Key points

• The Management Console is a browser interface suited to exploration and one-time tasks.
• The AWS CLI and SDKs call service APIs and support repeatable automation.
• API access should use appropriately protected credentials and preferably temporary role credentials.

Best-known use cases

• Perform an occasional visual administration task in the console.
• Automate repeatable operations through the CLI, an SDK, or service APIs.

What candidates often confuse it with

• The CLI is command-line automation; SDKs integrate AWS calls into application code.
• CloudFormation declares infrastructure so AWS can create repeatable resource stacks.

Key Cloud Practitioner takeaway

Choose an access method by whether a person or a repeatable process needs to perform the action.

Related services

• AWS CloudFormation
• AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Relevant exam tasks

• D3.1

Learn more

• Tools to Build on AWS