# Welcome to the Amazon Directory Service API Reference
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Amazon Directory Service is a web service that makes it easy for you to setup and run directories in the Amazon cloud, or connect your Amazon resources with an existing self-managed Microsoft Active Directory (located in the cloud or on-premises). This guide provides detailed information about Amazon Directory Service operations, data types, parameters, and errors. For information about Amazon Directory Service features, see [Amazon Directory Service](https://aws.amazon.com/directoryservice/) and the [Amazon Directory Service Administration Guide](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/directoryservice/latest/admin-guide/what_is.html).

**Note**  
Amazon provides SDKs that consist of libraries and sample code for various programming languages and platforms (Java, Ruby, .Net, iOS, Android, etc.). The SDKs provide a convenient way to create programmatic access to Amazon Directory Service and other Amazon services. For more information about the Amazon SDKs, including how to download and install them, see [Tools for Amazon Web Services](https://aws.amazon.com/tools/).