How to Use AWS ALB to Forward Traffic to On-Prem Servers via VPN/TGW

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Sure! Here’s a simple, human-written guide on how to forward traffic from an AWS Application Load Balancer (ALB) to on-premises servers using Site-to-Site VPN:

If you’re trying to connect your AWS Application Load Balancer (ALB) to servers that are on your local network, a common solution is to set up a Site-to-Site VPN. This way, your ALB can securely send traffic directly to your on-premises servers just like it would to cloud services.

Here are the steps to make it happen:

1. Set Up a VPN Connection
   First, create a virtual private gateway in your AWS account. This acts as the entry point for your ALB to connect to your local network. Then, set up a customer gateway that represents your on-premises router or network. After that, establish a VPN connection between these two gateways. Make sure the VPN connection is up and running before proceeding.

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2. Configure Your On-Premises Router
   Next, configure your local network’s router to connect with the AWS virtual private gateway. You’ll need to set up routing rules that send traffic destined for your internal servers through the VPN.

3. Update Route Tables
   In AWS, update your route tables to direct the traffic from the ALB to the virtual private gateway. This tells your ALB where to send requests aimed at your on-premises servers. Similarly, adjust your on-premises network routing to send return traffic back to AWS via the VPN connection.

4. Adjust Security Settings
   Make sure that security groups and network ACLs are set to allow traffic between the ALB and your on-premises servers. Open the necessary ports to ensure smooth communication.

5. Configure Target Groups and Listeners
   Create target groups that point to your on-premises servers’ IP addresses or DNS names. Then, attach these target groups to your ALB’s listener rules so it can forward incoming requests properly.

6. Test the Connection
   Finally, test the setup by sending traffic to your ALB URL. Confirm that requests are reaching your local servers and that responses are coming back through the VPN connection.

Following these steps creates a secure and efficient connection between your ALB and on-premises servers, allowing your applications to work seamlessly across cloud and local environments.

This straightforward approach helps organizations extend their AWS infrastructure without losing connectivity to existing on-premises resources.

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