Active Directory (AD) can be considered a record-keeper, overseeing user and resource records, verifying identities, and regulating access based on permissions. Active Directory in AWS enables users to use an AD system on the cloud.
Amazon FSx is a managed file storage service that simplifies the deployment and management of file systems. Amazon FSx for Windows file server is a fully managed Windows file system, containing features such as high availability, data deduplication, and compatibility with an active directory. It can be used with any Windows-based environment, including those hosted on Amazon EC2 instances, enhancing data reliability and accessibility.
In this Cloud Lab, you’ll first create an AWS Managed Microsoft AD. You’ll also create a security group to define the necessary permissions. Furthermore, you’ll create an IAM role and attach it to two new EC2 Windows instances. You’ll then create an FSx file system, joining it with our active directory domain. You’ll also join this domain with two EC2 instances using the Systems Manager Run Command capability. Finally, you’ll see how accessibility is made simpler using FSx, along with the Active Directory, by creating a text file using one EC2 instance and seeing the change in the file system through the other instance.
The following is a high-level architecture of the infrastructure you’ll create in this Cloud Lab:
