Using service-linked roles for Amazon FSx - Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
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Using service-linked roles for Amazon FSx

Amazon FSx for Windows File Server uses Amazon Identity and Access Management (IAM) service-linked roles. A service-linked role is a unique type of IAM role that is linked directly to Amazon FSx. Service-linked roles are predefined by Amazon FSx and include all the permissions that the service requires to call other Amazon services on your behalf.

A service-linked role makes setting up Amazon FSx easier because you don’t have to manually add the necessary permissions. Amazon FSx defines the permissions of its service-linked roles, and unless defined otherwise, only Amazon FSx can assume its roles. The defined permissions include the trust policy and the permissions policy, and that permissions policy cannot be attached to any other IAM entity.

You can delete a service-linked role only after first deleting their related resources. This protects your Amazon FSx resources because you can't inadvertently remove permission to access the resources.

For information about other services that support service-linked roles, see Amazon Services That Work with IAM and look for the services that have Yes in the Service-Linked Role column. Choose a Yes with a link to view the service-linked role documentation for that service.

Service-linked role permissions for Amazon FSx

Amazon FSx uses the service-linked role named AWSServiceRoleForAmazonFSx – Which performs certain actions in your account, like creating Elastic Network Interfaces for your file systems in your VPC.

The role permissions policy allows Amazon FSx to complete the following actions on the all applicable Amazon resources:

You can't attach AmazonFSxServiceRolePolicy to your IAM entities. This policy is attached to a service-linked role that allows FSx to manage Amazon resources on your behalf. For more information, see Using service-linked roles for Amazon FSx.

For updates to this policy, see AmazonFSxServiceRolePolicy

This policy grants administrative permissions that allows FSx to manage Amazon resources on the user's behalf.

Permissions details

The AmazonFSxServiceRolePolicy role permissions are defined by the AmazonFSxServiceRolePolicy Amazon managed policy. AmazonFSxServiceRolePolicy has the following permissions:

Note

AmazonFSxServiceRolePolicy is used by all Amazon FSx file system types; some of the listed permissions may not applicable to FSx for Windows.

  • ds – Allows FSx to view, authorize, and unauthorize applications in your Amazon Directory Service directory.

  • ec2 – Allows FSx to do the following:

    • View, create, and disassociate network interfaces associated with an Amazon FSx file system.

    • View one or more Elastic IP addresses associated with an Amazon FSx file system.

    • View Amazon VPCs, security groups, and subnets associated with an Amazon FSx file system.

    • To provide enhanced security group validation of all security groups that can be used with a VPC.

    • Create a permission for an Amazon-authorized user to perform certain operations on a network interface.

  • cloudwatch – Allows FSx to publish metric data points to CloudWatch under the Amazon/FSx namespace.

  • route53 – Allows FSx to associate an Amazon VPC with a private hosted zone.

  • logs – Allows FSx to describe and write to CloudWatch Logs log streams. This is so that users can send file access audit logs for an FSx for Windows File Server file system to a CloudWatch Logs stream.

  • firehose – Allows FSx to describe and write to Amazon Data Firehose delivery streams. This is so that users can publish the file access audit logs for an FSx for Windows File Server file system to an Amazon Data Firehose delivery stream.

{ "Version": "2012-10-17", "Statement": [ { "Sid": "CreateFileSystem", "Effect": "Allow", "Action": [ "ds:AuthorizeApplication", "ds:GetAuthorizedApplicationDetails", "ds:UnauthorizeApplication", "ec2:CreateNetworkInterface", "ec2:CreateNetworkInterfacePermission", "ec2:DeleteNetworkInterface", "ec2:DescribeAddresses", "ec2:DescribeDhcpOptions", "ec2:DescribeNetworkInterfaces", "ec2:DescribeRouteTables", "ec2:DescribeSecurityGroups", "ec2:DescribeSubnets", "ec2:DescribeVPCs", "ec2:DisassociateAddress", "ec2:GetSecurityGroupsForVpc", "route53:AssociateVPCWithHostedZone" ], "Resource": "*" }, { "Sid": "PutMetrics", "Effect": "Allow", "Action": [ "cloudwatch:PutMetricData" ], "Resource": [ "*" ], "Condition": { "StringEquals": { "cloudwatch:namespace": "AWS/FSx" } } }, { "Sid": "TagResourceNetworkInterface", "Effect": "Allow", "Action": [ "ec2:CreateTags" ], "Resource": [ "arn:aws:ec2:*:*:network-interface/*" ], "Condition": { "StringEquals": { "ec2:CreateAction": "CreateNetworkInterface" }, "ForAllValues:StringEquals": { "aws:TagKeys": "AmazonFSx.FileSystemId" } } }, { "Sid": "ManageNetworkInterface", "Effect": "Allow", "Action": [ "ec2:AssignPrivateIpAddresses", "ec2:ModifyNetworkInterfaceAttribute", "ec2:UnassignPrivateIpAddresses" ], "Resource": [ "arn:aws:ec2:*:*:network-interface/*" ], "Condition": { "Null": { "aws:ResourceTag/AmazonFSx.FileSystemId": "false" } } }, { "Sid": "ManageRouteTable", "Effect": "Allow", "Action": [ "ec2:CreateRoute", "ec2:ReplaceRoute", "ec2:DeleteRoute" ], "Resource": [ "arn:aws:ec2:*:*:route-table/*" ], "Condition": { "StringEquals": { "aws:ResourceTag/AmazonFSx": "ManagedByAmazonFSx" } } }, { "Sid": "PutCloudWatchLogs", "Effect": "Allow", "Action": [ "logs:DescribeLogGroups", "logs:DescribeLogStreams", "logs:PutLogEvents" ], "Resource": "arn:aws:logs:*:*:log-group:/aws/fsx/*" }, { "Sid": "ManageAuditLogs", "Effect": "Allow", "Action": [ "firehose:DescribeDeliveryStream", "firehose:PutRecord", "firehose:PutRecordBatch" ], "Resource": "arn:aws:firehose:*:*:deliverystream/aws-fsx-*" } ] }

Any updates to this policy are described in Amazon FSx updates to Amazon managed policies.

You must configure permissions to allow an IAM entity (such as a user, group, or role) to create, edit, or delete a service-linked role. For more information, see Service-Linked Role Permissions in the IAM User Guide.

Creating a service-linked role for Amazon FSx

You don't need to manually create a service-linked role. When you create a file system in the Amazon Web Services Management Console, the IAM CLI, or the IAM API, Amazon FSx creates the service-linked role for you.

Important

This service-linked role can appear in your account if you completed an action in another service that uses the features supported by this role. To learn more, see A New Role Appeared in My IAM Account.

If you delete this service-linked role, and then need to create it again, you can use the same process to recreate the role in your account. When you create a file system, Amazon FSx creates the service-linked role for you again.

Editing a service-linked role for Amazon FSx

Amazon FSx does not allow you to edit the service-linked role. After you create a service-linked role, you cannot change the name of the role because various entities might reference the role. However, you can edit the description of the role using IAM. For more information, see Editing a Service-Linked Role in the IAM User Guide.

Deleting a service-linked role for Amazon FSx

If you no longer need to use a feature or service that requires a service-linked role, we recommend that you delete that role. That way you don’t have an unused entity that is not actively monitored or maintained. However, you must delete all of your file systems and backups before you can manually delete the service-linked role.

Note

If the Amazon FSx service is using the role when you try to delete the resources, then the deletion might fail. If that happens, wait for a few minutes and try the operation again.

To manually delete the service-linked role using IAM

Use the IAM console, the IAM CLI, or the IAM API to delete the service-linked role. For more information, see Deleting a Service-Linked Role in the IAM User Guide.

Supported regions for Amazon FSx service-linked roles

Amazon FSx supports using service-linked roles in all of the regions where the service is available. For more information, see Amazon Regions and Endpoints.