VPC

A virtual private cloud (VPC) is a logically isolated virtual network within a cloud provider’s public cloud. A VPC enables customers to provision and manage a private IP address space, subnets, routing, and gateways to connect cloud resources to each other and to on‑premises networks while maintaining isolation from other customers.

Key elements include IP address range (CIDR), subnets spanning availability zones, route tables, and network gateways such as an Internet gateway or NAT gateway, VPN gateway, or dedicated connections. Security is enforced through security groups (stateful) and network ACLs (stateless).

Networking features commonly supported are VPC peering or private service access, DNS resolution, private link to managed services, and firewall rules. Connectivity options include public internet access via an Internet gateway, private access via NAT, or private connections to on‑premises networks via VPN or dedicated lines (e.g., AWS Direct Connect, Google Cloud Interconnect, Azure ExpressRoute).

VPCs are used to isolate and control cloud resources, enabling segmented environments for development, testing, staging, and production. They provide scalable, flexible networking without owning physical infrastructure, while requiring careful planning of IP space and security policies.

Examples include AWS Virtual Private Cloud, Google Cloud VPC, and Azure Virtual Network (VNet).

Limitations and considerations include potential cross‑region data transfer costs, governance challenges, and dependency on the provider’s network reliability and performance.