Register a directory with WorkSpaces - Amazon WorkSpaces

Register a directory with WorkSpaces

To allow WorkSpaces to use an existing AWS Directory Service directory, you must register it with WorkSpaces. After you register a directory, you can launch WorkSpaces in the directory.

Requirements

To register a directory for use with WorkSpaces, it must meet the following requirement:

  • If you're using AWS Managed Microsoft AD or Simple AD, your directory can be in a dedicated private subnet, as long as the directory has access to the VPC where the WorkSpaces are located.

For more information about directory and VPC design, see the Best Practices for Deploying Amazon WorkSpaces whitepaper.

Note

Simple AD and AD Connector are made available to you free of charge to use with WorkSpaces. If there are no WorkSpaces being used with your Simple AD or AD Connector directory for 30 consecutive days, this directory will be automatically deregistered for use with Amazon WorkSpaces, and you will be charged for this directory as per the AWS Directory Service pricing terms.

To delete empty directories, see Delete the directory for your WorkSpaces. If you delete your Simple AD or AD Connector directory, you can always create a new one when you want to start using WorkSpaces again.

To register a directory

  1. Open the WorkSpaces console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/workspaces/.

  2. In the navigation pane, choose Directories.

  3. Select the directory.

  4. Choose Actions, Register.

    Note

    • Shared directories are not currently supported for use with Amazon WorkSpaces.

    • If your AWS Managed Microsoft AD directory has been configured for multi-Region replication, only the directory in the primary Region can be registered for use with Amazon WorkSpaces. Attempts to register the directory in a replicated Region for use with Amazon WorkSpaces will fail. Multi-Region replication with AWS Managed Microsoft AD isn't supported for use with Amazon WorkSpaces within replicated Regions.

  5. Select two subnets of your VPC that are not from the same Availability Zone. These subnets will be used to launch your WorkSpaces. For more information, see Availability Zones for Amazon WorkSpaces.

    Note

    If you do not know which subnets to choose, select No Preference.

  6. For Enable Self Service Permissions, choose Yes to enable your users to rebuild their WorkSpaces, change volume size, compute type and running mode. Enabling may impact how much you pay for Amazon WorkSpaces. Choose No otherwise.

  7. For Enable Amazon WorkDocs, choose Yes to register the directory for use with Amazon WorkDocs or No otherwise.

    Note

    This option is displayed only if Amazon WorkDocs is available in the Region and if you're not using AWS Managed Microsoft AD. If you're using AWS Managed Microsoft AD, finish registering your directory, and then see Enable Amazon WorkDocs for AWS Managed Microsoft AD.

  8. Choose Register. Initially the value of Registered is REGISTERING. After registration is complete, the value is Yes.

When you are finished using the directory with WorkSpaces, you can deregister it. Note that you must deregister a directory before you can delete it. If you want to deregister and delete a directory, you must first find and remove all the applications and services that are registered to the directory. For more information, see Delete Your Directory in the AWS Directory Service Administration Guide.

To deregister a directory

  1. Open the WorkSpaces console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/workspaces/.

  2. In the navigation pane, choose Directories.

  3. Select the directory.

  4. Choose Actions, Deregister.

  5. When prompted for confirmation, choose Deregister. After deregistration is complete, the value of Registered is No.