---
layout: docs
page_title: Azure Key Vault - Seals - Configuration
description: >-
  The Azure Key Vault seal configures Vault to use Azure Key Vault as the seal
  wrapping

  mechanism.
---

# `azurekeyvault` Seal

-> **Note:** The Seal Wrap functionality is enabled by default. For this reason, the KMS service must be available throughout Vault's runtime and not just during the unseal process. Refer to the [Seal Wrap](/vault/docs/enterprise/sealwrap) documenation for more information.

The Azure Key Vault seal configures Vault to use Azure Key Vault as the seal
wrapping mechanism. The Azure Key Vault seal is activated by one of the following:

- The presence of a `seal "azurekeyvault"` block in Vault's configuration file.
- The presence of the environment variable `VAULT_SEAL_TYPE` set to `azurekeyvault`.
  If enabling via environment variable, all other required values specific to
  Key Vault (i.e. `VAULT_AZUREKEYVAULT_VAULT_NAME`, etc.) must be also supplied, as
  well as all other Azure-related environment variables that lends to successful
  authentication (i.e. `AZURE_TENANT_ID`, etc.).

## `azurekeyvault` Example

This example shows configuring Azure Key Vault seal through the Vault
configuration file by providing all the required values:

```hcl
seal "azurekeyvault" {
  tenant_id      = "46646709-b63e-4747-be42-516edeaf1e14"
  client_id      = "03dc33fc-16d9-4b77-8152-3ec568f8af6e"
  client_secret  = "DUJDS3..."
  vault_name     = "hc-vault"
  key_name       = "vault_key"
}
```

## `azurekeyvault` Parameters

These parameters apply to the `seal` stanza in the Vault configuration file:

- `tenant_id` `(string: <required>)`: The tenant id for the Azure Active Directory organization. May
  also be specified by the `AZURE_TENANT_ID` environment variable.

- `client_id` `(string: <required or MSI>)`: The client id for credentials to query the Azure APIs.
  May also be specified by the `AZURE_CLIENT_ID` environment variable.

- `client_secret` `(string: <required or MSI>)`: The client secret for credentials to query the Azure APIs.
  May also be specified by the `AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET` environment variable.

- `environment` `(string: "AZUREPUBLICCLOUD")`: The Azure Cloud environment API endpoints to use. May also
  be specified by the `AZURE_ENVIRONMENT` environment variable.

- `vault_name` `(string: <required>)`: The Key Vault vault to use the encryption keys for encryption and
  decryption. May also be specified by the `VAULT_AZUREKEYVAULT_VAULT_NAME` environment variable.

- `key_name` `(string: <required>)`: The Key Vault key to use for encryption and decryption. May also be specified by the
  `VAULT_AZUREKEYVAULT_KEY_NAME` environment variable.

- `resource` `(string: "vault.azure.net")`: The AZ KeyVault resource's DNS Suffix to connect to.
  May also be specified in the `AZURE_AD_RESOURCE` environment variable.
  Needs to be changed to connect to Azure's Managed HSM KeyVault instance type.

- `disabled` `(string: "")`: Set this to `true` if Vault is migrating from an auto seal configuration. Otherwise, set to `false`.

Refer to the [Seal Migration](/vault/docs/concepts/seal#seal-migration) documentation for more information about the seal migration process.


## Authentication

Authentication-related values must be provided, either as environment
variables or as configuration parameters.

Azure authentication values:

- `AZURE_TENANT_ID`
- `AZURE_CLIENT_ID`
- `AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET`
- `AZURE_ENVIRONMENT`
- `AZURE_AD_RESOURCE`

~> **Note:** If Vault is hosted on Azure, Vault can use Managed Service
Identities (MSI) to access Azure instead of an environment and shared client id
and secret. MSI must be
[enabled](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/managed-service-identity/qs-configure-portal-windows-vm)
on the VMs hosting Vault, and it is the preferred configuration since MSI
prevents your Azure credentials from being stored as clear text. Refer to the
[Production
Hardening](/vault/tutorials/operations/production-hardening) tutorial
for more best practices.

-> **Note:** If you are using a Managed HSM KeyVault, `AZURE_AD_RESOURCE` or the `resource`
configuration parameter must be specified; usually this should point to `managedhsm.azure.net`,
but could point to other suffixes depending on Azure environment.

## `azurekeyvault` Environment Variables

Alternatively, the Azure Key Vault seal can be activated by providing the following
environment variables:

- `VAULT_AZUREKEYVAULT_VAULT_NAME`
- `VAULT_AZUREKEYVAULT_KEY_NAME`

## Key Rotation

This seal supports rotating keys defined in Azure Key Vault. Key metadata is
stored with the encrypted data to ensure the correct key is used during
decryption operations. Simply [set up Azure Key Vault with key
rotation](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/key-vault-key-rotation-log-monitoring)
using Azure Automation Account and Vault will recognize newly rotated keys.

## Tutorial

Refer to the [Auto-unseal using Azure Key Vault](/vault/tutorials/auto-unseal/autounseal-azure-keyvault)
tutorial to learn how to use the Azure Key Vault to auto-unseal a Vault server.