Authenticating with AWS using the AWS SDK for Java 2.x - AWS SDK for Java 2.x
Set up for authenticationAdditional authentication options

Authenticating with AWS using the AWS SDK for Java 2.x

When using the AWS SDK for Java 2.x, an important thing to know about authentication is that the SDK automatically handles the complex request signing process using credentials from your environment or IAM roles without requiring you to implement any cryptographic algorithms.

The SDK manages credential discovery, signature creation, and credential refreshing completely behind the scenes, letting you focus on your application logic.

Set up for authentication

The Authentication and access topic in the AWS SDKs and Tools Reference Guide describes the different authentication approaches. We recommend that you follow the instructions to set up access to the IAM Identity Center so the SDK can acquire credentials.

After following the instructions in AWS SDKs and Tools Reference Guide, your system should be set up to allow the SDK to sign requests:

1. Setup for single sign-on access for the SDK

After you complete Step 2 in the programmatic access section so that the SDK can use IAM Identity Center authentication, your system should contain the following elements.

  • The AWS CLI, which you use to start an AWS access portal session before you run your application.

  • An ~/.aws/config file that contains a default profile. The SDK for Java uses the profile's SSO token provider configuration to acquire credentials before sending requests to AWS. The sso_role_name value, which is an IAM role connected to an IAM Identity Center permission set, should allow access to the AWS services used in your application.

    The following sample config file shows a default profile set up with SSO token provider configuration. The profile's sso_session setting refers to the named sso-session section. The sso-session section contains settings to initiate an AWS access portal session.

    [default]
sso_session = my-sso
sso_account_id = 111122223333
sso_role_name = SampleRole
region = us-east-1
output = json

[sso-session my-sso]
sso_region = us-east-1
sso_start_url = https://provided-domain.awsapps.com/start
sso_registration_scopes = sso:account:access

For more details about the settings used in the SSO token provider configuration, see SSO token provider configuration in the AWS SDKs and Tools Reference Guide.

If your development environment is not set up for programmatic access as previously shown, follow Step 2 in the SDKs Reference Guide.

2. Sign in using the AWS CLI

Before running an application that accesses AWS services, you need an active AWS access portal session in order for the SDK to use IAM Identity Center authentication to resolve credentials. Run the following command in the AWS CLI to sign in to the AWS access portal.

aws sso login

Since you have a default profile setup, you do not need to call the command with a --profile option. If your SSO token provider configuration is using a named profile, the command is aws sso login --profile named-profile.

To test if you already have an active session, run the following AWS CLI command.

aws sts get-caller-identity

The response to this command should report the IAM Identity Center account and permission set configured in the shared config file.

Note

If you already have an active AWS access portal session and run aws sso login, you will not be required to provide credentials.

However, you will see a dialog that requests permission for botocore to access your information. botocore is the foundation for the AWS CLI .

Select Allow to authorize access to your information for the AWS CLI and SDK for Java.

Additional authentication options

For more options on authentication for the SDK, such as the use of profiles and environment variables, see the configuration chapter in the AWS SDKs and Tools Reference Guide.