# Connecting to your RDS Custom DB instance using Session Manager
Connecting using Session Manager

**Note**  
End of support notice: On March 31, 2027, AWS will end support for Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle. After March 31, 2027, you will no longer be able to access the RDS Custom for Oracle console or RDS Custom for Oracle resources. For more information, see [RDS Custom for Oracle end of support](RDS-Custom-for-Oracle-end-of-support.md).

After you create your RDS Custom DB instance, you can connect to it using AWS Systems Manager Session Manager. This is the preferred technique when your DB instance isn't publicly accessible.

Session Manager allows you to access Amazon EC2 instances through a browser-based shell or through the AWS CLI. For more information, see [AWS Systems Manager Session Manager](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/session-manager.html).

## Console


**To connect to your DB instance using Session Manager**

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the Amazon RDS console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/rds/](https://console.aws.amazon.com/rds/).

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Databases**, and then choose the RDS Custom DB instance to which you want to connect.

1. Choose **Configuration**.

1. Note the **Resource ID** for your DB instance. For example, the resource ID might be `db-ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS0123456`.

1. Open the Amazon EC2 console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/).

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Instances**.

1. Look for the name of your EC2 instance, and then click the instance ID associated with it. For example, the instance ID might be `i-abcdefghijklm01234`.

1. Choose **Connect**.

1. Choose **Session Manager**.

1. Choose **Connect**.

   A window opens for your session.

## AWS CLI


You can connect to your RDS Custom DB instance using the AWS CLI. This technique requires the Session Manager plugin for the AWS CLI. To learn how to install the plugin, see [Install the Session Manager plugin for the AWS CLI](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/session-manager-working-with-install-plugin.html).

To find the DB resource ID of your RDS Custom DB instance, use `aws rds [describe-db-instances](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/rds/describe-db-instances.html)`.

```
aws rds describe-db-instances \
    --query 'DBInstances[*].[DBInstanceIdentifier,DbiResourceId]' \
    --output text
```

The following sample output shows the resource ID for your RDS Custom instance. The prefix is `db-`.

```
db-ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS0123456
```

To find the EC2 instance ID of your DB instance, use `aws ec2 describe-instances`. The following example uses `db-ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS0123456` for the resource ID.

```
aws ec2 describe-instances \
    --filters "Name=tag:Name,Values=db-ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS0123456" \
    --output text \
    --query 'Reservations[*].Instances[*].InstanceId'
```

The following sample output shows the EC2 instance ID.

```
i-abcdefghijklm01234
```

Use the `aws ssm start-session` command, supplying the EC2 instance ID in the `--target` parameter.

```
aws ssm start-session --target "i-abcdefghijklm01234"
```

A successful connection looks like the following.

```
Starting session with SessionId: yourid-abcdefghijklm1234
[ssm-user@ip-123-45-67-89 bin]$
```