AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) is a managed service that simplifies the process of provisioning, managing, and deploying SSL/TLS certificates for use with AWS services and internal connected resources. SSL/TLS certificates are essential for establishing secure encrypted connections between clients a…AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) is a managed service that simplifies the process of provisioning, managing, and deploying SSL/TLS certificates for use with AWS services and internal connected resources. SSL/TLS certificates are essential for establishing secure encrypted connections between clients and servers, protecting sensitive data in transit.
Key features of ACM include:
**Certificate Provisioning**: ACM allows you to request public certificates at no cost for AWS-integrated services. You can also import third-party certificates if you have existing ones from other Certificate Authorities.
**Automatic Renewal**: One of the most valuable features is automatic certificate renewal. ACM handles the renewal process for certificates it issues, eliminating the risk of expired certificates causing service disruptions.
**Integration with AWS Services**: ACM integrates seamlessly with services like Elastic Load Balancing (ELB), Amazon CloudFront, Amazon API Gateway, and AWS Elastic Beanstalk. This makes deploying certificates straightforward through the AWS Console or APIs.
**Private Certificate Authority**: ACM Private CA enables you to create a private certificate authority for internal resources, allowing you to issue private certificates for applications that require internal encryption.
**Domain Validation**: When requesting a certificate, ACM requires domain ownership validation through either DNS validation (recommended) or email validation. DNS validation involves adding a CNAME record to your domain's DNS configuration.
**Regional Considerations**: ACM certificates are regional resources. For CloudFront distributions, certificates must be requested in the us-east-1 region. For other services, request certificates in the same region where the resource resides.
**Security Best Practices**: ACM stores private keys securely using AWS Key Management Service (KMS). The private keys for ACM-issued certificates cannot be exported, ensuring they remain protected within the AWS infrastructure.
For the Developer Associate exam, understand ACM's integration patterns, validation methods, and regional requirements for different AWS services.
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) - Complete Guide
Why AWS Certificate Manager is Important
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) is a critical service for securing communications between clients and your AWS resources. In today's security-conscious environment, SSL/TLS certificates are essential for encrypting data in transit, establishing trust with users, and meeting compliance requirements. ACM simplifies the complex process of certificate management, making it easier to deploy secure applications on AWS.
What is AWS Certificate Manager?
AWS Certificate Manager is a service that lets you provision, manage, and deploy SSL/TLS certificates for use with AWS services and your internal connected resources. ACM removes the time-consuming manual process of purchasing, uploading, and renewing SSL/TLS certificates.
Key features include: • Public Certificates - Free SSL/TLS certificates for AWS resources • Private Certificates - Certificates for internal resources using AWS Private CA • Automatic Renewal - ACM handles certificate renewal automatically • Integration - Works seamlessly with Elastic Load Balancers, CloudFront, API Gateway, and more
How AWS Certificate Manager Works
Certificate Provisioning: 1. Request a certificate through the ACM console, CLI, or API 2. Specify the domain name(s) you want to secure 3. Choose validation method: DNS validation or Email validation 4. Complete the validation process to prove domain ownership 5. Once validated, the certificate is issued and ready for use
DNS Validation (Recommended): ACM provides a CNAME record that you add to your DNS configuration. This method allows automatic renewal as long as the CNAME record remains in place.
Email Validation: ACM sends validation emails to registered domain contacts. You must click the approval link in the email to validate ownership.
Certificate Deployment: After issuance, you can associate certificates with supported AWS services: • Elastic Load Balancing - Application, Network, and Classic Load Balancers • Amazon CloudFront - Content delivery with HTTPS • Amazon API Gateway - Secure API endpoints • AWS Elastic Beanstalk - Web application hosting • AWS Nitro Enclaves - Isolated compute environments
Key Concepts to Understand
Regional vs Global: • ACM certificates are regional resources • For CloudFront, certificates must be requested in us-east-1 (N. Virginia) • For other services, request certificates in the region where you deploy resources
Certificate Types: • ACM-issued certificates - Managed entirely by AWS, free for public certificates • Imported certificates - Certificates from third-party CAs that you upload to ACM • Private certificates - Issued by AWS Private Certificate Authority (paid service)
Automatic Renewal: • ACM automatically renews certificates before expiration (public certificates) • DNS-validated certificates renew automatically if the CNAME record exists • Email-validated certificates require re-validation for renewal • Imported certificates are NOT automatically renewed
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on AWS Certificate Manager (ACM)
Tip 1: Remember the Free vs Paid Model Public SSL/TLS certificates from ACM are free. You only pay for the AWS resources you use with them. Private certificates through AWS Private CA have associated costs.
Tip 2: Know the Regional Requirement for CloudFront When a question mentions CloudFront and SSL certificates, remember that the certificate must be in us-east-1. This is a frequently tested concept.
Tip 3: DNS Validation is the Preferred Method For exam scenarios asking about the best practice for certificate validation, DNS validation is preferred because it enables automatic renewal and does not require email access.
Tip 4: Understand What ACM Cannot Do • ACM certificates cannot be exported (except for Nitro Enclaves) • ACM cannot be used for EC2 instances - you need to use imported certificates or manage certificates on the instance • ACM does not work with on-premises servers
Tip 5: Know the Supported Services When questions ask about HTTPS termination or SSL offloading, think of services that integrate with ACM: ELB, CloudFront, API Gateway, and Elastic Beanstalk.
Tip 6: Imported Certificate Limitations If a question involves third-party certificates, remember that imported certificates: • Do NOT auto-renew • Require manual renewal and re-import • Still benefit from ACM management features
Tip 7: Private CA Use Cases Questions about internal applications, microservices communication, or IoT devices often point to AWS Private CA for issuing private certificates.
Tip 8: Wildcard Certificates ACM supports wildcard certificates (*.example.com). These cover unlimited subdomains at one level. Remember that *.example.com covers app.example.com but NOT app.sub.example.com.
Common Exam Scenarios
Scenario 1: You need to serve HTTPS traffic through CloudFront for a domain. Answer: Request an ACM certificate in us-east-1 and associate it with CloudFront.
Scenario 2: You want certificates that automatically renew with minimal operational overhead. Answer: Use ACM public certificates with DNS validation.
Scenario 3: You need SSL for an EC2 web server. Answer: Place the EC2 behind an Application Load Balancer and use ACM with the ALB, or manage certificates on the EC2 instance itself.
Scenario 4: You have an existing certificate from a third-party CA. Answer: Import it into ACM, but remember you must manually renew and re-import before expiration.