Parameter hierarchy examples Querying parameters in a hierarchy Restricting access to Parameter Store API operations Manage parameters using hierarchies (AWS CLI)

Working with parameter hierarchies

Managing dozens or hundreds of parameters as a flat list is time consuming and prone to errors. It can also be difficult to identify the correct parameter for a task. This means you might accidentally use the wrong parameter, or you might create multiple parameters that use the same configuration data.

You can use parameter hierarchies to help you organize and manage parameters. A hierarchy is a parameter name that includes a path that you define by using forward slashes (/).

Topics

Parameter hierarchy examples
Querying parameters in a hierarchy
Restricting access to Parameter Store API operations
Manage parameters using hierarchies (AWS CLI)

Parameter hierarchy examples

The following example uses three hierarchy levels in the name to identify the following:

/Environment/Type of computer/Application/Data

/Dev/DBServer/MySQL/db-string13

You can create a hierarchy with a maximum of 15 levels. We suggest that you create hierarchies that reflect an existing hierarchical structure in your environment, as shown in the following examples:

Your Continuous integration and Continuous delivery environment (CI/CD workflows)

/Dev/DBServer/MySQL/db-string

/Staging/DBServer/MySQL/db-string

/Prod/DBServer/MySQL/db-string
Your applications that use containers
```
/MyApp/.NET/Libraries/my-password
```
Your business organization

/Finance/Accountants/UserList

/Finance/Analysts/UserList

/HR/Employees/EU/UserList

Parameter hierarchies standardize the way you create parameters and make it easier to manage parameters over time. A parameter hierarchy can also help you identify the correct parameter for a configuration task. This helps you to avoid creating multiple parameters with the same configuration data.

You can create a hierarchy that allows you to share parameters across different environments, as shown in the following examples that use passwords in development and staging environment.

/DevTest/MyApp/database/my-password

You could then create a unique password for your production environment, as shown in the following example:

/prod/MyApp/database/my-password

You aren't required to specify a parameter hierarchy. You can create parameters at level one. These are called root parameters. For backward compatibility, all parameters created in Parameter Store before hierarchies were released are root parameters. The systems treats both of the following parameters as root parameters.

/parameter-name

parameter-name

Querying parameters in a hierarchy

Another benefit of using hierarchies is the ability to query for all parameters within a hierarchy by using the GetParametersByPath API operation. For example, if you run the following command from the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI), the system returns all parameters in the IIS level.


aws ssm get-parameters-by-path --path /Dev/Web/IIS

To view decrypted SecureString parameters in a hierarchy, you specify the path and the --with-decryption parameter, as shown in the following example.


aws ssm get-parameters-by-path --path /Prod/ERP/SAP --with-decryption

Restricting access to Parameter Store API operations

Using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies, you can provide or restrict user access to Parameter Store API operations and content.

In the following sample policy, users are first granted access to run the PutParameter API operation on all parameters in the AWS account 123456789012 in the US East (Ohio) Region (us-east-2). But then users are restricted from changing values of existing parameters because the Overwrite option is explicitly denied for the PutParameter operation. In other words, users who are assigned this policy can create parameters, but not make changes to existing parameters.


{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "ssm:PutParameter"
            ],
            "Resource": "arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:123456789012:parameter/*"
        },
        {
            "Effect": "Deny",
            "Action": [
                "ssm:PutParameter"
            ],
            "Condition": {
                "StringEquals": {
                    "ssm:Overwrite": [
                        "true"
                    ]
                }
            },
            "Resource": "arn:aws:ssm:us-east-2:123456789012:parameter/*"
        }
    ]
}

Manage parameters using hierarchies (AWS CLI)

This procedure shows how to work with parameters and parameter hierarchies by using the AWS CLI.

To manage parameters using hierarchies

Install and configure the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI), if you haven't already.

For information, see Installing or updating the latest version of the AWS CLI.
Run the following command to create a parameter that uses the allowedPattern parameter and the String parameter type. The allowed pattern in this example means the value for the parameter must be between 1 and 4 digits long.
Linux & macOS
```
aws ssm put-parameter \
    --name "/MyService/Test/MaxConnections" \
    --value 100 --allowed-pattern "\d{1,4}" \
    --type String
```
Windows
```
aws ssm put-parameter ^
    --name "/MyService/Test/MaxConnections" ^
    --value 100 --allowed-pattern "\d{1,4}" ^
    --type String
```
The command returns the version number of the parameter.

Run the following command to attempt to overwrite the parameter you just created with a new value.

The system returns the following error because the new value doesn't meet the requirements of the allowed pattern you specified in the previous step.

An error occurred (ParameterPatternMismatchException) when calling the PutParameter operation: Parameter value, cannot be validated against allowedPattern: \d{1,4}

Run the following command to create a SecureString parameter that uses an AWS managed key. The allowed pattern in this example means the user can specify any character, and the value must be between 8 and 20 characters.

Run the following commands to create more parameters that use the hierarchy structure from the previous step.

Run the following command to get the value of two parameters.

Run the following command to query for all parameters within a single level.
Linux & macOS
```
aws ssm get-parameters-by-path \
    --path "/MyService/Test"
```
Windows
```
aws ssm get-parameters-by-path ^
    --path "/MyService/Test"
```

Run the following command to delete two parameters.

Warning Javascript is disabled or is unavailable in your browser.

To use the Amazon Web Services Documentation, Javascript must be enabled. Please refer to your browser's Help pages for instructions.

Document Conventions

Assigning parameter policies

Working with parameter labels