In this chapter, we discussed classic and VPC EC2 instances, and how to cope with a mixed environment. We also described the default VPC, which for simple public applications and proof of concepts may be all that you need. However, it will require a lot of modifications to make it suitable for most production workloads and provide the required security. We created a simple VPC, first by using the VPC Wizard, and then we created one from scratch. We created the VPC, attached an internet gateway, created private and public subnets and route tables, and launched an NAT gateway in our public subnet. We discussed accessing the internet through virtual private gateways, VPN connections, direct connect, and VPC peering. We talked about how to make your VPCs secure, by using network access control lists, and Bastion instances.

By way of some subsequent steps, I suggest getting some practice with your free AWS account. Create some VPCs and launch applications on EC2 instances in them. Don...