AWS Directory Service Reviews

Name: AWS Directory Service
Brand: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rating: 4.3 (13 reviews)

4.3 out of 5

13 reviews
92% willing to recommend

What is AWS Directory Service?

AWS Directory Service lets you run Microsoft Active Directory (AD) as a managed service. AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory, also referred to as AWS Managed Microsoft AD, is powered by Windows Server 2012 R2. When you select and launch this directory type, it is created as a highly available pair of domain controllers connected to your virtual private cloud (VPC). The domain controllers run in different Availability Zones in a region of your choice. Host monitoring and recovery, data replication, snapshots, and software updates are automatically configured and managed for you.

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AWS Directory Service is the #14 ranked solution in top Identity and Access Management as a Service providers. PeerSpot users give AWS Directory Service an average rating of 8.6 out of 10. Based on the analysis of the 13 most recent AWS Directory Service reviews, the overall sentiment is positive, with a sentiment score of 7.4. AWS Directory Service is most commonly compared to Microsoft Entra ID: AWS Directory Service vs Microsoft Entra ID. AWS Directory Service is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 57% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 18% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

December 2024

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Featured reviews

Basa Saiteja

Consultant at Infosys

The solution is scalable, and we can scale according to our needs. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten. In our organization, our access to our AWS comes from IAM. We use AWS consoles using our credentials and don't have route access, so each person will log in through our IAM programmatic access, and everyone on our team can work on cloud. Over 10,000 people in our organization utilize the solution.

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MassimilianoCollavo

Computer Area Instructor of the Municipality of Asolo at Comune di asolo

I've been working with AWS Directory Service as part of a broader solution for moving our infrastructure to a hybrid cloud model. Initially, the goal was to replicate our on-premises server to the cloud and then eventually shut down the on-premises server entirely. My work with AWS Directory Service is focused on migrating to the cloud and finding a suitable document management system that allows for online editing, document sharing, and workflow management. I rate it an eight out of ten.

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VamsiMohan

CTO at Huber

The initial setup can be simple. Most of our Active Directories, as well as previous engagements, have been straightforward with other Active Directories, but some of the directories are not directly straightforward when we bring this to AWS. It is straightforward if we use AWS identity services. However, it is somewhat critical in the case of migration. It took one week to complete the installation. We have a core team of four who maintain and support this solution.

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AWS Directory Service mindshare

As of December 2024, the mindshare of AWS Directory Service in the Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) category stands at 2.6%, down from 3.6% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS)

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Dec 3, 2024

Valuable Features

"The solution integrates well with other tools, particularly through single sign-on, allowing users to connect to various applications using just one password, including email."
"The most valuable feature of AWS Directory Service is cost-cutting features."
"We can provide specific access to people based on what they need from our accounts."

Room for Improvement

AWS Directory Service users mention the need for improved group policy and better integration with business solutions. The support cost is high, and there's a need for more consistency and resources in regions like the Northeast. Integration with Exchange server and ease in migration and configuration could be enhanced. Users suggest processing improvements and easier integration of security protocols. Challenges were noted with Amazon WorkDocs due to its deprecation, and CloudWatch monitoring configuration can result in errors.

"I've encountered challenges, particularly with Amazon WorkDocs, which is being deprecated. This has made it necessary to find an alternative document management solution that can handle editing, sharing, and workflow management for documents like Word files and PDFs."
"AWS Directory Service needs to improve processing."
"Can be improved by including on-premises access for services through Identity Access Management."

ROI

Pricing

AWS Directory Service's pricing is seen as reasonable by many users, although some find it complex and potentially expensive. Costs vary depending on directory objects and can be estimated via AWS pricing calculators. Users report no extra licensing fees and appreciate options for upfront or monthly payments. Challenges include management's understanding of costs and difficulties with exchange rates. Overall, users find costs manageable, especially when services are containerized within frameworks like HPE GreenLake.

"We pay an annual subscription fee."
"AWS' pricing is fair, and costs can be cut if you look carefully at when you're using it."
"The pricing depends because with AWS there are two types of directory objects: 30,000 and 500,000. It varies. AWS provides the pricing calculators so we can get an estimate from there as per the company requirement of how many users and objects that we need to create. So we can go to that portal, put in the data, and get the quotation.There are no extra licensing fees. It's all included."

Popular Use Cases

Service and Support

Deployment

Scalability

Stability

AWS Directory Service is stable, with users appreciating its 99.99% availability. Despite occasional challenges like schema uploading during migrations, AWS support effectively resolves them. Stability is noted to be excellent within privatized data centers, though some cloud-related issues can occur. Users report no significant performance issues, highlighting its managed nature and low CPU usage, and rate it highly. This emphasizes its reliability for managing maintenance and infrastructure tasks efficiently.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

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