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Understand ports

Ports are a fundamental component of networking in Rumble Cloud, enabling the connecting of instances to networks and ensuring secure communication. Understanding the role and functionality of ports is helpful for effective network management and security.

What are ports

A port represents a virtual networking interface that connects instances (virtual machines) to networks. It acts as a bridge between the virtual network layer and the instances, allowing network traffic to flow in and out of the instances. Each port is associated with a unique MAC address and one or more IP addresses.

Key features

  • Attachment points: Ports serve as attachment points for instances to connect to Neutron networks. They define how instances communicate with the network and other instances.

  • IP addressing: Ports are assigned IP addresses (either IPv4 or IPv6) from the subnet associated with the network. These IP addresses enable instances to communicate within the network and, if configured, with external networks.

  • Security groups: Ports can be associated with security groups, which are sets of firewall rules that define what type of traffic is allowed or blocked. This provides a layer of security by controlling access to instances.

  • Fixed and floating IPs: A port can have a fixed IP address that is internal to the network and a floating IP address that provides external access to the instance.

Managing ports

  • Creating ports: When you launch an instance in Rumble Cloud, a port is automatically created and attached to the instance. You can also create ports manually and attach them to existing instances.

  • Assigning IP addresses: You can specify the IP address for a port when creating it, or let Rumble Cloud automatically assign an IP address from the subnet's pool.

  • Associating security groups: You can assign one or more security groups to a port to enforce specific network access rules.

  • Attaching floating IPs: To provide external access to an instance, you can associate a floating IP address with a port.

Use cases

  • Instance connectivity: Ports enable instances to connect to networks, facilitating communication between instances and with external services.

  • Network security: By associating ports with security groups, you can define granular access controls to secure your instances.

  • Load balancing: In combination with Network service load balancing, ports can be used to distribute traffic among multiple instances for load balancing purposes.

  • Network troubleshooting: Ports provide information for troubleshooting network issues, such as IP address assignments and security group associations.

See also