Amazon WorkDocs Update – auto provisioning of directory users

April 25, 2024: New customer sign-ups and account upgrades are no longer available for Amazon WorkDocs. For migration options, see How to Migrate Content from Amazon WorkDocs on the AWS Business Productivity blog.

Amazon WorkDocs recently announced auto activation.  Auto activation is an automated provisioning of all directory users, which assists administrators in deploying their WorkDocs site at scale.  With auto activation, all directory users are provided a valid WorkDocs account when the site is provisioned. This enables each directory user to sign in with their existing corporate credentials and begin using full WorkDocs functionality as a Managed User. This can be done without the site administrator having to manually activate each user, one by one.  A Managed User has 1 TB of personal storage and can save files and collaborate with others on a WorkDocs site.

As a default system setting, auto activation not only ensures that the directory user can log in with their existing corporate credentials but also do so as a managed user. However, site administrators are still able to manage user roles (Admin, Power User, Guest User, User) and status (Active or Inactive) via the Admin Control Panel. They can also disable auto activation if desired.  As site administrators own the roll out WorkDocs to their organization, they can decide how to communicate with users to get them started.  While all directory users are managed users by default for newly created sites, billing occurs only when the user first logs in.

This feature is available at no extra charge and you can start benefiting from it today.  Let’s now show you how it works!

Step 1: Setting up and launching your WorkDocs site

For instructions on setting up and launching your WorkDocs site, please see the Administration Guide to get started.  Note that this feature is available by default for all newly created WorkDocs sites (Simple Active Directory, Managed Active Directory, and Connected Active Directory). All you must do is simply attach your directory when provisioning your WorkDocs site during the site creation process and user auto-provisioning will automatically occur.

Step 2: Rolling out WorkDocs to your organization

When you roll out WorkDocs to your organization, you can decide how to communicate to your directory users that they have a valid WorkDocs account. They can then go ahead and get started with WorkDocs. Note that this communication to these directory users would be external to WorkDocs in order to manage and control the rollout to the desired directory users or groups.

Step 3: The Admin Controls to manage user activation

While auto activation is enabled by default for all new sites, site administrators can disable auto activation at any time from the Admin Control Panel. Under My Account, choose Open admin control panel.  Next choose Change under the Security section.  Then disable Auto activation.

When disabled, the site administrator can then select who is allowed to activate directory users.

Now available

This feature is available to all Amazon WorkDocs customers at no additional charge.

Amazon WorkDocs provides you a fully managed, secure content creation, storage, and collaboration service. With Amazon WorkDocs, you can easily create, edit, and share content, and because it’s stored centrally on AWS, you can access it from anywhere on any device.

The WorkDocs team is working on many new features, and as always, would love to hear your feedback and ideas. Contact us through the Amazon WorkDocs forum, or leave your feedback and questions in this blog post’s comments section.

About the Author

Harold Abell is a Senior Product Manager at AWS for Amazon WorkDocs where he builds customer centric solutions for organizations that are looking to improve end user productivity. Outside of work, Harold enjoys spending time outdoors, including camping and hiking.