TL;DR
AWS profiles are a convenient way to manage and use different sets of credentials and configuration settings in the AWS environment.
What is a AWS profile ?
In the Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment, a profile is a named set of credentials and other configuration details that can be used to access AWS services.
Profiles are typically stored in a local file on the user’s computer. They can be used to specify the credentials, region, and other settings that the AWS command-line tools or SDKs should use when interacting with AWS.
To create or manage profiles, you can use the aws configure command, which will prompt you for the necessary details and store the profile in a file called .aws/credentials in your home directory.
You can then specify which profile to use when running AWS commands by using the --profile option, or by setting the AWS_PROFILE environment variable.
How can it make my life easier ?
There are several reasons why using AWS profiles can be useful in the AWS environment:
- Profiles allow you to store and use multiple sets of credentials for different purposes, such as for different AWS accounts or for different environments (e.g. development, staging, and production). This can make it easier to switch between different credentials without having to manually enter them each time.
- Profiles allow you to store and use sensitive credentials in a secure manner, as the credentials are stored in encrypted form in a local file on your computer. This can help to prevent unauthorised access to your AWS resources
Conclusion
Overall, using AWS profiles can provide convenience, security, and flexibility when working with AWS services. It is a best practice to use profiles whenever possible, especially if you are working with multiple AWS accounts or environments.