How to Create a Lambda Function to Export IAM Users to S3 as a CSV File

Managing AWS resources efficiently often requires automation. One common task is exporting a list of IAM users into a CSV file for auditing or reporting purposes. AWS Lambda is an excellent tool to achieve this, combined with the power of S3 for storage. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Understand the Requirements
Before starting, ensure you have the following:

• IAM permissions to list users (iam:ListUsers) and access S3 (s3:PutObject).
• An existing S3 bucket to store the generated CSV file.
• A basic understanding of AWS Lambda and its environment.

Step 2: Create an S3 Bucket

1. Log in to the AWS Management Console.
2. Navigate to S3 and create a new bucket or use an existing one.
3. Note the bucket name for use in the Lambda function.

Step 3: Set Up a Lambda Function

1. Go to the Lambda service in the AWS Console.
2. Click on Create Function and choose the option to create a function from scratch.
3. Configure the runtime environment (e.g., Python or Node.js).
4. Assign an appropriate IAM role to the Lambda function with permissions for IAM and S3 operations. (If you want my code , just comment "ease-py-code" on my blog , will share you 🫶 )

Step 4: Implement Logic for IAM and S3

• The Lambda function will:
  • Retrieve a list of IAM users using the AWS SDK.
  • Format the list into a CSV structure.
  • Upload the file to the specified S3 bucket.

Step 5: Test the Function

1. Use the AWS Lambda testing tools to trigger the function.
2. Verify that the CSV file is successfully uploaded to the S3 bucket.

Step 7: Monitor and Review

• Check the S3 bucket for the uploaded CSV files.
• Review the Lambda logs in CloudWatch to ensure the function runs successfully.

By following these steps, you can automate the task of exporting IAM user information into a CSV file and store it securely in S3, making it easier to track and manage your AWS users.

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