Sharing AWS Managed Microsoft AD Across Accounts with RAM
A company is migrating its on-premises Active Directory to AWS Managed Microsoft AD. The company has multiple VPCs across different accounts that need to authenticate against the same directory. What is the MOST scalable and secure way to provide this access?
Quick Answer
The correct choice is deploying AWS Managed Microsoft AD in a central account and sharing it with other accounts using AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM). This approach is the most scalable and secure because RAM enables cross-account AWS Managed Microsoft AD sharing without duplicating directory data or managing separate connectors, allowing all VPCs across accounts to authenticate against a single, centrally managed directory while maintaining network isolation through AWS PrivateLink. On the SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of centralized identity management versus distributed solutions; a common trap is selecting AD Connector per VPC, which adds unnecessary overhead and scaling limits, or assuming VPNs are required when RAM handles the cross-account trust natively. Remember the mnemonic: "RAM for AD, not AD per VPC" — if you need cross-account directory access, share it, don't clone or connect it.
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume each VPC needs its own directory or AD Connector, but AWS RAM enables secure, scalable sharing of a single Managed AD across accounts without additional infrastructure.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in a central account and share it with other accounts using AWS Resource Access Manager.
AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM) allows you to share AWS Managed Microsoft AD directories across accounts without duplicating the directory or managing multiple trust relationships. This provides a single, centrally managed directory that multiple VPCs in different accounts can authenticate against, ensuring scalability and security by avoiding cross-account credential replication or complex VPN meshes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set up a VPN connection from each VPC to the on-premises AD.
Why it's wrong here
Not using AWS Managed AD and introduces network latency.
- ✓
Deploy AWS Managed Microsoft AD in a central account and share it with other accounts using AWS Resource Access Manager.
Why this is correct
Allows centralized directory with cross-account sharing.
- ✗
Clone the directory and deploy it in each account.
Why it's wrong here
Creates multiple directories to manage, not scalable.
- ✗
Deploy an AD Connector in each VPC pointing to the on-premises AD.
Why it's wrong here
Does not use AWS Managed AD and adds complexity.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SAP-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is migrating its on-premises Active Directory to AWS Managed Microsoft AD. The directory will be used for authentication across multiple VPCs in different accounts. The company needs to ensure that resources in all VPCs can resolve DNS names from the directory. What is the MOST scalable and secure solution?
hard- A.Create a VPN connection between each VPC and the on-premises AD, then use DNS forwarders.
- B.Use Amazon Route 53 private hosted zones and associate them with all VPCs.
- C.Deploy the directory in each VPC and use AWS Managed Microsoft AD multi-region replication.
- ✓ D.Deploy the directory in a shared services VPC in the management account. Use AWS Transit Gateway to connect all VPCs and configure the directory's DNS as a forwarder via Amazon Route 53 Resolver.
Why D: It centralizes the AWS Managed Microsoft AD in a shared services VPC, which is the most scalable and secure approach for cross-account and cross-VPC authentication and DNS resolution. AWS Transit Gateway provides a scalable hub-and-spoke network connectivity model, while Amazon Route 53 Resolver outbound endpoints forward DNS queries from all connected VPCs to the directory's DNS servers, ensuring consistent name resolution without exposing the directory to the internet or requiring per-VPC deployments.
Variation 2. A company is migrating its on-premises Active Directory to AWS Managed Microsoft AD. They need to ensure that users can authenticate to AWS resources using their existing corporate credentials. What is the MOST secure and scalable solution?
medium- A.Federate using SAML 2.0 with on-premises ADFS and map AD groups to IAM roles.
- B.Deploy AD Connector in each VPC to proxy authentication requests to on-premises Active Directory.
- ✓ C.Set up AWS Managed Microsoft AD and establish a trust with the on-premises Active Directory. Use IAM roles to grant access based on AD groups.
- D.Use AWS Directory Service Simple AD and synchronize with on-premises Active Directory using AD Connector.
Why C: AWS Managed Microsoft AD can establish a forest trust with an on-premises Active Directory, allowing users to authenticate using their existing corporate credentials. This approach is secure (Kerberos-based trust, no password exposure) and scalable (AWS handles AD infrastructure). IAM roles can then be mapped to AD groups via SAML or IAM Identity Center for fine-grained access to AWS resources.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SAP-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SAP-C02 exam.