Parameter Store

1. What is AWS Systems Manager parameter store?
AWS Systems Manager provides a centralized store to manage your configuration data, whether plain-text data such as database strings or secrets such as passwords. This allows you to separate your secrets and configuration data from your code. Parameters can be tagged and organized into hierarchies, helping you manage parameters more easily. For example, you can use the same parameter name, "db-string", with a different hierarchical path, "dev/db-string” or “prod/db-string", to store different values. Systems Manager is integrated with AWS Key Management Service (KMS), allowing you to automatically encrypt the data you store. You can also control user and resource access to parameters using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM). Parameters can be referenced through other AWS services, such as Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS)AWS Lambda, and AWS CloudFormation.
 
2. Why should I use AWS Systems Manager parameter store?
It is a best practice to store configuration data and secrets separately from your code. You can use AWS Systems Manager parameter store to quickly store and reference configuration and sensitive information. Rather than storing data in config files or referencing them in plain text, you can store and obtain this information in your applications or scripts. Additionally, you control who has access to parameters so that only the right set of users has access to the appropriate information.
 
3. How do you store sensitive data?
A secure string is any sensitive data that needs to be stored and referenced in a secure manner. If you have data that you do not want users to reference in clear text or have access to data that can be tampered with or misused, you should use secure strings in AWS Systems Manager parameter store. You can encrypt your sensitive data using your own AWS KMS key or your user account default key provided by AWS KMS.
 
4. In what services can I reference my parameters?
You can easily reference your parameters across AWS services such as Amazon ECS, AWS Lambda, and AWS Systems Manager, or any service through which you can use the AWS Systems Manager parameter store APIs.
 
5. Can I track usage and provide access control to specific parameters?
Yes. You can provide granular access control through customized permissions to users and resources (such as instances) for parameters access using AWS IAM. This means you can control who can access which parameter on what resource. You can also set up Amazon CloudWatch Events rules based on parameter change events. Additionally, you can also track and audit parameter API calls using AWS CloudTrail.
 
6. Can I track changes to parameters?
Yes, you can see a history of parameter changes. You can also use versions that are automatically implemented upon change to look up specific parameter value bases on its version.
 
7. Can I store hierarchical data as parameters?
Yes, you can use a hierarchical structure to store parameters. You can also control and audit access at every level of the hierarchy.
 
8. Can I receive notifications upon changes to parameter values?
Yes, you can set up Amazon CloudWatch and Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) notifications for individual parameter values, and receive notifications upon change.
 
9. What is the difference between Secrets Manager and Parameter Store?
AWS Secrets Manager is a service to manage the lifecycle for the secrets used in your organization centrally including rotation, audit, and access control. Secrets Manager helps you meet your security and compliance requirements by enabling you to rotate secrets automatically. Secrets Manager offers built-in integration for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Amazon Aurora on Amazon RDS that's extensible to other types of secrets by customizing Lambda functions.
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store provides secure, hierarchical storage for configuration data management, which can include secrets. Data such as database connection strings, passwords, and license codes can be stored as parameter values and can be audited and access controlled. Values stored can be either plain text or encrypted data. You can then reference values by using the unique name of the parameter. You can reference Systems Manager parameters to build generic configuration and automation scripts for use across AWS services such as Amazon ECS and AWS CloudFormation.
 
10. Should I use Parameter Store or Secrets Manager?
If you want a single store for configuration and secrets, you can use Parameter Store. If you want a dedicated secrets store with lifecycle management, use Secrets Manager. Parameter Store is available at no additional charge with limit of 10,000 parameters. Refer to the Secrets Manager pricing page for details.
 
11. Is there a difference in the security model of Parameter Store and Secrets Manager?
No. Both Secrets Manager and Parameter Store are equally secure. Both services support encryption at rest using customer-owned KMS keys. For more information on how Parameter Store uses KMS, please see the KMS Developer Guide on how Parameter Store uses AWS KMS.
 
12. Can I use Secrets Manager with Parameter Store?
Yes. You can reference a Secrets Manager secret with Parameter Store.
 
13. What are advanced parameters?
Advanced parameters provide enhanced capabilities such as the ability to store more than 10,000 parameters, larger parameter value size (up to 8 KB) and parameter policies such as expiration and no-change notifications. The expiration policy provides the ability to specify an expiration date and time. The no-change notification policy helps you track parameters that have not changed for a specified period of time. Advanced parameters are priced for storage per month and per API interaction. See the pricing page for details.
 
14. Can I convert between standard and advanced parameter types?
A standard parameter may be converted into an advanced parameter at any time. Advanced parameters cannot be converted into standard parameters. If an advanced parameter’s enhanced capabilities are no longer required or you no longer want to incur charges for that parameter, you must delete the advanced parameter and then create a new parameter as a standard parameter.
 
15. Can I increase the API throughput for Parameter Store?
Yes, API throughput can be raised to a higher limit through the Parameter Store settings tab. API throughput limits apply per Region per account. Increased throughput limit incurs charges. See the pricing page for details. If you no longer need increased throughput, you may reset the limit at any time from the Settings tab.
 
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