To remove database passwords from a Lambda application, use end-to-end IAM authentication with Amazon RDS Proxy. Lambda authenticates to the proxy with IAM, and the proxy authenticates to the database with IAM. This differs from standard IAM authentication for RDS Proxy, which still uses a database password stored in AWS Secrets Manager for the proxy-to-database connection.
What changes when you put RDS Proxy between Lambda and the database?
RDS Proxy sits between your Lambda function and an Amazon RDS or Aurora database. It manages a pool of database connections and can share connections across application requests, helping a database handle variable connection demand. It can also improve resilience by connecting to a standby database while preserving application connections. Those capabilities do not guarantee a particular speed-up or cost saving; results depend on your workload and configuration.
With end-to-end IAM, the proxy is also an authentication boundary: Lambda presents IAM credentials to the proxy, and the proxy uses IAM to connect to the database. The application does not need a database password in its code or Lambda configuration, and this design does not require a database-credential secret in Secrets Manager.
Standard IAM versus end-to-end IAM
The phrase “IAM authentication with RDS Proxy” can describe two different arrangements. Check both connection hops before assuming passwords have been eliminated.
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| Authentication mode | Lambda to proxy | Proxy to database | Database password secret required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard IAM authentication | IAM | Password retrieved by the proxy from Secrets Manager | Yes |
| End-to-end IAM authentication | IAM | IAM | No database-credential secret required |
In the standard mode, each database account the proxy uses has its own Secrets Manager secret. It can provide IAM-authenticated access from Lambda to the proxy, but it does not meet the goal of removing stored database credentials. For that goal, configure end-to-end IAM.
Check engine, Region, and VPC support first
Before changing credentials, confirm that RDS Proxy and the required authentication mode are supported for your database engine version and AWS Region. AWS’s Lambda connectivity guidance covers RDS for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server, as well as Aurora MySQL and Aurora PostgreSQL. RDS Proxy feature support can vary by engine version and Region, so consult the current Amazon RDS Proxy documentation and its compatibility information for your exact deployment.
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For the documented Lambda connectivity pattern, the function and database must be in the same VPC. Plan the security-group rules so the function can reach the proxy and the proxy can reach the database on the relevant database port. A working Lambda-to-proxy path alone is not sufficient if the proxy cannot reach the database.
Configure end-to-end IAM authentication
- Confirm network placement and access. Put the Lambda function in the database’s VPC, and check security-group paths for both Lambda-to-proxy and proxy-to-database traffic. Verify support for the selected engine version, Region, and authentication mode.
- Configure a database user for IAM authentication. Create or adapt the database account using the engine-specific AWS instructions. The required database-side setup differs by engine; do not assume that a SQL command for one engine applies to another.
- Configure the proxy for end-to-end IAM. Set the proxy’s default authentication scheme to
IAM_AUTHand associate the required proxy IAM role. Follow AWS’s RDS Proxy IAM-authentication instructions for the role and database configuration. - Scope IAM permissions to the intended database user. Grant the necessary
rds-db:connectpermission for the applicable database account and resource. Restrict its resource scope to the relevant account, Region, database resource identifier, and database username rather than copying sample identifiers or granting broader access than needed. - Give the Lambda execution role the required access. The function’s role must be permitted to connect through the proxy as the intended database user. The exact resource ARN and authentication-token steps depend on the engine and runtime, so use the current AWS instructions for that combination.
- Point the application to the proxy endpoint and enable TLS. Use the RDS Proxy endpoint as the database host, configure TLS/SSL, and use a database client library compatible with the engine’s IAM authentication flow. AWS specifically instructs users to use TLS/SSL when connecting to a proxy with IAM authentication.
- Validate the application before removing old secrets. Confirm that the proxy is available, the function can reach its endpoint, IAM authentication succeeds, and the application’s queries work. If migrating from standard IAM authentication, follow AWS’s migration procedure and verify proxy availability and
DefaultAuthSchemeas directed before proceeding.
What to verify during troubleshooting
- The function cannot reach the proxy: Check that the Lambda function is attached to the database’s VPC and that the function’s network path and security-group rules allow access to the proxy endpoint.
- The proxy cannot connect to the database: Review the proxy-to-database network path and security-group rules separately from the Lambda-to-proxy path.
- IAM authentication is denied: Confirm that the database user is configured for IAM authentication, that the proxy uses
IAM_AUTHas its default authentication scheme, and that the relevant identities have narrowly scopedrds-db:connectpermission for the intended user and resource. - TLS or client connection errors occur: Check the client library’s engine-specific IAM authentication support and ensure TLS/SSL is enabled in the connection settings.
- A feature or setting is unavailable: Recheck engine-version and Region support against current AWS compatibility information; availability and service limits can change.
Should you use RDS Proxy for this change?
Use RDS Proxy with end-to-end IAM when the objective is to avoid storing a database password and to use IAM across both connection hops. Treat standard IAM as a distinct choice: it secures the Lambda-to-proxy hop with IAM but still depends on a Secrets Manager database credential for the proxy-to-database hop.
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