Azure Private Link on Microsoft Azure
Azure Private Link enables access to Azure PaaS services (like Storage, SQL Database, Cosmos DB), Microsoft partner services, and own services via a Private Endpoint in your own Virtual Network. Traffic runs exclusively over the Microsoft backbone network without traversing the public internet.
Unlike Service Endpoints, which route traffic at subnet level, Private Link provides a dedicated private IP address for each service. This enables granular access control, use with VPN/ExpressRoute, and no overlap with public IP ranges.
Azure Private Link is available in all Azure regions and meets highest compliance requirements for GDPR and other data protection standards.
Typical Use Cases
Secure PaaS access: Access to Azure Storage Accounts, SQL Databases, or Key Vault from VMs without public IPs or firewall exceptions, exclusively via private network connections.
Hybrid scenarios: On-premises applications access Azure PaaS services via ExpressRoute or Site-to-Site VPN as if they were in the local network.
SaaS consumption: Use of SaaS offerings (e.g., Snowflake, Datadog, MongoDB Atlas) via Private Endpoints without exposure to the internet.
Private service provision: Provide own services behind a Load Balancer as Private Link Service for customers or other subscriptions.
Frequently Asked Questions about Azure Private Link
What is the difference between Private Endpoint and Service Endpoint?
Service Endpoints route traffic at subnet level to Azure services but don’t provide a private IP. Private Endpoints create dedicated NICs with private IPs for each service, enable granular NSG control, and work with VPN/ExpressRoute.
Can I access multiple regions via Private Link?
Private Endpoints are regional. For multi-region scenarios, multiple Private Endpoints can be created or Global VNet Peering can be used to access endpoints in other regions from one region.
How does DNS work with Private Link?
Azure provides Private DNS Zones that automatically resolve FQDNs of Azure services to Private Endpoint IPs. For hybrid scenarios, on-premises DNS must point to Azure DNS via Conditional Forwarders.
Are all Azure services supported?
Most Azure PaaS services support Private Link: Storage, SQL, Cosmos DB, Key Vault, App Service, Container Registry, Event Hub, Service Bus, and many more. The complete list is available in the documentation.
How is Private Link billed?
Cost per Private Endpoint: approximately €0.01/hour (approximately €7.30/month) plus data processing (approximately €0.01/GB). Private Link Service itself is free, only endpoints are charged.
Can I secure Private Endpoints with Network Security Groups?
Yes, NSGs can be applied to subnets with Private Endpoints. Network Policies for Private Endpoints must be explicitly enabled to get NSG or UDR support.
Does Private Link support cross-tenant scenarios?
Yes, Private Link Services can be shared across subscriptions and Azure AD tenants. The consumer tenant creates a Private Endpoint pointing to the resource ID of the provider service, after approval by the provider.
Alternatives
alternatives:
- provider: “aws” product: “privatelink”
- provider: “gcp” product: “private-service-connect”
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you in implementing secure network architectures with Azure Private Link. We help with design, DNS configuration, migration, and hybrid integration.
Contact us for a non-binding consultation on Azure Private Link.
