+++
title = "AWS Account and User"
weight = 200
+++

## AWS Account for Experimentation

To deploy our app, you'll need access to an AWS account. If you already have an
account and your system is configured with credentials of an administrator user,
you can [move to the next step](./300-nodejs.html).

{{% notice warning %}}
If you are using an existing account, either personal or
a company account, make sure you understand the implications and policy of
provisioning resources into this account.
{{% /notice %}}

If you don't have an AWS account, you can [create a free account
here](https://portal.aws.amazon.com/billing/signup).

## Administrator User

2. Sign in to your AWS account
3. Go to the AWS IAM console and [create a new user](https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/home?#/users$new).
4. Type a name for your user (e.g. `cdk-workshop`) and choose "Programmatic access".

    ![](./new-user-1.png)

5. Click **Next: Permissions** to continue to the next step.
6. Click **Attach existing policies directly** and choose **AdministratorAccess**.

    ![](./new-user-2.png)

7. Click **Next: Review**
8. Click **Next: Tags**
9. Click **Create User**
10. In the next screen, you'll see your **Access key ID** and you will have the option
   to click **Show** to show the **Secret access key**. Keep this browser window open.

    ![](./new-user-3.png)

## Configure your credentials

Open a terminal window and use `aws configure` to set up your environment. Type
the __access key ID__ and __secret key__ and choose a default region (you can
use `us-east-1`, `eu-west-1`, `us-west-2` for example). Preferably use a region
that doesn't have any resources already deployed into it.

```
aws configure
```

And fill in the information from the console:

```
AWS Access Key ID [None]: <type key ID here>
AWS Secret Access Key [None]: <type access key>
Default region name [None]: <choose region (e.g. "us-east-1", "eu-west-1")>
Default output format [None]: <leave blank>
```