AWS Service
AWS Secrets Manager
Secrets Manager stores, retrieves, and can rotate secrets such as database credentials and API keys.
What This Service Solves
Secrets Manager stores, retrieves, and can rotate secrets such as database credentials and API keys.
- Use Secrets Manager when secrets need rotation, auditability, cross-service retrieval, and controlled access.
When You Should Not Use It
- Avoid plaintext config, code repositories, and basic parameters for high-risk rotating secrets.
What AWS Manages and What You Manage
AWS stores encrypted secret values and rotation integrations. You manage resource policy, IAM, KMS key, rotation function, and application retrieval.
Security Implications
Use least privilege, KMS, resource policies, rotation, CloudTrail, and avoid logging retrieved secret values.
Availability and Scaling
Applications should cache safely and handle retrieval failures. Rotation needs compatibility with dependent systems.
High request rates can add latency and cost. Cache appropriately in applications.
Cost Behavior
Secrets and API calls have direct cost, unlike basic Parameter Store parameters.
Common Integrations
- RDS
- Lambda rotation
- ECS
- CodeBuild
- KMS
How AWS Might Present It
Certification-Specific Depth
Developer Associate
Know configuration choices, integrations, failure modes, security, operations, and cost tradeoffs.
Related Comparisons
Sources and Review Metadata
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