What is AWS Systems Manager?

AWS Systems Manager provides a unified interface for viewing and controlling your AWS infrastructure. It offers operational insights and enables automation of operational tasks across AWS resources. Key features include Session Manager for secure shell access without SSH keys, Parameter Store for centralized secrets management, Patch Manager for automating patching, State Manager for maintaining system configurations, and Run Command for executing commands across instances. Systems Manager also provides Automation for common maintenance tasks, Inventory for collecting metadata, and Maintenance Windows for scheduling administrative tasks. It integrates with CloudWatch for monitoring and supports hybrid environments including on-premises servers.