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In this guide, you’ll learn how to start a Vault server locally, initialize it with Raft storage, configure AWS KMS for auto-unseal, migrate from Shamir sealing to AWS KMS, and validate the auto-unseal workflow. This is ideal for test environments and hands-on practice toward certification.
  • Vault v1.10.0-ent or later
  • AWS CLI v2 configured with sufficient IAM permissions
  • A customer-managed AWS KMS key in the desired region
  • Basic knowledge of Vault CLI and AWS IAM

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Table of Contents

  1. Initial Vault Configuration
  2. Start Vault Server
  3. Initialize & Unseal Vault
  4. Enable KV Secrets Engine
  5. Configure AWS KMS Auto-Unseal
  6. Grant AWS IAM Permissions
  7. Set AWS Credentials
  8. Restart & Migrate Seal
  9. Validate Auto-Unseal

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1. Initial Vault Configuration

Create a vault.hcl with Raft storage and default Shamir sealing (no seal stanza yet): 
storage "raft" {
  path    = "/Users/bk/vault/data"
  node_id = "btk-macbook-pro"
}

listener "tcp" {
  address         = "0.0.0.0:8200"
  cluster_address = "0.0.0.0:8201"
  tls_disable     = true
}

api_addr     = "http://btk-macbook-pro:8200"
cluster_addr = "http://btk-macbook-pro:8201"
cluster_name = "btk-macbook-pro"
ui           = true
log_level    = "INFO"
license_path = "/Users/bk/vault/vault.hclic"

​
2. Start Vault Server

Launch Vault with the above configuration: 
vault server -config=vault.hcl
Look for: 
Version: Vault v1.10.0-ent
Storage: raft (HA available)
Api Address: http://btk-macbook-pro:8200
Cluster Address: https://btk-macbook-pro:8201
==> Vault server started! Log data will stream in below:
In a new shell, set: 
export VAULT_ADDR="http://127.0.0.1:8200"

​
3. Initialize & Unseal Vault

  1. Check status: 
    vault status
    Expected output: 
    Seal Type        shamir
Initialized      false
Sealed           true
Storage Type     raft
HA Enabled       true
  2. Initialize Vault with 1 key share and threshold: 
    vault operator init -key-shares=1 -key-threshold=1
    Save the Unseal Key and Initial Root Token.
  3. Unseal Vault: 
    vault operator unseal <your-unseal-key>
  4. Login: 
    vault login <your-root-token>
  5. Verify unseal: 
    vault status

​
4. Enable KV Secrets Engine

Enable the KV (Key/Value) secrets engine and add a sample secret: 
vault secrets enable kv
vault kv put kv/hcvop certification=fun

​
5. Configure AWS KMS Auto-Unseal

Edit vault.hcl to include the seal stanza for AWS KMS: 
seal "awskms" {
  region     = "us-east-1"
  kms_key_id = "arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:003674902126:key/8bc6b2ab-840a-4eef-8f2d-5616a3e67900"
}

storage "raft" {
  path    = "/Users/bk/vault/data"
  node_id = "btk-macbook-pro"
}

listener "tcp" {
  address         = "0.0.0.0:8200"
  cluster_address = "0.0.0.0:8201"
  tls_disable     = true
}

api_addr     = "http://btk-macbook-pro:8200"
cluster_addr = "http://btk-macbook-pro:8201"
cluster_name = "btk-macbook-pro"
ui           = true
log_level    = "INFO"
license_path = "/Users/bk/vault/vault.hclic"

​
5.1 Retrieve KMS Key ARN

In the AWS KMS console, copy your customer-managed key ARN:
The image shows an AWS Key Management Service (KMS) console screen displaying details of a customer-managed key, including its general configuration and key administrators. The background features various logos and icons.

​
6. Grant AWS IAM Permissions

Create an IAM user with programmatic access and attach a policy allowing Vault to use the KMS key.
The image shows a web page from the AWS Management Console where a user is being added. It includes fields for setting user details and selecting AWS access types.
The image shows an AWS IAM Management Console screen where a user is being added, with options to set permissions by attaching existing policies directly. The background features various tech-related logos.
Example IAM policy: 
{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "kms:Encrypt",
        "kms:Decrypt",
        "kms:DescribeKey"
      ],
      "Resource": "arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:003574902126:key/88cbe20f-848a-4eef-87d4-561636729908"
    }
  ]
}
IAM ActionDescription
kms:EncryptAllows encryption operations
kms:DecryptAllows decryption operations
kms:DescribeKeyAllows viewing key metadata

​
7. Set AWS Credentials

In your shell, export the IAM user credentials and region: 
export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID="AKIAQBWYKRZAXUEDIHZ"
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="srKLi5zFuJRj8E23mRoY5w5FgLzts23cb52K"
export AWS_REGION="us-east-1"
Perform seal migration only in a non-production environment first. Ensure you have backups of your unseal keys before proceeding.

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8. Restart & Migrate Seal

  1. Stop the Vault process (Ctrl+C).
  2. Restart with the updated vault.hcl: 
    vault server -config=vault.hcl
  3. You’ll see: 
    [WARN]  core: entering seal migration mode; Vault will not automatically unseal even if using an autoseal: from_barrier_type=shamir
  4. Migrate the seal: 
    vault operator unseal -migrate <your-unseal-key>
    Successful output: 
    [INFO] core: migrating from shamir to auto-unseal: to=awskms
[INFO] core: seal migration complete

​
9. Validate Auto-Unseal

  1. Stop and start Vault again: 
    vault server -config=vault.hcl
  2. Look for: 
    [INFO] core: vault is unsealed
[INFO] core: unsealed with stored key
  3. Confirm seal type: 
    vault status
    The Seal Type should be awskms and Sealed should be false.
You have now configured Vault with AWS KMS auto-unseal, migrated from Shamir, and verified the process. For more details, see:

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