open-vault/website/source/api/system/init.html.md

layout	page_title	sidebar_title	sidebar_current	description
api	/sys/init - HTTP API	<code>/sys/init</code>	api-http-system-init	The `/sys/init` endpoint is used to initialize a new Vault.

/sys/init

The /sys/init endpoint is used to initialize a new Vault.

Read Initialization Status

This endpoint returns the initialization status of Vault.

Method	Path
GET	/sys/init

Sample Request

$ curl \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/sys/init

Sample Response

{
  "initialized": true
}

Start Initialization

This endpoint initializes a new Vault. The Vault must not have been previously initialized. The recovery options, as well as the stored shares option, are only available when using Vault HSM.

Method	Path
PUT	/sys/init

Parameters

• pgp_keys (array<string>: nil) – Specifies an array of PGP public keys used to encrypt the output unseal keys. Ordering is preserved. The keys must be base64-encoded from their original binary representation. The size of this array must be the same as secret_shares.

• root_token_pgp_key (string: "") – Specifies a PGP public key used to encrypt the initial root token. The key must be base64-encoded from its original binary representation.

• secret_shares (int: <required>) – Specifies the number of shares to split the master key into.

• secret_threshold (int: <required>) – Specifies the number of shares required to reconstruct the master key. This must be less than or equal secret_shares. If using Vault HSM with auto-unsealing, this value must be the same as secret_shares.

Additionally, the following options are only supported on Vault Pro/Enterprise:

• stored_shares (int: <required>) – Specifies the number of shares that should be encrypted by the HSM and stored for auto-unsealing. Currently must be the same as secret_shares.

• recovery_shares (int: <required>) – Specifies the number of shares to split the recovery key into.

• recovery_threshold (int: <required>) – Specifies the number of shares required to reconstruct the recovery key. This must be less than or equal to recovery_shares.

• recovery_pgp_keys (array<string>: nil) – Specifies an array of PGP public keys used to encrypt the output recovery keys. Ordering is preserved. The keys must be base64-encoded from their original binary representation. The size of this array must be the same as recovery_shares.

Sample Payload

{
  "secret_shares": 10,
  "secret_threshold": 5
}

Sample Request

$ curl \
    --request PUT \
    --data @payload.json \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/sys/init

Sample Response

A JSON-encoded object including the (possibly encrypted, if pgp_keys was provided) master keys, base 64 encoded master keys and initial root token:

{
  "keys": ["one", "two", "three"],
  "keys_base64": ["cR9No5cBC", "F3VLrkOo", "zIDSZNGv"],
  "root_token": "foo"
}