Amazon Cloud Directory is well known for offering a completely manageable for hierarchically storing data in the AWS cloud. This service allows you to create a cloud-native directory that may be used to organize data hierarchies across various dimensions. You may use Cloud Directory to construct directories for a variety of purposes, including
- organizational charts
- course catalogs
- device registries.
But, what makes it different from traditional directory solutions? To understand this, in this blog, we will learn and understand the overview, core areas of Amazon Cloud Directory, and how to begin with this service.
What is Amazon Cloud Directory?
Traditional directory solutions such as Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) have restrictions for a single hierarchy. But, Amazon Cloud Directory gives you the freedom to create multi-dimensional hierarchies in your directories. Moreover, this has the ability to automatically scale millions of objects and offers an extensible schema that can be shared with multiple applications.
Further, using Cloud Directory, you can organize directory objects into multiple hierarchies for supporting several organizational pivots and relationships over directory information. A user directory, for example, might provide a hierarchical view depending on reporting structure, or location. Similarly, depending on the manufacturer, current owner, and physical location of a device directory, it may have numerous hierarchical perspectives. Furthermore, Cloud Directory can be used by developers as a specialized graph-based directory store that serves as a foundational building piece. Using Cloud Directory, developers get options for:
- Firstly, easily creating directory-based applications without any need for worrying about deployment, global scale, availability, and performance
- Secondly, creating applications that provide,
- user and group management
- permissions or policy management
- device registry
- customer management
- address books
- application or product catalogs.
- Thirdly, specifying new directory objects or expand existing types for meeting application requirements and lowering the code they need to write.
- Then, building apps on top of Cloud Directory with less complexity
- Lastly, controlling the evolution of schema information over time and providing future compatibility for consumers
Uses of Amazon Cloud Directory:
- Firstly, Amazon Cloud Directory provides an efficient way for organizing hierarchies of data across multiple dimensions. However, several applications require building directories for storing hierarchies of data with multiple dimensions. For example, an organizational chart could have one hierarchy depending on reporting structure, a second based on location, and a third based on cost center. Here, Amazon Cloud Directory allows you to integrate different schemas inside a single directory for creating multiple hierarchies without having to duplicate data.
- Secondly, you can easily search your directory for objects and relationships. However, searching large sets of highly connected data has traditionally needed complex and computationally expensive queries. However, you may search for all of the parent items along a dimension utilising Amazon Cloud Directory’s built-in search capabilities instead of constructing several, nested queries. For example, looking up a management chain for an employee can be executed with a single query in Cloud Directory where traditional solutions would need multiple queries.
- Lastly, Amazon Cloud Directory is combined with AWS CloudTrail and resource tagging. In which, using AWS CloudTrail you can log the date, time, and identity of users who accesses your directory data. You may also use resource tagging to tag your directories and schemas for easier tracking and management.
What are the features of Amazon Cloud Directory?
Amazon Cloud Directory provides an extensible schema, designed to be shared over applications. You can use this to define application-specific sets of attributes for applications to safely extend schemas without affecting other apps. However, to understand more about this service, check out some of the top-most features of Amazon Cloud Directory.
1. Powerful data and relationship management
Amazon Cloud Directory is a directory management system that allows you to control numerous hierarchies of directory data. Moreover, you can,
- Firstly, design different schemas
- Secondly, specify properties for objects and relationships
- Lastly, configure specific inheritance rules for your directory.
2. Flexible schema management
You can extend your directory schema as needed due to Amazon Cloud Directory’s flexible schema management. Moreover, attributes can be added to directory objects and relationships as well as the schema can be extended by many applications at the same time. Further, also allows several apps to share a single directory and minimize data duplication.
3. Completely managed infrastructure
Cloud Directory, being a completely manageable service, eliminates time-consuming and costly administrative duties like growing infrastructure and managing servers. However, you just have to establish the structure, create a directory, and then populate it with data via the Cloud Directory API.
4. Searching across objects and relationships
For directory entries and relationships, Amazon Cloud Directory has built-in search capabilities. Complex and computationally expensive queries have always been necessary to search big amounts of highly linked data. And, now you can search for all the parent items along a dimension using Cloud Directory’s built-in search capabilities instead of constructing several, nested queries.
5. Built-in data encryption
Amazon Cloud Directory automatically encrypts data in transit and at rest using AWS Key Management Service-managed 256-bit encryption keys (KMS).
6. Object policies
You can design and attach application-specific policies to objects across hierarchies using Amazon Cloud Directory. For example, build a custom policy for an organizational chart to assign budget limits to cost centers and enforce naming rules for your device hierarchy. Moreover, you can also establish policies’ inheritance rules without giving Cloud Directory access to your security or permissions model.
Above we have gone through the in-depth details and features of the Amazon Cloud Directory. Now, it’s time, to begin with, this service by creating a schema.
Beginning with Amazon Cloud Directory:
1. Creating a Schema
For schema building, Amazon Cloud Directory allows you to upload a JSON file that is compliant. You can either create a new schema. by generating your own JSON file from scratch or by downloading one of the current schemas listed in the terminal. Then save it as a custom schema and upload it.
Further, you can also create, delete, download, list, publish, update and upgrade schemas using the Cloud Directory APIs.
For creating a custom schema:
- Firstly, select Schemas under Cloud Directory in the AWS Directory Service console navigation pane.
- Secondly, creating a JSON file with all of your new schema definitions.
- Thirdly, select Upload new schema in the console.
- Then, type a name for the schema in the Upload new schema dialog.
- After, select Choose File. And, them=n select the new JSON file that you just created, and click on Open.
- Lastly, select Upload. Doing this will add a new schema to your schema library and places it in the Development state.
For creating a custom schema depending on an existing one in the console:
- Firstly, select Schemas under Cloud Directory in the AWS Directory Service console navigation pane.
- Secondly, select the option near the schema you want to copy in the table listing the schemas.
- Thirdly, select Actions.
- Then, select Download schema.
- After that, rename the JSON file, modify it as needed, and then save the file.
- Lastly, choose Upload new schema in the console. Then, select the JSON file that you just modified, and click on Open.
- This will create a new schema in your schema library and set it to the Development state.
2. Creating an Amazon Cloud Directory
AWS Directory Service requires you to apply a schema to a directory before you may create it in Amazon Cloud Directory. However, a directory cannot form without a schema, and most directories have only one schema. For applying additional schemas to a directory, use Cloud Directory API activities.
For creating a Cloud Directory:
- Firstly, select Directories under Cloud Directory in the AWS Directory Service console navigation pane.
- Secondly, select Set up Cloud Directory.
- Then, type the friendly name of your directory under Choose a schema to apply to your new directory. This can be a User Repository. After that, select one of the options given below:
- Managed schema
- Sample schema
- Custom schema
- By default, sample and custom schemas are stored in the Development state. However, a schema must first be transformed to the Published state before it can be applied to a directory. And, you must have access to perform the following steps in order to successfully publishing a sample schema using the console:
- clouddirectory:Get*
- clouddirectory:List*
- Then, clouddirectory:CreateSchema
- clouddirectory:CreateDirectory
- clouddirectory:PutSchemaFromJson
- Next, clouddirectory:PublishSchema
- clouddirectory:DeleteSchema
- Sample schemas cannot be published directly since they are read-only templates given by AWS. Instead, the console generates a temporary duplicate of the sample schema you picked and places it in the Development state when you choose to create a directory based on a sample schema. Then, it copies that development schema and puts it in the Published state. When publishing a sample schema, the development schema is erased when it is published, which is why the DeleteSchema action is required.
- Now, select Next.
- Lastly, review the directory information and make any required modifications. And, after reviewing the information, select Create.
Amazon Cloud Directory Pricing
The cost of Amazon Cloud Directory is defined by the amount of storage and access it provides. Both eventually consistent and strongly consistent read modes are available in Cloud Directory.
Free Tier:
AWS clients can use Amazon Cloud Directory for free as part of the AWS Free Tier. For the first 12 months,
- Firstly, new Cloud Directory clients receive 1 GB of storage
- Secondly, 100,000 eventually consistent read API calls
- Lastly, 10,000 combined strongly consistent read API calls and write API calls.
Further, customers have to pay normal rates per usage after 12 months. Excess usage during the free trial time will be charged at regular rates.
Final Words
Above we have understood the process of Amazon Cloud Directory by learning about its uses, features, and steps for creating schema as well as directories. This service is providing smooth solutions for creating highly, cost-effective, and scalable directories. So, if you have an interest in beginning your journey with this service, then go through the information provided and use the AWS documentation to have a good start.
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