How does AWS Config ensure compliance over time?

AWS Config ensures compliance over time primarily by maintaining an inventory of resource configurations, which provides a detailed view of the state of resources in your AWS environment. This inventory includes information about the configurations of AWS resources and their relationships.

By continually monitoring and recording these configurations, AWS Config allows you to assess whether your resources comply with desired configurations and rules established through AWS Config Rules. If a resource deviates from its approved configuration, AWS Config can trigger alerts or corrective actions, thereby ensuring that resources remain compliant over time.

Additionally, maintaining this inventory facilitates auditing and governance, as you can refer to historical snapshots to understand configuration changes and their implications, enabling effective compliance management.