Directory Service

• Directory Service provides multiple ways to use Microsoft Active Directory (AD) with other AWS services.

Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory

• Also known as AWS Managed Microsoft AD.

• Powered by an actual Microsoft Windows Server AD, managed by AWS in AWS.

• Standard Edition: Optimized to be a primary directory for small and midsize businesses with up to 5,000 employees.

• Enterprise Edition: Designed to support enterprise organizations.

• Best choice for:

  • If you need actual Active Directory features to support AWS applications or Windows workloads, including RDS for Microsoft SQL Server.

  • If you want a standalone AD in AWS that supports Office 365 or you need an LDAP directory to support your Linux applications.

AD Connector

• Proxy service that provides an easy way to connect compatible AWS applications, such as WorkSpaces, QuickSight, and Windows EC2 instances, to your existing on-premises Microsoft AD.

• When you add users to AWS applications such as QuickSight, AD Connector reads your existing Active Directory to create lists of users and groups to select from.

• When users log in to the AWS applications, AD Connector forwards sign-in requests to your on-premises Active Directory domain controllers for authentication.

• Best choice for:

  • When you want to use your existing on-premises directory with compatible AWS services.

Simple AD

• Microsoft AD-compatible directory from Directory Service that is powered by Samba 4.

• Simple AD supports basic Active Directory features such as user accounts, group memberships, joining a Linux domain or Windows based EC2 instances, Kerberos-based SSO, and group policies. AWS provides monitoring, daily snap-shots, and recovery as part of the service.

• Simple AD does not support multi-factor authentication (MFA), trust relationships, DNS dynamic update, schema extensions, communication over LDAPS, PowerShell AD cmdlets, or FSMO role transfer.

• Customers who require the features of an actual Microsoft Active Directory, or who envision using their directory with RDS SQL Server should use AWS Managed Microsoft AD instead.

• Best choice for:

  • A standalone directory in the cloud to support Windows workloads that need basic AD features, compatible AWS applications, or to support Linux workloads that need LDAP service.