AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03)Design Secure ArchitecturesMedium
A large enterprise is migrating a legacy application to AWS that uses an Active Directory (AD) for user authentication. The application requires Kerberos and LDAP for authentication and authorization. The enterprise wants to minimize the management overhead of the directory service while integrating it with their existing on-premises AD. Which AWS service should be used?
- AAWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory (Standard Edition)
- BAWS Directory Service for Simple AD
- CAWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory (Enterprise Edition)
- DAWS Directory Service for AD Connector
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory (Enterprise Edition)
AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory (Enterprise Edition) is a fully managed, highly available Microsoft AD deployment that supports Kerberos and LDAP. It also provides a trust relationship with an on-premises AD, making it suitable for hybrid environments with minimal management overhead.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Standard Edition supports Kerberos and LDAP but has limitations on scale and does not support multi-region deployment or trust relationships with on-premises AD.
- B. Simple AD is a standalone directory that supports basic LDAP and Kerberos but does not support trust relationships with on-premises AD and has limited functionality.
- D. AD Connector is a proxy service that connects to an existing on-premises AD; it does not host a directory service itself but rather forwards requests to the on-premises AD.
AWS Managed Microsoft AD Features
AWS Directory Service offers managed Microsoft Active Directory, providing features like Kerberos, LDAP, and trust relationships.
- Enterprise Edition supports multi-region deployments and trust relationships.
- Standard Edition is for smaller workloads and does not support trusts.
- Provides a fully managed experience, reducing operational overhead.
Memory trick: Directory Decisions: Enterprise for On-Prem.