Azure Virtual Network Manager is a centralized management service that lets you group, configure, deploy, and manage virtual networks globally across subscriptions and tenants.
What is Azure Virtual Network Manager?
Azure Virtual Network Manager provides a unified management surface for network administration, reducing the complexity of managing multiple virtual networks across different regions and subscriptions. Network groups let you logically segment virtual networks — either through manual selection or dynamically via Azure Policy conditions. Configurations for connectivity, security, or routing are then applied to these network groups.
The service supports three configuration types: Connectivity configurations enable mesh or hub-and-spoke topologies without manual peering between individual VNets. Security admin configurations define security rules that are evaluated before local network security group rules and can be enforced globally. Routing configurations allow centralized orchestration of user-defined routes across many VNets. Configurations only take effect once explicitly deployed to the target regions, enabling controlled rollouts.
Virtual Network Manager also supports centralized IP address management (automatic allocation of non-overlapping address spaces) and reachability analysis to troubleshoot connectivity issues between Azure resources.
Core Features
- Network groups for logically grouping VNets, either manually or policy-based
- Connectivity configurations for mesh and hub-and-spoke topologies without manual peering
- Security admin rules with global enforcement ahead of local NSG rules
- Routing configurations for centralized management of user-defined routes
- Centralized IP address management to prevent overlapping address spaces
- Reachability analysis for troubleshooting network issues
- Controlled, region-by-region deployment of configuration changes
Typical Use Cases
Multi-Subscription and Multi-Tenant Networks
Centralized management of VNets across different subscriptions, tenants, and business units with unified policies and automatic compliance enforcement.
Hub-and-Spoke Topologies
Automatic setup and management of hub-and-spoke architectures or mesh connectivity between spokes, without manual peering configuration for every VNet pair.
Network Segmentation
Group VNets based on business logic (e.g., production, development) and apply specific security or routing policies per group.
Security Policy Enforcement
Centrally define high-priority security admin rules that override local NSG rules, enforcing enterprise-wide security standards that individual teams cannot bypass.
Benefits
- Unified management of network topology, security, and routing from a central interface
- Significant reduction in manual peering and configuration effort across many VNets
- Global enforcement of security rules independent of local team configurations
- Controlled rollouts through explicit, region-specific deployments
Frequently Asked Questions about Azure Virtual Network Manager
What is the difference from classic VNet peering?
Classic peering must be configured manually between each VNet pair. Virtual Network Manager enables declarative connectivity configurations (hub-and-spoke, mesh) that are automatically applied to network groups without managing individual peerings.
How do network groups work?
Network groups are logical containers for VNets that can be manually selected or dynamically defined via Azure Policy conditions. Connectivity, security, and routing configurations are applied to groups and automatically propagated to all member VNets.
Can security admin rules override local NSGs?
Yes, security admin rules are evaluated before local network security group rules and can be enforced globally, so central security policies cannot be bypassed by local teams.
How is Virtual Network Manager billed?
New instances are billed under a VNet-based pricing model (cost per managed virtual network). Older instances created before this model was introduced may still be billed under a legacy subscription-based model. Current exact pricing is available on the official Azure pricing page; regular peering charges may also apply.
Can I migrate existing VNets?
Yes, existing VNets can be added to network groups. Existing manual peerings remain in place initially and can be gradually replaced by Virtual Network Manager connectivity.
Does Virtual Network Manager support hybrid scenarios?
Virtual Network Manager primarily manages Azure VNets. For hybrid connectivity to on-premises, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, or Virtual WAN continue to be used and can be combined with the topologies managed by Virtual Network Manager.
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you in implementing Azure Virtual Network Manager for enterprise networks. We help with topology design, migration from existing peering, and automation of network governance.
Contact us for a non-binding consultation on Azure Virtual Network Manager.
Typical Use Cases
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Azure (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Azure.
