How to setup AWS Managed Microsoft Active Directory

This is my first post in series on Outsource your Authentication and Authorization to AWS IAM Identity Center. And we will be using Microsoft Active Directory as our Identity Source.

Prerequisites

• AWS Account

I will be using N. Virginia(us-east-1) region throughout the series. To launch AWS Managed Microsoft Active Directory follow the following steps:

1. On your AWS Console search for Directory and click on Directory Service
   

2. Then choose Set up directory
   

3. Then choose AWS Managed Microsoft AD, and then click Next
   

4. Then select Standard Edition, configure Directory DNS name it does not need to be publicly resolvable and set Admin password and click next
   

5. Now select the VPC and subnets in which you want you Directories Domain Controllers to be deployed in and click Next
   

6. On Review & create page review everything and click Create directory and go for a Coffee break.

That's it your AWS Managed Active Directory is now deployed.

Optional Steps

If you are following my series then you will eventually need a EC2 Instance to manage Users/Groups in your AD

1. Follow this AWS article to launch a Windows EC2 Instance and join our recently launched AWS Managed AD.

2. Once Instance is launched then connect to it using our Active Directory Admin Username and Password and Install AD Tools using this article.