Router virtualization and firewall virtualization

30.10.2024 4,013 19

Martin Pramatarov

Virtualization has evolved so much, that currently, you can find everything in a virtual environment. Router virtualization and firewall virtualization are just two essential elements of modern networks. These technologies offer flexibility and scalability, and redefine network security and performance at a very appropriate price. Let’s explore together how these virtual tools can be useful for your organization. 

What is virtualization? 

You can read our previous article about virtualization, but in short, virtualization uses software to create a virtual machine from your hardware. You can use it for various purposes such as data virtualization, desktop virtualization, router virtualization, firewall virtualization, and more.
It is very handy, and many people would prefer to use virtualization or a combination of virtualization and real hardware devices for the best results.
You can use different virtual services at the same time. You can have both a virtual router and a virtual firewall. The limit is the hardware of your computer or network. 

Router virtualization 

Router virtualization is also known as a virtual router or a vRouter and it is a software that works on Layer 3 of the OSI Model like the hardware routers. Basically, router virtualization is software that works in a virtual environment, that functions the same way as a physical router, performing tasks such as packet forwarding, routing protocols, and network segmentation, but it does so using virtualized resources.
It is a server that does everything that a hardware router should be able to do. Instead of having a dedicated hardware device, you can create a virtual router using a virtualization platform like VMware or KVM, and you have all the flexibility these platforms offer.  They provide easy management, scalability, and many routing functions, depending on the network’s demand.
There are also simpler Virtual routers that you probably use often, without even knowing. Do you remember the last time you shared your Wi-Fi connection from your smartphone with your computer through Wi-Fi tethering? Yes, that was a virtual router that used the existing hardware of your smartphone to get connected. 

 Benefits of router virtualization 

• Software-based. All the routing functions are handled by a virtual machine using software. It is far simpler to manage than a network of hardware routers. 

• Dynamic scaling. A big benefit of virtual routers is the capability to be scaled up or down, based on the available resources and routing demands. If you need to achieve the same with hardware devices, you will need to buy them and install them each time the network demand increases. 

• Cost-effective. Since you won’t need special and expensive hardware, you can save a lot of money. Also, you won’t need to maintain physical devices and pay for additional space in data centers. 

• High availability. Since virtual routers can be deployed across multiple servers, you can provide service even if some of the servers are down. A network created with virtual devices can be far more resilient than traditional hardware-based routing. 

 Use cases of router virtualization 

• Cloud networks. Routing virtualization is often used in the cloud to provide dynamic and scalable routing and ensure efficient traffic management. 

• SD-WAN deployment. With virtual routers, you can manage network connections between multiple locations over different transport methods like 5G, 4G, broadband connection, MPLS, and more. You can create Software-Defined Wide Area Networks – SD-WAN. 

• Telecommunications. Large telecom operators use virtual routers all the time, to improve their networks and reduce the need for more hardware devices in their infrastructure. 

 Firewall virtualization 

A virtual firewall is software that is hosted on a virtual platform and provides similar functionality to the hardware firewall. It offers network traffic filters and monitors, and can work in two modes – a bridge mode, and a hypervisor. The first is very similar to the typical physical firewall wall which is located in a strategic position.
The hypervisor mode doesn’t perform like a physical one. It is inside the VM (virtual machine) and checks its activity. It is neither part of the VM, nor a proper part of the network so users have no access.
You can use firewall virtualization to protect virtual environments like cloud servers, data centers, and software-defined networks (SDNs).
Since it is a virtual firewall, it is a very flexible solution that provides easy scalability and it is often used when a traditional physical solution is impractical.
You can get all well-known features like packet filtering, instruction detection, and monitoring, but it is a software version. 

Benefits of Firewall Virtualization 

• Dynamic scaling. It can automatically scale up or down and can be easily reconfigured for different needs – something a physical firewall can’t do because of its physical limitations. It can even provide automatic updates to reduce the risk of vulnerabilities. 

• Cost-effective. Using virtual firewalls, you can reduce operational costs, because it is cheaper and easier to manage than a physical infrastructure. 

• Seamless integration with cloud environment. When we talk about the cloud and virtualization, the lines between the components are blurry. Virtual firewalls can be deployed alongside VMs, or in containers, to ensure secured virtual infrastructure. 

• Improved security. A virtual firewall offers the same features as a hardware firewall like packet filtering, intrusion prevention, and advanced threat detection. When you are applying policies on a virtual firewall, you can easily share the policies with all virtual machines or network segments. You can also use advanced features and keep your software up to date for better security. 

Firewall virtualization use cases 

• Cloud security. Administrators use virtual firewalls to segment the traffic and apply security policies to virtual machines and containers. Firewall virtualization is a key component of cloud security. 

• Data center security. Even within the data centers, you can find more virtual firewalls that secure the traffic within and provide monitoring. 

• Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Some virtual firewalls can also serve as VPN gateways. They can secure the traffic between remote users and a server. 

Comparison between router virtualization and firewall virtualization 

People often don’t understand the difference between router and firewall, and to be frank, often the solutions offer both functionalities together. Here you can see a table of comparison between router virtualization and firewall virtualization so you can easily understand them. 

 Conclusion 

Now you know what router virtualization and firewall virtualization are. They are two essential components of almost any modern network infrastructure. Thanks to virtualization, both of them can benefit from scalability, and flexibility and can offer cost-effective solutions. The virtual routers will provide the traffic, and the virtual firewall will filter this traffic to stop malicious attacks.
If you enjoyed this article, we invite you to check out our Neterra blog. It is full of exciting articles about technologies that can benefit your business. Check it out!