AWS Directory Services

• Used to extend the AD network by involving services like EC2 to be a part of the AD to share login credentials.

AWS Managed Microsoft AD

• Login credentials are shared between on-premise and AWS managed AD

• Manage users on both AD (on-premise and on AWS managed AD)

• Supports MFA

• Establish trust connections with your on premise AD

• Supports directory-aware workloads on AWS

AD Connector

• AD connector will proxy all the requests to the on-premise AD

• Users are managed on the on-premise AD only

• Does not support directory-aware workloads on AWS

Simple AD

• AD-compatible managed directory on AWS (cannot be joined with on-premise AD)

• Users are managed on the AWS AD only

• Use when you don’t have an on-premise AD

Note

Use AWS Managed Microsoft AD unless the problem specifically asks for properties of AD Connector or Simple AD