AWS SSM Parameter Store Overview
- Secure Storage: SSM Parameter Store provides secure storage for configuration data and secrets.
- Encryption: Optional encryption of stored parameters using AWS KMS for enhanced security.
- Serverless: The service is serverless, meaning it scales automatically and requires no infrastructure management.
- SDK Integration: Offers an easy-to-use SDK for integration with applications.
- Version Tracking: Supports version tracking for parameter updates.
- IAM Security: Access control is managed through AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM).
- EventBridge Notifications: Integration with Amazon EventBridge for receiving notifications on specific events.
- CloudFormation Integration: Parameters can be used as inputs for AWS CloudFormation stacks.
Examples of Usage
- Plain Text Configuration: Store non-sensitive configuration data as plain text.
- Encrypted Configuration: Store sensitive data encrypted with AWS KMS, ensuring applications have access to the necessary KMS keys.
- Hierarchical Organization: Organize parameters in a hierarchical structure (e.g.,
/department/my-app/dev/db-url).
- IAM Policy Simplification: Structure allows for simplified IAM policies targeting departments, apps, or specific environments.
- Secrets Manager Integration: Access Secrets Manager secrets through Parameter Store using specific references.
- Public Parameters: Utilize AWS-provided public parameters, such as the latest Amazon Linux 2 AMI for a region.

Systems Manager Parameter Tiers
- Standard Tier:
- Size limit: 4KB
- Parameter policies: None
- Cost: Free
- Advanced Tier:
- Size limit: 8KB
- Parameter policies: Available
- Cost: $0.05 per month