amazon-web-servicesaws-direct-connectaws-directory-servicesaws-sftp

AWS Transfer for SFTP using AD connector


AWS Transfer Family supports integration with AD Connector (https://docs.aws.amazon.com/directoryservice/latest/admin-guide/ad_connector_app_compatibility.html). As far as I understand, connectors are deployed in vpn-linked subnets that allows them to proxy calls to an on-premise Active Directory.

What exactly happens (what resources are created/updated under the hood) when I select AD connector as the authenticator for AWS Transfer? I'm specifically curious as to what changes are made in VPC to allow this integration.


Solution

  • In relation to AWS Directory Service, AWS Transfer does not seem to mutate your VPC. If you create an AD and then associate it with AWS Transfer, and take a look at your VPC, there is no new networking resources of any kind. Similar to other applications (https://docs.aws.amazon.com/directoryservice/latest/admin-guide/ms_ad_manage_apps_services.html), AWS Directory Services authorizes AWS Transfer to access your AD (in this case, connector) for Transfer logins.