backport of commit f24dddf342c3ec34b5e8b6dfec64ff1779021bfa (#22412)

Co-authored-by: Alexander Scheel <alex.scheel@hashicorp.com>

website/content/docs/secrets/pki/index.mdx

@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ The PKI Secrets Engine documentation is split into the following pieces:
  - [Considerations](/vault/docs/secrets/pki/considerations) - A list of helpful
    considerations to keep in mind when using and operating the PKI Secrets
    Engine.
+ - [Troubleshooting ACME](/vault/docs/secrets/pki/troubleshooting-acme) - A list of
+   advice for troubleshooting failures with ACME issuance and Vault PKI.
  - [Rotation Primitives](/vault/docs/secrets/pki/rotation-primitives) - A document
    which explains different types of certificates used to achieve rotation.
 

website/content/docs/secrets/pki/troubleshooting-acme.mdx

@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+---
+layout: docs
+page_title: 'PKI - Secrets Engine: Troubleshooting ACME'
+description: Troubleshoot problems with ACME clients and Vault PKI Secrets Engine's ACME server.
+---
+
+# Troubleshoot PKI Secrets Engine and ACME
+
+Solve common problems related to ACME client integration with Vault PKI
+Secrets Engine's ACME server.
+
+## Error: ACME feature requires local cluster 'path' field configuration to be set
+
+If ACME works on some nodes of a Vault Enterprise cluster but not on
+others, it likely means that the cluster address has not been set.
+
+### Symptoms
+
+When a Vault client reads the ACME config (`/config/acme`) on a
+Performance Secondary nodes or when an ACME client attempts to connect to a
+directory on this node, it will error with:
+
+> ACME feature requires local cluster 'path' field configuration to be set
+
+### Cause
+
+In most cases, cluster path errors mean that the required cluster address is
+not set in your cluster configuration parameter.
+
+### Resolution
+
+For each Performance Replication cluster, read the value of `/config/cluster`
+and ensure the `path` field is set. When it is missing, update the URL to
+point to this mount's path on a TLS-enabled address for this PR cluster; this
+domain may be a load balanced or a DNS round robin address. For example:
+
+```
+$ vault write pki/config/cluster path=https://cluster-b.vault.example.com/v1/pki
+```
+
+Once this is done, re-read the ACME configuration and make sure no warnings
+appear:
+
+```
+$ vault read pki/config/acme
+```
+
+## Error: Unable to register an account with the ACME server
+
+### Symptoms
+
+When registering a new account without an [External Account Binding
+(EAB)](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki#acme-external-account-bindings), the
+Vault Server rejects the request with a response like:
+
+> Unable to register an account with ACME server
+
+with further information provided in the debug logs (in the case of
+`certbot`):
+
+> Server requires external account binding.
+
+or, if the client incorrectly contacted the server, an error like:
+
+> The request must include a value for the 'externalAccountBinding' field
+
+In either case, a new account needs to be created with an EAB token created
+by Vault.
+
+### Cause
+
+If a server has been updated to require `eab_policy=always-required` in the
+[ACME configuration](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki#set-acme-configuration),
+new account registration (and reuse of existing accounts will fail).
+
+### Resolution
+
+Using a Vault token, [fetch a new external account
+binding](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki#get-acme-eab-binding-token) for
+the [desired directory](/vault/api-docs/v1.14.x/secret/pki#acme-directories):
+
+```
+$ vault write -f pki/roles/my-role-name/acme/new-eab
+...
+directory roles/my-role-name/acme/directory
+id        bc8088d9-3816-5177-ae8e-d8393265f7dd
+key       MHcCAQE... additional data elided ...
+...
+```
+
+Then pass this new EAB token into the ACME client. For example, with
+`certbot`:
+
+```
+$ certbot [... additional parameters ...] \
+    --server https://cluster-b.vault.example.com/v1/pki/roles/my-role-name/acme/directory \
+    --eab-kid bc8088d9-3816-5177-ae8e-d8393265f7dd \
+    --eab-hmac-key MHcCAQE... additional data elided ...
+```
+
+Ensure that the ACME directory passed to the ACME client matches that
+fetched from the Vault.
+
+## Error: Failed to verify eab
+
+### Symptoms
+
+When initializing a new account against this Vault server, the ACME client
+might error with a message like:
+
+> The client lacks sufficient authorization :: failed to verify eab
+
+This is caused by requesting an EAB from a directory not matching the
+one the client used.
+
+### Cause
+
+If an EAB account token is incorrectly used with the wrong directory, the
+ACME server will reject the request with an error about insufficient
+permissions.
+
+### Resolution
+
+Ensure the requested EAB token matches the directory. For a given directory
+at `/some/path/acme/directory`, fetch EAB tokens from
+`/some/path/amce/new-eab`. The remaining resolution steps are the same as
+for [debugging account registration
+failures](#debugging-account-registration-failures).
+
+## Error: ACME validation failed for `{challenge_id}`
+
+### Symptoms
+
+When viewing the Vault server logs or attempting to fetch a certificate via
+an ACME client, an error like:
+
+> ACME validation failed for a465a798-4400-6c17-6735-e1b38c23de38-tls-alpn-01: ...
+
+indicates that the server was unable to validate this challenge accepted
+by the client.
+
+### Cause
+
+Vault can not verify the server's identity through the client's requested
+[challenge type](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki#acme-challenge-types) (`dns-01`,
+`http-01`, or `tls-alpn-01`). Vault will not issue the certificate requested
+by the client.
+
+### Resolution
+
+Ensure that DNS is configured correctly from the Vault server's perspective,
+including setting [any custom DNS resolver](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki#dns_resolver).
+
+Ensure that any firewalls are set up to allow Vault to talk to the relevant
+systems (the DNS server in the case of `dns-01`, port 80 on the target
+machine for `http-01`, or port 443 on the target machine for `tls-alpn-01`
+challenges).
+
+## Error: The client lacks sufficient authorization: account in status: revoked
+
+### Symptoms
+
+When attempting to renew a certificate, the ACME client reports an error:
+
+> The client lacks sufficient authorization: account in status: revoked
+
+### Cause
+
+If you run a [manual tidy](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki#tidy_acme) or have
+[auto-tidy](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki#configure-automatic-tidy) enabled
+with `tidy_acme=true, Vault will periodically remove stale ACME accounts.
+
+Connections from clients using removed accounts will be rejected.
+
+### Resolution
+
+Refer to the ACME client's documentation for removing cached local
+configuration and setup a new account, specifying any EABs as required.
+
+## Get help
+
+Please provide the following information when contacting Hashicorp Support
+or filing a GitHub issue to help with our investigation and reproducibility:
+
+ - ACME client name and version
+ - ACME client logs and/or output
+ - Vault server **DEBUG** level logs
+
+## Tutorial
+
+Refer to the [Build Your Own Certificate Authority (CA)](/vault/tutorials/secrets-management/pki-engine)
+guide for a step-by-step tutorial.
+
+Have a look at the [PKI Secrets Engine with Managed Keys](/vault/tutorials/enterprise/managed-key-pki)
+for more about how to use externally managed keys with PKI.
+
+## API
+
+The PKI secrets engine has a full HTTP API. Please see the
+[PKI secrets engine API](/vault/api-docs/secret/pki) for more
+details.

website/data/docs-nav-data.json

@@ -1378,6 +1378,11 @@
             "title": "Considerations",
             "path": "secrets/pki/considerations"
           },
+          {
+            "title": "Troubleshooting ACME integration",
+            "path": "secrets/pki/troubleshooting-acme"
+          },
+
           {
             "title": "Rotation Primitives",
             "path": "secrets/pki/rotation-primitives"