Cross-Account Data Sharing on AWS

Introduction

Cross-account data sharing in AWS allows different AWS accounts to access and share data securely. This is particularly useful for organizations that operate multiple AWS accounts and need to share data between them.

Key Concepts

• AWS Lake Formation: A service that simplifies the process of setting up a data lake.
• Data Catalog: A central repository used to store metadata and manage data access.
• Resource Policies: Policies that define who can access AWS resources across accounts.
• IAM Roles: Used for granting permissions to access resources in another AWS account.

Step-by-Step Process

Below is a step-by-step guide to set up cross-account data sharing using AWS Lake Formation.

1. **Prepare your environment**:
   - Ensure that both AWS accounts are set up.
   - Create a data lake in the source account using AWS Lake Formation.

2. **Create IAM Roles**:
   - In the source account, create an IAM role that allows the target account to access the data lake.
   - Attach the necessary policies to this role.

3. **Set Resource Policies**:
   - In Lake Formation, navigate to the Data Permissions section.
   - Grant the IAM role permission to access the data you want to share.

4. **Share the Data**:
   - In the target account, assume the IAM role created in the source account.
   - Use the AWS SDK or CLI to access shared data.
    

Best Practices

• Use least privilege principle when granting IAM roles.
• Regularly audit permissions and access logs.
• Utilize AWS CloudTrail for monitoring cross-account access.
• Use AWS Lake Formation's built-in security features for data governance.

FAQ

Flowchart of Cross-Account Data Sharing Process

    graph TD;
        A[Start] --> B[Prepare your environment]
        B --> C[Create IAM Roles]
        C --> D[Set Resource Policies]
        D --> E[Share the Data]
        E --> F[End]