AWS Identity Center - Certified Solutions Architect Exam Guide

Overview of AWS Identity Center

AWS Identity Center (formerly known as AWS Single Sign-On) is a service that allows you to centrally manage access to multiple AWS accounts and business applications using a single sign-on (SSO) experience. It simplifies the process of managing identities, permissions, and access control across an organization.

Key Concepts for the Exam

Centralized Access Management

AWS Identity Center provides centralized management of access to AWS accounts and applications by integrating with identity sources like AWS IAM Identity Center, Active Directory, or external identity providers.

• SSO Experience: Users can log in once and gain access to all assigned AWS accounts and applications without needing to sign in multiple times.
• Identity Providers: AWS Identity Center supports integration with external identity providers (IdPs) using SAML 2.0, allowing organizations to use existing credentials.

Permission Management

AWS Identity Center simplifies permission management by allowing administrators to create and assign permission sets that define the AWS service-level permissions users have.

• Permission Sets: Reusable configurations that define a set of permissions users can inherit when accessing AWS accounts.
• Role-Based Access: Assign roles to users or groups to manage permissions effectively across the organization.

Integration with AWS Organizations

AWS Identity Center integrates with AWS Organizations, allowing you to manage user access across all AWS accounts in the organization.

• Account Grouping: Group accounts within AWS Organizations and assign access based on organizational structure.
• Cross-Account Access: Use permission sets to grant users cross-account access within the organization, reducing the complexity of managing individual account access.

Security and Compliance

AWS Identity Center helps ensure that access to AWS resources is secure and compliant with organizational policies.

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enforce MFA for additional security when users sign in to AWS resources.
• Audit and Monitoring: Monitor user activity and generate audit logs to ensure compliance with security policies.

Common Exam Scenarios

• Designing a centralized access management solution using AWS Identity Center for multiple AWS accounts.
• Implementing SSO for AWS accounts and third-party applications using AWS Identity Center.
• Creating and managing permission sets to enforce role-based access control across AWS accounts.
• Integrating AWS Identity Center with AWS Organizations to manage access across multiple accounts.

Exam Tips

• Understand how AWS Identity Center integrates with identity providers and AWS Organizations.
• Be familiar with creating and managing permission sets to enforce access control.
• Know how to implement SSO for AWS accounts and external applications using AWS Identity Center.
• Practice designing access management solutions that leverage AWS Identity Center for centralized control.