open-vault/website/source/docs/commands/operator/init.html.md
2018-05-10 13:42:01 -07:00

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---
layout: "docs"
page_title: "operator init - Command"
sidebar_current: "docs-commands-operator-init"
description: |-
The "operator init" command initializes a Vault server. Initialization is the
process by which Vault's storage backend is prepared to receive data. Since
Vault server's share the same storage backend in HA mode, you only need to
initialize one Vault to initialize the storage backend.
---
# operator init
The `operator init` command initializes a Vault server. Initialization is the
process by which Vault's storage backend is prepared to receive data. Since
Vault server's share the same storage backend in HA mode, you only need to
initialize one Vault to initialize the storage backend.
During initialization, Vault generates an in-memory master key and applies
Shamir's secret sharing algorithm to disassemble that master key into a
configuration number of key shares such that a configurable subset of those key
shares must come together to regenerate the master key. These keys are often
called "unseal keys" in Vault's documentation.
This command cannot be run against already-initialized Vault cluster.
For more information on sealing and unsealing, please the [seal concepts page](/docs/concepts/seal.html).
## Examples
Start initialization with the default options:
```text
$ vault operator init
```
Initialize, but encrypt the unseal keys with pgp keys:
```text
$ vault operator init \
-key-shares=3 \
-key-threshold=2 \
-pgp-keys="keybase:hashicorp,keybase:jefferai,keybase:sethvargo"
```
Encrypt the initial root token using a pgp key:
```text
$ vault operator init -root-token-pgp-key="keybase:hashicorp"
```
## Usage
The following flags are available in addition to the [standard set of
flags](/docs/commands/index.html) included on all commands.
### Output Options
- `-format` `(string: "")` - Print the output in the given format. Valid formats
are "table", "json", or "yaml". The default is table. This can also be
specified via the `VAULT_FORMAT` environment variable.
### Common Options
- `-key-shares` `(int: 5)` - Number of key shares to split the generated master
key into. This is the number of "unseal keys" to generate. This is aliased as
`-n`.
- `-key-threshold` `(int: 3)` - Number of key shares required to reconstruct the
master key. This must be less than or equal to -key-shares. This is aliased as
`-t`.
- `-pgp-keys` `(string: "...")` - Comma-separated list of paths to files on disk
containing public GPG keys OR a comma-separated list of Keybase usernames
using the format "keybase:<username>". When supplied, the generated unseal
keys will be encrypted and base64-encoded in the order specified in this list.
The number of entries must match -key-shares, unless -store-shares are used.
- `-root-token-pgp-key` `(string: "")` - Path to a file on disk containing a
binary or base64-encoded public GPG key. This can also be specified as a
Keybase username using the format "keybase:<username>". When supplied, the
generated root token will be encrypted and base64-encoded with the given
public key.
- `-status` `(bool": false)` - Print the current initialization status. An exit
code of 0 means the Vault is already initialized. An exit code of 1 means an
error occurred. An exit code of 2 means the mean is not initialized.
### Consul Options
- `-consul-auto` `(bool: false)` - Perform automatic service discovery using
Consul in HA mode. When all nodes in a Vault HA cluster are registered with
Consul, enabling this option will trigger automatic service discovery based on
the provided -consul-service value. When Consul is Vault's HA backend, this
functionality is automatically enabled. Ensure the proper Consul environment
variables are set (CONSUL_HTTP_ADDR, etc). When only one Vault server is
discovered, it will be initialized automatically. When more than one Vault
server is discovered, they will each be output for selection. The default is
false.
- `-consul-service` `(string: "vault")` - Name of the service in Consul under
which the Vault servers are registered.
### HSM Options
- `-recovery-pgp-keys` `(string: "...")` - Behaves like `-pgp-keys`, but for the
recovery key shares. This is only used in HSM mode.
- `-recovery-shares` `(int: 5)` - Number of key shares to split the recovery key
into. This is only used in HSM mode.
- `-recovery-threshold` `(int: 3)` - Number of key shares required to
reconstruct the recovery key. This is only used in HSM mode.
- `-stored-shares` `(int: 0)` - Number of unseal keys to store on an HSM. This
must be equal to `-key-shares`.