulting reachability is intended and governed.
Define the path for each traffic class
Write down the expected path before configuring route tables or firewall rules. The path should be explicit for internet-bound traffic, on-premises traffic, and traffic between spokes.
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| Traffic class | Design decision | Control to configure |
|---|---|---|
| Spoke to internet | Decide whether traffic must pass through centralized inspection or can use another approved path. | For centralized inspection, use a spoke-subnet route table with a default route to the firewall’s private IP. |
| Spoke to on-premises | Decide which spokes need gateway routes and which destinations they may reach. | Configure gateway transit where required; check route propagation against the intended route policy. |
| Spoke to spoke | Choose isolation, inspection through the hub, or selected direct connectivity. | For inspection, add routes for the relevant inter-spoke prefixes. For direct connectivity, account for the fact that traffic can bypass the hub firewall. |
A peering or firewall deployment does not automatically put every flow on the inspected path. Microsoft’s Azure Firewall design guidance explains the role of routing in traffic inspection.
Configure routing and firewall inspection
Send the intended traffic to the firewall
- Associate a route table with each spoke subnet whose traffic must use centralized inspection.
- For internet-bound traffic, add a route for
0.0.0.0/0with next hop typeVirtualApplianceand the Azure Firewall private IP as the next-hop address. - For inspected inter-spoke traffic, add routes for the destination spoke prefixes that should traverse the firewall.
- Review learned gateway routes and route propagation. If BGP-learned on-premises routes would override the intended user-defined route (UDR) policy, Microsoft’s topology guidance describes disabling BGP route propagation where appropriate.
- Check both the forward and return paths. A one-way route through the firewall is not enough to establish a working, symmetric design.
Use Microsoft’s deployment guidance alongside its firewall design guidance when implementing a centralized route pattern.
Limit firewall rules to required traffic
Create firewall rules for the flows the workloads need, and make sure the rule type and destination model match the traffic. If using Azure Firewall FQDN application rules, align DNS providers for the firewall and traffic originators so they resolve names consistently; Microsoft warns that different DNS providers can return different resolutions.
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Select firewall capabilities and subnet layout for the design
Choose the firewall tier and layout according to requirements such as forced tunneling, TLS inspection, IDPS, and URL filtering. Forced tunneling on Standard or Premium has specific management-subnet and DNAT implications in Microsoft’s guidance. Confirm current service requirements before implementation because capabilities and subnet requirements can change. See Azure Firewall and traffic inspection and the Cloud Adoption Framework hub-spoke guidance.
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Assign DNS authority
- Identify which DNS service is authoritative for Azure workload names, private DNS zones, and on-premises names.
- Configure spokes to use the intended shared resolver or DNS service, rather than leaving each workload to depend on an accidental or inconsistent resolver choice.
Verify private endpoint name resolution
For each private endpoint, confirm that the required private DNS zone exists, the relevant virtual networks are linked to it, and the forwarding path supports the intended clients. Private endpoint connectivity and name resolution are related but separate checks: a working network path does not prove that a client resolves the service name to the intended private address. Microsoft’s Private Link in a hub-and-spoke network guide describes how Azure-provided DNS and private zones fit into this architecture.
Test resolution across hybrid boundaries
Check that Azure-hosted and on-premises clients can resolve the zones they need in both directions. A forwarding design, including Azure DNS Private Resolver where appropriate, can connect those resolution paths. The Azure Architecture Center hub-and-spoke reference covers hybrid networking considerations.
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Use NSGs to segment spoke workloads
Keep Network Security Groups (NSGs) on appropriate spoke subnet boundaries even when a hub firewall inspects traffic. NSGs provide segmentation and defense in depth; they do not replace a deliberate route and firewall design.
- Allow required flows explicitly and deny unexpected lateral traffic with explicit deny rules.
- Review both source and destination subnet rules, rule priority, and any service tags or application security groups used to express workload intent.
- Assess the effective rules against the actual deployed route and traffic path, not just against the intended architecture diagram.
- For private endpoints that need restricted access from the hub or on-premises, evaluate an NSG on the private endpoint subnet using the Private Link hub-and-spoke guidance.
Microsoft’s secure hub-spoke design for regional web applications provides additional context for segmentation and defense in depth.
Validate operations and changes
Enable useful diagnostics
Enable diagnostic settings for the Azure Firewall, Bastion, and gateways that need operational visibility. Choose the logs and metrics based on troubleshooting and audit needs while accounting for log volume and monitoring cost.
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Use Azure Network Watcher and Connection Monitor to troubleshoot connectivity. In hybrid ExpressRoute scenarios, consider the documented traffic-analysis tooling in Microsoft’s Cloud Adoption Framework hub-spoke guidance.
Run a path-by-path verification
- Inspect effective routes on representative workload network interfaces and confirm they match the intended destination paths.
- Check that firewall policy allows the required flows and that logs show the expected traffic.
- Test name resolution from relevant Azure and on-premises clients, including names for private endpoints.
- Review effective NSG rules at both ends of a connection.
- Verify gateway transit and return paths for hybrid flows.
Repeat these checks after material routing, DNS, firewall, or network changes. The Microsoft topology guide recommends phased migration and verifying reachability before retiring an old network.
Migrate in phases
When moving workloads into a new hub-and-spoke layout, start with a non-critical workload. Update DNS if addresses change, verify its new routes and connectivity, and retire the old VNet only after the required paths have been confirmed.
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