AWS Systems Manager adds customization options for onboarding configuration

AWS Systems Manager now enables customers to customize their configurations when enabling the new Systems Manager experience, which provides centralized node management capabilities across AWS accounts and Regions. Customers can choose to enable or disable default EC2 instance permissions for Systems Manager connectivity, set the frequency of inventory metadata collection, and define how often the SSM Agent automatically updates.

These options allow customers to tailor their Systems Manager setup while centrally managing their nodes. The new Systems Manager experience uses Default Host Management Configuration (DHMC) to grant EC2 instances permissions to connect to Systems Manager. This simplifies setup and permission management and replaces the previous approach that attached IAM instance profiles to each instance. Customers who prefer to self-manage SSM Agent permissions for EC2 instances can opt out of DHMC to use their own policies. Customers can also define inventory collection schedules and SSM Agent update frequencies that align with their operational requirements. By providing these configuration options, Systems Manager enables customers to manage settings through their preferred methods, including self-managed Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools and processes.

These customization options are available in all AWS Regions where the new Systems Manager experience is available.

You can select these customization options when you first onboard to the new Systems Manager experience. If you've already onboarded, you can review the new options and upgrade to the latest configuration version from the Systems Manager settings page. To learn more about Systems Manager onboarding configurations, visit the AWS Systems Manager documentation.