Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory. This service is the correct choice because it provides a fully managed Microsoft Active Directory in the cloud that natively supports Windows Authentication and Kerberos-based authentication, allowing a legacy .NET application migrated to AWS to integrate Active Directory without any code changes. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of minimizing application refactoring during migration—a key scenario for SAP workloads that rely on Windows Authentication. A common trap is choosing AWS Managed Microsoft AD over simpler options like Simple AD or AD Connector; remember that only Managed Microsoft AD supports full trust relationships and Kerberos for .NET apps. Memory tip: think “Managed AD for no-code AD”—if the app needs Windows Authentication unchanged, pick the managed directory that mirrors on-premises AD.
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of migration. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is migrating a legacy .NET application to AWS. The application uses Windows Authentication and relies on Active Directory for user authentication. The company wants to minimize changes to the application code. Which AWS service should be used to integrate Active Directory with the migrated application?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory
Provides full managed AD with native support for Windows Authentication.
Amazon Cognito
Why wrong: Designed for web and mobile identity federation, not Windows Authentication.
AD Connector
Why wrong: Only proxies to on-premises AD, not suitable if on-prem AD is decommissioned.
Simple AD
Why wrong: Does not support Windows Authentication or many AD features needed.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory
AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory is the correct choice because it provides a fully managed Microsoft Active Directory in the AWS cloud, which natively supports Windows Authentication and Kerberos-based authentication without requiring any code changes. This service allows the migrated .NET application to seamlessly integrate with the existing on-premises Active Directory through a trust relationship or by extending the directory directly into AWS, preserving the application's authentication logic.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory
Why this is correct
Provides full managed AD with native support for Windows Authentication.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon Cognito
Why it's wrong here
Designed for web and mobile identity federation, not Windows Authentication.
AD Connector
Why it's wrong here
Only proxies to on-premises AD, not suitable if on-prem AD is decommissioned.
Simple AD
Why it's wrong here
Does not support Windows Authentication or many AD features needed.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AD Connector with a full Active Directory service, not realizing that AD Connector only proxies LDAP queries and does not support Windows Authentication or Kerberos, which are essential for legacy .NET applications using integrated security.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, AWS Managed Microsoft AD uses actual Windows Server instances running Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and supports Kerberos, NTLM, and LDAP protocols, allowing the .NET application to authenticate using the same Windows-integrated authentication (e.g., Negotiate or Kerberos) as on-premises. A real-world scenario is when a legacy .NET application uses `System.DirectoryServices` or `System.Security.Principal` namespaces for authentication; migrating to AWS Managed Microsoft AD requires no code changes because the application can join the domain and use the same domain-joined service accounts and group memberships.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Migration — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Migration — This question tests Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory — AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory is the correct choice because it provides a fully managed Microsoft Active Directory in the AWS cloud, which natively supports Windows Authentication and Kerberos-based authentication without requiring any code changes. This service allows the migrated .NET application to seamlessly integrate with the existing on-premises Active Directory through a trust relationship or by extending the directory directly into AWS, preserving the application's authentication logic.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
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 a Windows-based .NET application to AWS. The application currently uses Active Directory for authentication. Which AWS service should they use to maintain a similar authentication experience?
mediumWhy A: AWS Managed Microsoft AD allows the application to authenticate against Active Directory without change. Option C is correct. Option A is wrong because Cognito is for external user pools. Option B is wrong because IAM is for AWS services. Option D is wrong because Directory Service Simple AD is a Samba-based AD, not fully compatible.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This PAS-C01 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 PAS-C01 exam.
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