AWS IAM Roles Anywhere
IAM roles for non-AWS machines
Lets servers and applications running outside AWS (on-prem, other clouds) obtain temporary IAM role credentials using X.509 certificates from a CA you trust, instead of storing long-term access keys.
- Cost$ Low
- Difficulty●●●●●
- Costs money when idle?No
- Serverless
- In examsSAA · SOA
Think of it asLike using a company-signed employee badge to get a temporary entry ticket.
When to use it
✓ Use it when
Workloads outside AWS that already have PKI need to call AWS APIs.
✗ Avoid it when
On-prem machines already managed by Systems Manager → use hybrid activation; workloads inside AWS → regular IAM roles.
Common uses
- On-prem servers uploading to S3 without access keys
- Apps on another cloud reading DynamoDB
- Replace long-term access keys in on-prem CI/CD
What does it cost?
- Pricing model: Free; you pay only for the CA if you use Private CA.
