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+# AWS Benchmarking Authentication
+
+This document describes how Telescope pipelines authenticate to AWS for benchmark runs, covering the current OIDC-based approach and the infrastructure setup required.
+
+## Overview
+
+Telescope uses **OIDC (OpenID Connect) federation** to authenticate Azure DevOps (ADO) pipelines to AWS. Instead of storing long-lived static IAM access keys, the pipeline obtains short-lived temporary credentials at runtime through the AWS Toolkit for Azure DevOps extension.
+
+### Authentication Flow
+
+```
+ADO Pipeline
+  └─ AWSShellScript@1 task (AWS Toolkit extension)
+       ├─ ADO issues an OIDC token via the service connection
+       ├─ AWS Toolkit exchanges the token with AWS STS (AssumeRoleWithWebIdentity)
+       └─ Injects AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, AWS_SESSION_TOKEN
+            └─ Pipeline exports these as pipeline variables
+                 └─ Shared "AWS Login" step configures the AWS CLI
+```
+
+### Key Files
+
+| File | Purpose |
+|------|---------|
+| `steps/cloud/aws/login.yml` | Central AWS auth template used by all AWS pipelines |
+| `jobs/competitive-test.yml` | Job template that passes `credential_type` to login |
+| `steps/setup-tests.yml` | Passes `credential_type` from job to cloud login |
+
+## Credential Types
+
+The `credential_type` parameter controls how AWS credentials are obtained. It flows from the pipeline → `jobs/competitive-test.yml` → `steps/setup-tests.yml` → `steps/cloud/aws/login.yml`.
+
+### `service_connection` (required for OIDC)
+
+Uses the **AWS Toolkit for Azure DevOps** extension (`AWSShellScript@1` task) with an ADO service connection. This is required for OIDC authentication.
+
+- The service connection is referenced via the `$(AWS_SERVICE_CONNECTION)` pipeline variable
+- The extension automatically handles the OIDC token exchange and returns temporary credentials (access key, secret key, session token)
+
+```yaml
+# Pipeline usage
+credential_type: service_connection
+```
+
+> **Note:** The `variable_group` credential type stores static IAM access keys in an ADO variable group, so it does not support OIDC.
+
+## Pipeline Configuration
+
+The ADO service connection `AWS-for-Telescope-OIDC` has been configured with a role in the AWS benchmarking account. To use OIDC authentication, pipelines need to set the following variables:
+
+### `AWS_SERVICE_CONNECTION`
+
+Set this pipeline variable to `AWS-for-Telescope-OIDC`:
+
+```yaml
+variables:
+  AWS_SERVICE_CONNECTION: AWS-for-Telescope-OIDC
+```
+
+### `aws.rolecredential.maxduration`
+
+Controls the credential lifetime in seconds. The AWS IAM role is configured with a maximum session duration of `43200` (12 hours). Pipelines must set `aws.rolecredential.maxduration` to a value less than or equal to `43200` that covers the full duration of the benchmark run:
+
+```yaml
+variables:
+  aws.rolecredential.maxduration: 43200
+```
+