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Creating an AWS IAM User

Creating an AWS IAM User for Defang

To deploy applications with Defang on AWS, you need an IAM user with appropriate permissions and access keys. This guide walks you through the process step by step.

Step 1: Create an IAM User

a. Open the IAM Service

Go to the IAM Users Panel.

b. Click Create User

Click the Create user button at the top right.

Create user button

c. User details

Enter a user name, and assign permissions. Defang requires the PowerUserAccess policy in order to deploy and manage resources in your account.

User name input Assign policies to user

d. Review and Confirm

Review your settings and confirm the creation of the user.


Step 2: Create Access Keys

Access keys are the easiest way to authorize programmatic access to AWS. Follow these steps to create them:

a. Select the New User

After creating the user, locate them in the IAM Users Panel and select the user.

New user in panel

b. Create Access Key

In the User Summary panel, click Create access key.

Key creation panel

c. Select Use Case

For Defang, select the use case "Application running on AWS compute service".

Use case

d. Add Description and Continue

Optionally, provide a description for the key and click Next.

Key description

e. Save Your Access Keys

Your new access key will be generated. Copy and save the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key—you will need these for Defang deployments.

Access keys