IAM Policy

Definition: Identity and Access Managment Policy is a set of rules that define WHAT users/groups can DO with WHICH resources. Ultimately It is the "bridge" that connects the Who (Group) to the What (Verb/Resource) and the Where (Compartment).

It connects:

👤 Users / 👥 Groups 📦 Compartments ⚙️ Actions (read, write, manage) 🧠 Simple Formula

👉 Policy = WHO + WHAT + WHERE

WHO → Group (e.g., Developers)

WHAT → Action (read, manage, use)

WHERE → Compartment

⚡ Real Example (Very Important)

Policy:

Allow group Developers to manage instances in compartment Dev

👉 Meaning:

👥 Developers (WHO)

⚙️ can manage instances (WHAT)

📦 in Dev compartment (WHERE)

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Conceptual View

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🔑 Common Actions in OCI Policies

inspect → view basic info (Auditing purpose)

read → see full details (Monitoring purpose)

use → use resource (but not change) (Day to Day admin task i.e CPU +/-)

manage → full control (Most powerfull)

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Steps to define policy in OCI

**Note:You can create only 500 policies per compartement.**

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🏢 Real-Life Analogy

In a company: HR Department (Group) Can access employee records (Action) Only in HR system (Compartment)

👉 That rule = IAM Policy

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🎯 Why IAM Policies Matter ✔️ Control access securely ✔️ Prevent unauthorized actions ✔️ Follow least privilege principle

🧾 One-Line Summary

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👉 IAM Policy = Rule that controls who can access what resources in OCI and how>

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