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Vault documentation: updated unseal information (#15446)
* updated unseal info * Update architecture.mdx fixed spelling error * updated based on feedback * added new image * Update website/content/docs/commands/operator/init.mdx Co-authored-by: Yoko Hyakuna <yoko@hashicorp.com> * Updates for accuracy Co-authored-by: Yoko Hyakuna <yoko@hashicorp.com>
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@@ -14,16 +14,13 @@ The `operator init` command initializes a Vault server. Initialization is the
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process by which Vault's storage backend is prepared to receive data. Since
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Vault servers share the same storage backend in HA mode, you only need to
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initialize one Vault to initialize the storage backend.
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During initialization, Vault generates an in-memory root key and applies
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Shamir's secret sharing algorithm to disassemble that root key into a
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configuration number of key shares such that a configurable subset of those key
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shares must come together to regenerate the root key. These keys are often
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called "unseal keys" in Vault's documentation.
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This command cannot be run against already-initialized Vault cluster.
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For more information on sealing and unsealing, please the [seal concepts page](/docs/concepts/seal).
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During initialization, Vault generates a root key, which is stored in the storage backend alongside all other Vault data. The root key itself is encrypted and requires an _unseal key_ to decrypt it.
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The default Vault configuration uses [Shamir's Secret Sharing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamir%27s_Secret_Sharing) to split the root key into a configured number of shards (referred as key shares, or unseal keys). A certain threshold of shards is required to reconstruct the root key, which is then used to decrypt the Vault's encryption key.
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Refer to the [Seal/Unseal](/docs/concepts/seal#seal-unseal) documentation for further details.
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## Examples
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@@ -33,16 +33,20 @@ When the Vault server is started, it must be provided with a storage backend so
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that data is available across restarts. The HTTP API similarly must be started
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by the Vault server on start so that clients can interact with it.
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Once started, the Vault is in a _sealed_ state. Before any operation can be
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performed on the Vault it must be unsealed. This is done by providing the unseal
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keys. When the Vault is initialized it generates an encryption key which is used
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to protect all the data. That key is protected by a root key. By default,
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Vault uses a technique known as [Shamir's secret sharing
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algorithm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamir's_Secret_Sharing) to split the
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root key into 5 shares, any 3 of which are required to reconstruct the master
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key.
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When a Vault server is started, it starts in a _sealed_ state. Before any
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operation can be performed on the Vault, it must be _unsealed_. This is done by
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providing the unseal keys. When the Vault is initialized, it generates an
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encryption key which is used to protect all Vault data. This key is protected by
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a root key. By default, Vault uses [Shamir's Secret
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Sharing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamir%27s_Secret_Sharing) to split the
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root key into a configured number of shards (referred as key shares or unseal
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keys). A certain threshold of shards is required to reconstruct the root key,
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which is then used to decrypt the Vault's encryption key.
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[](/img/vault-shamir-secret-sharing.svg)
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Refer to the [Seal/Unseal](/docs/concepts/seal#seal-unseal) documentation for
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further details.
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The number of shares and the minimum threshold required can both be specified.
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Shamir's technique can be disabled, and the root key can be used directly for
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@@ -51,6 +55,10 @@ data in the storage backend, and enters the _unsealed_ state. Once unsealed,
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Vault loads all of the configured audit devices, auth methods, and secrets
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engines.
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-> The default Vault configuration uses a Shamir seal; however, Vault can be [auto
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unseal](/docs/concepts/seal#auto-unseal) by a trusted cloud key management
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system (KMS) or hardware security module (HSM) to increase security.
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The configuration of those audit devices, auth methods, and secrets engines must
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be stored in Vault since they are security sensitive. Only users with the
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correct permissions should be able to modify them, meaning they cannot be
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website/public/img/unseal.png
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website/public/img/unseal.png
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