AWS IAM vs AWS Service Catalog: What are the differences?

Introduction

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) and AWS Service Catalog are two important services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that offer different functionalities and benefits to users.

1. Key Difference 1: Role vs Product Catalog:

   • AWS IAM allows users to create and manage roles that define a set of permissions for AWS resources. Roles can be assigned to users, groups, or AWS services to control access to resources.
   • On the other hand, AWS Service Catalog enables users to create and manage catalogs of approved IT services that can be deployed within an organization. It allows organizations to centrally manage and share approved products, which saves time and ensures compliance with policies and standards.

2. Key Difference 2: Access Control vs Service Management:

   • AWS IAM focuses on access control and permissions management for AWS resources. It ensures that only authorized users or services can access or modify resources.
   • In contrast, AWS Service Catalog focuses on service management and allows organizations to create standardized products and portfolios of services that can be easily deployed and managed by end users. It provides a self-service portal for end users, enabling them to easily discover and deploy approved services.

3. Key Difference 3: Fine-grained vs Standardized Approach:

   • AWS IAM allows users to define fine-grained permissions for AWS resources. Users can assign specific permissions to roles or individual entities, granting precise control over what actions can be performed.
   • On the other hand, AWS Service Catalog follows a standardized approach, where approved products or services are pre-configured with specific settings and options. This ensures consistency and eliminates the need for users to make complex decisions during the deployment process.

4. Key Difference 4: Resource-Level Permissions vs Product Approval:

   • With AWS IAM, users can define and assign granular permissions at the resource level. This means that users can specify which actions can be performed on specific resources, allowing for highly tailored access control.
   • In AWS Service Catalog, the focus is on product approval and management. Organizations can define which products or services are permitted for deployment within the organization, ensuring compliance and enforcing best practices.

5. Key Difference 5: Centralized vs Self-Service Management:

   • AWS IAM is managed centrally by the AWS account administrator, allowing for centralized control and oversight of access permissions.
   • In contrast, AWS Service Catalog provides a self-service portal for end users, enabling them to easily discover and deploy approved services without the need for IT or administrative intervention.

6. Key Difference 6: Controls Access to AWS Services vs Controls Access to Products:

   • AWS IAM controls access to AWS services, ensuring that only authorized users or services can interact with AWS services and resources.
   • On the other hand, AWS Service Catalog controls access to approved products and services, ensuring that only authorized users can discover and deploy specific products.

In Summary, AWS IAM focuses on access control and permissions management for AWS resources, while AWS Service Catalog enables organizations to create and manage catalogs of approved IT services that can be easily deployed and managed by end users.