---
# System prepended metadata

title: AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (IAM)
tags: [AWS]

---

# AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (IAM)
###### tags: `AWS`

## Advanced IAM
### Active Directory
- On-premises directory service
- Hierarchical db of users, groups, computers - **trees** and **forests**
- Group policies
- LDAP and DNS
- Kerberos, LDAP, and NTLM authentication
- Highly available

### AWS Directory Service
- Family of managed services
- Connect AWS resources with on-premises AD
- Standalone directory in the cloud
- Use existing coporate creentials
- SSO to any domain-joined EC2 instance

### AWS Managed Microsoft AD
- AD domain controllers(DCs) running Windows server
- Reachable by applications in your VPC
- Add DCs for HA and performance
- Exclusive access to DCs
- Extend existing AD to on-premises using **AD Trust** 


### Manage Range

| AWS | Customer |
| -------- | -------- |
| Multi-AZ deplyment | Users, groups, GPOs|
| Patch, monitor, recover | Standard AD tools|
| Instance rotation | Scale out DCs |
| Snaoshot and restore | Trusts (resource forest)|
| - |Certificate authorities(LDAPS)|
| - |Federation|

### Simple AD
- Standalone managed directory
- Basic AD features
- Small: <=500; Large <= 5000 users
- Easier to manage EC2
- Linux workloads that need LDAP
- Does not support **trust** (can't join on-premises AD) **USING AD CONNECTOR!!**

### AD Connector
- Directory gateway (proxy) for on-premises AD
- Avoid caching info in the cloud
- Allow on-premises users to log in to AWS using AD
- Join EC2 instances to your existing AD domain
- Scale across multiple AD Connectors

### Cloud Directory
- Directory-based store for developers
- Multiple hierarchies with hundreds of millions of objects
- Use cases: org charts, course catalogs, device registries
- Fully managed service

### Amazon Cognito User pools
- Managed user directory for SaaS applications
- Sign-up and sign-in for web or mobile
- Works with social media identities
![](https://i.imgur.com/gtBfF4d.png)

### IAM policies
- ARNs all begin with:

> arn:partition:service:region:account_id

example: 
arn:aws-cn:s3:us-east-1:123456789012
AND end with:
resource_type/resource/qualfier
![](https://i.imgur.com/geebd2b.png)
> Notes: 
> :: -> omit, * -> wildcard

#### Features
- JSON document that defines permissions
- Identity policy
- Resource policy
- No effect until attached
- List of statements(matches an AWS API request)

![](https://i.imgur.com/NrvMBs5.png)
> Notes: 
> Effect is either Allow or Deny
> Matched based on their action
> And the **Resource** the Actrion is against

Tips:
- Not explicitly allowed == implicitly denied
- Explict deny > everything else 
- Only attached policies have effect
- AWS joins all applicable policies
- AWS-managed vs. customer-managed

#### Permission Boundaries
- Used to delegate administration to other users
- Prevent privilege escalation or unnecessarily broad permissions
- Control maximum permissions an IAM policy can grant
- Use cases
    - Dev creating roles of lambda functions
    - Application owners creating roles for EC2 instances
    - Admins creating ad hoc users

### AWS Resource Access Manager(RAM)
RAM allows **resource sharing** between accounts.
![](https://i.imgur.com/PwWhLQr.png)

### AWS SSO
SSO service helps centrally manage access to AWS accounts and business application.
![](https://i.imgur.com/Do9mP5L.png)
> Notes: SAML -> SSO