A resource directory helps you centrally manage all your Alibaba Cloud accounts. You can organize your accounts into a hierarchy to reflect your business structure. You must enable a resource directory before you can use it.
Prerequisites
The Alibaba Cloud account that you use to enable a resource directory must meet the following requirements:
Enterprise account: The account must have completed enterprise identity verification. Individual accounts cannot be used to enable a resource directory.
Security information: The account must have a mobile phone number or an email address (logon email) configured.
Not a member: The account must not be a member of any other resource directory.
Enablement methods
After your Alibaba Cloud account meets the prerequisites, you can enable a resource directory. As a best practice, use a dedicated account as the management account for your resource directory, separate from accounts that run business workloads. To decide which method to use, you can go to the Resource Center to check whether your current account contains resources. The following methods are available:
Use the current logon account to enable a resource directory
This method is suitable if your current account has no existing resources or workloads.
Create a new management account to enable a resource directory
This method is recommended if your current account already contains resources or runs active workloads.
This method creates a new Alibaba Cloud account to serve as the management account of the resource directory. The new account inherits the enterprise identity verification information from your current account. Your current account automatically becomes a member of the new resource directory.
WarningAfter your current account becomes a member, only the new management account can remove it from the resource directory.
Enable with the current account
Log on to the Resource Management console.
In the navigation pane on the left, choose .
If your billing information is incomplete, a tooltip appears when you hover over the Enable Resource Directory button to flag the missing fields. We recommend that you click the Complete Information link to update your information first. The reminder is optional — you can still click Enable Resource Directory to proceed without completing the information.
Click Enable Resource Directory.
After enabling the resource directory, the system creates a Root folder and designates your current account as the management account.
The system also automatically creates a service-linked role named AliyunServiceRoleForResourceDirectory in the management account. This role allows trusted services integrated with the resource directory to access your resources. For more information about service-linked roles, see RAM roles in a resource directory.
Enable with a new management account
Log on to the Resource Management console.
In the navigation pane on the left, choose .
In the Best Practices section on the right, click Create a new management account.
In the dialog box that appears, enter a custom name in the Account Name field.
Enter a phone number in the Mobile Phone Number field, click Get verification code, and then enter the received code.
Click Enable.
After enabling the resource directory, the system creates a Root folder, designates the new account as the management account, and makes your current account a member of the resource directory.
The system also automatically creates a service-linked role named AliyunServiceRoleForResourceDirectory in the management account. This role allows trusted services integrated with the resource directory to access your resources. For more information about service-linked roles, see RAM roles in a resource directory.
ImportantYou must set a logon password for the new management account. To do this, go to the password reset page and use the mobile phone number that you provided in step 5. You can then log on to the Resource Management console with the new account to manage your resource directory.