AWS IAM Roles Use Cases

AWS IAM roles provide a secure way for AWS services to access resources to accomplish tasks on your behalf. Roles are also used to delegate permissions to trusted entities such as IAM users, applications, or AWS services.

Steps/Explanation

1. Create IAM roles: You can create an IAM role using the AWS management console, AWS CLI or SDKs. IAM roles are created with permissions that limit the actions allowed by the role. Roles can be associated with trusted entities like IAM users, the entire AWS account, or AWS services.

2. Grant permissions for accessing AWS resources: IAM roles can be used to grant permissions to access an AWS resource. For example, a role can be created that allows access to an S3 bucket, database, or EC2 instance. The permissions are assigned to the role, and AWS services or entities associated with the role can use the role to access the resources securely.

3. Delegate permissions to trusted entities: IAM roles can be used to delegate permissions to trusted entities like IAM users, groups, or roles from another AWS account. This allows access to resources within the AWS account without the need to create IAM users.

4. Use IAM roles for AWS services: AWS services can assume IAM roles that have permissions assigned with specific conditions. This way, AWS services can access the resources they need to complete a task securely and use short-term credentials that have the proper permissions.

Examples and Use Cases

1. Granting access to AWS resources to develop and test applications: Developers need access to resources like S3 buckets, databases, or EC2 instances to develop and test their applications. You can create roles with the necessary permissions and associate them with trusted entities like IAM users or roles that allows secure access to resources.

2. Federating Access to AWS Resources: Enterprises use IAM roles to federate access to AWS resources by creating a role that trust an external identity provider, like Active directory.

3. Accessing AWS resources from EC2 instances: IAM roles can be used to grant permissions to EC2 instances to access AWS resources securely. This eliminates the need to store access or secret keys on EC2 instances.

Important Points

• IAM roles allow you to provide access to resources securely.
• Roles can be associated with trusted entities like IAM users, roles, and other AWS services.
• IAM roles allow you to delegate permissions to trusted entities.
• IAM roles remove the need to store access and secret keys on EC2 instances.
• AWS services can assume IAM roles, eliminating the need to store access keys in an insecure manner.

Summary

IAM roles are a powerful tool in the AWS arsenal that provides secure access to AWS resources, simplifies permissions management, and removes the need to store access and secret keys in an insecure manner. IAM roles can be created and associated with trusted entities like IAM users, groups, roles, and AWS services. They can be used to grant permissions to resources, delegate permissions, and provide temporary access to resources.