Lessons

Creating an AWS Account and Accessing the IAM Dashboard

Introduction

In this practical lesson, we will walk through the process of creating an AWS account and accessing the IAM (Identity and Access Management) dashboard. AWS IAM allows you to manage user permissions and access control for your AWS resources. We will cover the steps to create an AWS account, set up IAM users, and access the IAM dashboard to configure permissions.

Creating an AWS Account

To get started with AWS, you need to create an AWS account. Follow these steps to create an AWS account:

  1. Go to the AWS website (https://aws.amazon.com/) and click on the “Create an AWS Account” button.
  2. Enter your email address, password, and account name. Click on “Continue.”
  3. Enter your contact information and payment details. Click on “Create Account and Continue.”
  4. Verify your identity by entering the code sent to your phone number.
  5. Read and accept the AWS Customer Agreement and click on “Create Account.”

Once your account is created, you can log in to the AWS Management Console using your email address and password.

Accessing the IAM Dashboard

The IAM dashboard allows you to manage user permissions and access control for your AWS resources. Follow these steps to access the IAM dashboard:

  1. Log in to the AWS Management Console using your email address and password.
  2. In the top navigation bar, click on “Services” and select “IAM” under the Security, Identity, & Compliance category.
  3. You will be taken to the IAM dashboard, where you can manage users, groups, roles, and policies.

Managing IAM Users

IAM users are entities that you create in AWS to represent the people or services that interact with your AWS account. Follow these steps to create and manage IAM users:

  1. In the IAM dashboard, click on “Users” in the left navigation pane.
  2. Click on the “Add user” button to create a new IAM user.
  3. Enter the user details, such as username and access type (programmatic access, AWS Management Console access, or both).
  4. Set permissions for the user by attaching policies that define what actions the user can perform.
  5. Click on “Create user” to create the IAM user.

You can also manage existing IAM users by editing their permissions, disabling or deleting them, and generating access keys for programmatic access.

Configuring IAM Policies

IAM policies are JSON documents that define the permissions for IAM users, groups, and roles. Follow these steps to configure IAM policies:

  1. In the IAM dashboard, click on “Policies” in the left navigation pane.
  2. Click on the “Create policy” button to create a new IAM policy.
  3. Choose a policy type (AWS managed policy, customer managed policy, or inline policy) and define the policy permissions using the policy language.
  4. Review and validate the policy, then click on “Create policy” to save it.

You can attach IAM policies to IAM users, groups, or roles to grant them the necessary permissions to access AWS resources.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned how to create an AWS account, access the IAM dashboard, manage IAM users, and configure IAM policies. By following these steps, you can effectively manage user permissions and access control for your AWS resources. Key learnings from this lesson include:

  • Creating an AWS account is the first step to getting started with AWS services.
  • The IAM dashboard allows you to manage user permissions and access control for your AWS resources.
  • IAM users represent entities that interact with your AWS account, and IAM policies define their permissions.
  • Configuring IAM policies is essential for granting the right level of access to users, groups, and roles.

By mastering the concepts and practices covered in this lesson, you will be able to effectively manage user access and permissions in your AWS environment.

Share :