Authorizing Aggregator Accounts to Collect AWS Config Configuration and Compliance Data

Authorization refers to the permissions you grant to an aggregator account and region to collect your AWS Config configuration and compliance data. Authorization is not required if you are aggregating source accounts that are part of AWS Organizations. You can use the AWS Config console or the AWS CLI to authorize aggregator accounts.

Considerations

There are two types of aggregators: Individual account aggregator and Organization aggregator

For an individual account aggregator, authorization is required for all source accounts and Regions that you want to include, including both external accounts and Regions and Organization member accounts and Regions.

For an organization aggregator, authorization is not required for Organization member account regions since authorization is integrated with the AWS Organizations service.

Aggregators do not automatically enable AWS Config on your behalf

AWS Config needs to be enabled in the source account and Region for either type of aggregator, in order for AWS Config data to be generated in the source account and Region.

Adding Authorization

Adding Authorization (Console)

You can add authorization to grant permission to aggregator accounts and Regions to collect AWS Config configuration and compliance data.

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Config console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/config/.

2. Navigate to the Authorizations page and choose Add authorization.

3. For Aggregator account, type the 12-digit account ID of an aggregator account.

4. For Aggregator region, choose the AWS Regions where the aggregator account is allowed to collect AWS Config configuration and compliance data.

5. Choose Add authorization to confirm your selection.

   AWS Config displays an aggregator account, Region, and authorization status.

   Note

   You can also add authorizations to aggregator accounts and Regions programatically using AWS CloudFormation sample templates. For more information, see AWS::Config::AggregationAuthorization in the AWS CloudFormation User Guide.

Authorizing a Pending Request (Console)

If you have a pending authorization request from an existing aggregator account you will see the request status on the Authorizations page. You can authorize a pending request from this page.

1. Choose the aggregator account that you want to authorize, and then choose Authorize.

   A confirmation message is displayed to confirm that you want to grant the aggregator account permission to collect AWS Config data from this account.

2. Choose Authorize again to confirm that you want to grant permission to the aggregator account.

   The authorization status changes from Requesting for authorization to Authorized.

Authorization approval period

Authorization approval is required to add source accounts to an individual account aggregator. A pending authorization approval request will be available for 7 days after an individual account aggregator adds a source account.

Adding Authorization (AWS CLI)

1. Open a command prompt or a terminal window.

2. Enter the following command:

   aws configservice put-aggregation-authorization --authorized-account-id  AccountID --authorized-aws-region Region

3. You should see output similar to the following:

   
   {
       "AggregationAuthorization": {
           "AuthorizedAccountId": "AccountID",
           "AggregationAuthorizationArn": "arn:aws:config:Region:AccountID:aggregation-authorization/AccountID/Region",
           "CreationTime": 1518116709.993,
           "AuthorizedAwsRegion": "Region"
       }
   }