# AWS: Managing Access to IAM Groups

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to configure [#grant-kits](https://docs.abbey.io/how-abbey-works/concepts#grant-kits "mention") to automate access requests to an AWS IAM Group by attaching [AWS IAM Group Memberships](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/hashicorp/aws/latest/docs/resources/iam_user_group_membership). This use case models Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) using core AWS IAM components.

We will be using the [AWS IAM Starter Kit](https://github.com/abbeylabs/abbey-starter-kit-aws-iam) as a base and replace configuration stubs for our use case.

## Before you start

1. **Make sure you have:**
   * An [Abbey account](https://app.abbey.so/sign-up)
   * An [Abbey API Key](https://docs.abbey.io/getting-started/tutorials/broken-reference)
   * An AWS User with the [IAMFullAccess](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-managed-policy/latest/reference/IAMFullAccess.html) policy 
2. **Make sure you setup:**
   * An [AWS IAM Starter Kit](https://github.com/abbeylabs/abbey-starter-kit-aws-iam) by following [get-a-starter-kit](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/get-a-starter-kit "mention")
   * A Connection to a repo by following [connect-a-repo](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/connect-a-repo "mention")

## Step 1: Create Your User and Group

In the AWS IAM Console, create a new user and group. Do not add the user to the group at this time.

<figure><img src="https://1502779850-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FudoTqG501gLo2MLzBG55%2Fuploads%2F4U5fmBlsY6moNKl9z0FH%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b02164ca-2751-45ac-83f8-0c0902a118c2" alt=""><figcaption><p>Add a User</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://1502779850-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FudoTqG501gLo2MLzBG55%2Fuploads%2FPMN9c1t4xa7R0nijfm2Q%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c4dfe906-187f-4afc-8edb-0567740da636" alt=""><figcaption><p>Add a Group</p></figcaption></figure>

## Step 2: Configure Your Grant Kit

### Configure Output

Grant Kits rely on your GitHub account and repository name to output access changes, which we'll set through Terraform local variables. Update the `locals` block in `main.tf` with your `account_name` and `repo_name`

{% code title="main.tf" %}

```hcl
 locals {
  account_name = "" #CHANGEME
  repo_name = "" #CHANGEME
  ...
}
```

{% endcode %}

### Configure Reviewers

Workflow defines who should approve an access request.&#x20;

Let's update the `reviewers` block by adding yourself as the reviewer by switching `replace-me@example.com` with the email address you use to sign into Abbey.&#x20;

{% code title="main.tf" %}

```diff
 resource "abbey_grant_kit" "..." {
   ...
   workflow = {
     steps = [
       {
         reviewers = {
-          one_of = ["replace-me@example.com"] # CHANGEME
+          one_of = ["alice@example.com"]
```

{% endcode %}

### (optional) Configure AWS Region

The default for this Starter Kit uses `us-east-1`. If your AWS infrastructure is in another region, you can replace it in `providers.tf`.

{% code title="providers.tf" lineNumbers="true" %}

```hcl
provider "aws" {
  region = "us-east-1"  # CHANGEME (if necessary)
}
```

{% endcode %}

## Step 3: Link AWS IAM with Abbey

Now you'll need to link [AWS IAM with Abbey](https://developers.abbey.io/#operation/createAppData).&#x20;

{% code title="" %}

```diff
curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ABBEY_API_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  https://api.abbey.io/v1/users/<user_id>/apps \
  -d '{"type": "aws_iam", "data": {"id": "<your AWS IAM user ID>"}}'
```

{% endcode %}

## Step 4: Deploy Your Starter Kit

First, add your GitHub-related secrets to your repo's repository secrets:

* `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`
* `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`
* `ABBEY_TOKEN`

You can find the AWS keys in your AWS account.

The ABBEY\_TOKEN is your API key.

<details>

<summary>What should it look like?</summary>

![](https://1502779850-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FudoTqG501gLo2MLzBG55%2Fuploads%2FQA6aayAqyVGNOddwjo9c%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=128e6ac8-b8ea-4e24-a682-9a497c1d6847)

</details>

To deploy your Starter Kit, follow instructions from [deploying-your-grant-kit](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/deploying-your-grant-kit "mention").

## Step 5: Automate Access Management

:tada: Congratulations! Abbey is now managing permissions to your Resource for you. :tada:

You can now start requesting and approving access by following the [requesting-access](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/requesting-access "mention") and [approving-or-denying-access-requests](https://docs.abbey.io/build-a-grant-kit/approving-or-denying-access-requests "mention") guides.

{% hint style="success" %}
Abbey strives to help you automate and secure access management without being intrusive.

To that end, this Pull Request contains native Terraform HCL code using normal open source Terraform Provider libraries. It represents the permissions change. In this case, it's just a simple creation of a new Terraform Resource.
{% endhint %}

After approving the request, you should be able to see that the User has been added to the Group in the AWS console. <br>

<figure><img src="https://1502779850-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FudoTqG501gLo2MLzBG55%2Fuploads%2Fq3pwAwYxFzq3aYF9NdE1%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=5ca46dba-acbc-43a4-9297-fbbc25992fa0" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Next Steps

To learn more about what [resources](https://docs.abbey.io/resources "mention") you can configure, try one of our [](https://docs.abbey.io/getting-started/tutorials "mention").

For more information on how Abbey works, visit the [concepts](https://docs.abbey.io/how-abbey-works/concepts "mention") or [grant-kits](https://docs.abbey.io/reference/grant-kits "mention") page.