---
layout: docs
page_title: Running Vault - OpenShift
sidebar_title: Running Vault on OpenShift
description: >-
  Vault can run directly on OpenShift in various configurations.  For
  pure-OpenShift workloads, this enables Vault to also exist purely within
  Kubernetes.
---

# Run Vault on OpenShift

~> **Note:** OpenShift support is a beta feature.

The following documentation describes installing, running and using 
Vault and Vault Agent Injector on OpenShift.

## Requirements

The following are required to install Vault and Vault Agent Injector 
on OpenShift:

* Cluster Admin privileges to bind the `auth-delegator` role to Vault's service account
* Helm v3
* OpenShift 4.X
* Vault Helm v0.6.0+
* Vault K8s v0.4.0+

~> **Note:** At this time, Consul does not support OpenShift.  For highly available
  deployments, Raft integrated storage is recommended.

## Additional Resources

The documentation, configuration and examples for Vault Helm and Vault K8s Agent Injector 
are applicable to OpenShift installations.  For more examples see the existing documentation:

* [Vault Helm documentation](/docs/platform/k8s/helm)
* [Vault K8s documentation](/docs/platform/k8s/injector)

## Helm Chart

The [Vault Helm chart](https://github.com/hashicorp/vault-helm)
is the recommended way to install and configure Vault on OpenShift.
In addition to running Vault itself, the Helm chart is the primary
method for installing and configuring Vault Agent Injection Mutating 
Webhook.

While the Helm chart automatically sets up complex resources and exposes the
configuration to meet your requirements, it **does not automatically operate
Vault.** You are still responsible for learning how to monitor, backup, upgrade,
etc. the Vault cluster.

~> **Security Warning:** By default, the chart runs in standalone mode. This
mode uses a single Vault server with a file storage backend. This is a less
secure and less resilient installation that is **NOT** appropriate for a
production setup. It is highly recommended to use a [properly secured Kubernetes
cluster](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/administer-cluster/securing-a-cluster/),
[learn the available configuration
options](/docs/platform/k8s/helm/configuration), and read the [production deployment
checklist](/docs/platform/k8s/helm/run#architecture).

## How-To

### Install Vault

To use the Helm chart, add the Hashicorp helm repository and check that you have
access to the chart:

```shell-session
$ helm repo add hashicorp https://helm.releases.hashicorp.com
"hashicorp" has been added to your repositories

$ helm search repo hashicorp/vault
NAME            	CHART VERSION	APP VERSION	DESCRIPTION
hashicorp/vault 	0.6.0        	1.4.2      	Official HashiCorp Vault Chart
```

-> **Important:** The Helm chart is new and under significant development.
Please always run Helm with `--dry-run` before any install or upgrade to verify
changes.

Use `helm install` to install the latest release of the Vault Helm chart.

```shell-session
$ helm install vault hashicorp/vault
```

Or install a specific version of the chart.

```shell-session
# List the available releases
$ helm search repo hashicorp/vault -l
NAME           	CHART VERSION	APP VERSION	DESCRIPTION
hashicorp/vault	0.6.0        	1.4.2      	Official HashiCorp Vault Chart
hashicorp/vault	0.5.0        	           	Install and configure Vault on Kubernetes.
hashicorp/vault	0.4.0        	           	Install and configure Vault on Kubernetes.

# Install version 0.5.0
$ helm install vault hashicorp/vault --version 0.5.0
```

The `helm install` command accepts parameters to override default configuration
values inline or defined in a file.  For all OpenShift deployments, `global.openshift` 
should be set to `true`.

Override the `server.dev.enabled` configuration value:

```shell-session
$ helm install vault hashicorp/vault \
    --set "global.openshift=true" \
    --set "server.dev.enabled=true"
```

Override all the configuration found in a file:

```shell-session
$ cat override-values.yml
global:
  openshift: true

server:
  ha:
    enabled: true
    replicas: 5
##
$ helm install vault hashicorp/vault \
    --values override-values.yml
```

#### Dev mode

The Helm chart may run a Vault server in development. This installs a single
Vault server with a memory storage backend.

-> **Dev mode:** This is ideal for learning and demonstration environments but
NOT recommended for a production environment.

Install the latest Vault Helm chart in development mode.

```shell-session
$ helm install vault hashicorp/vault \
    --set "global.openshift=true" \
    --set "server.dev.enabled=true"
```

#### Highly Available Raft Mode

The following creates a Vault cluster using the Raft integrated storage backend.

Install the latest Vault Helm chart in HA Raft mode:

```shell-session
$ helm install vault hashicorp/vault \
  --set='global.openshift=true' \
  --set='server.ha.enabled=true' \
  --set='server.ha.raft.enabled=true'
```

Next, initialize and unseal `vault-0` pod:

```shell-session
$ oc exec -ti vault-0 -- vault operator init
$ oc exec -ti vault-0 -- vault operator unseal
```

Finally, join the remaining pods to the Raft cluster and unseal them.  The pods
will need to communicate directly so we'll configure the pods to use the internal
service provided by the Helm chart:

```shell-session
$ oc exec -ti vault-1 -- vault operator raft join http://vault-0.vault-internal:8200
$ oc exec -ti vault-1 -- vault operator unseal

$ oc exec -ti vault-2 -- vault operator raft join http://vault-0.vault-internal:8200
$ oc exec -ti vault-2 -- vault operator unseal
```

To verify if the Raft cluster has successfully been initialized, run the following.

First, login using the `root` token on the `vault-0` pod:

```shell-session
$ oc exec -ti vault-0 -- vault login
```

Next, list all the raft peers:

```shell-session
$ oc exec -ti vault-0 -- vault operator raft list-peers

Node                                    Address                        State       Voter
----                                    -------                        -----       -----
a1799962-8711-7f28-23f0-cea05c8a527d    vault-0.vault-internal:8201    leader      true
e6876c97-aaaa-a92e-b99a-0aafab105745    vault-1.vault-internal:8201    follower    true
4b5d7383-ff31-44df-e008-6a606828823b    vault-2.vault-internal:8201    follower    true
```

Vault with integrated storage (Raft) is now ready to use!

#### External mode

The Helm chart may be run in external mode. This installs no Vault server and
relies on a network addressable Vault server to exist.

Install the latest Vault Helm chart in external mode.

```shell-session
$ helm install vault hashicorp/vault \
    --set "global.openshift=true" \
    --set "injector.externalVaultAddr=http://external-vault:8200"
```

-> **Step-by-step instructions:** The [Integrate a Kubernetes Cluster with an
External Vault](https://learn.hashicorp.com/vault/getting-started-k8s/external-vault)
guide demonstrates using an external Vault within a Kubernetes cluster.
