Design your Vault Enterprise cluster

If you want to implement a robust Vault cluster, you need to understand how Vault manages clusters, storage, and replication.

Before you start

• Complete the HashiCorp Enterprise Academy Onboarding for Vault.
• Watch the Raft consensus demo demo.

Step 1: Plan your cluster architecture

1. Review the Integrated storage overview to learn the basics about Vault integrated storage.
2. Review the Vault multi-cluster architecture guide to learn the best practices for running multiple Vault clusters.
3. Review the Vault Enterprise replication overview to learn the differences between performance replication and disaster recovery replication.
4. Review the Vault with integrated storage reference architecture guide to learn the best practices for using Vault integrated storage in a zero-trust security posture.

Step 2: Review anti-patterns for Vault configuration

You can help keep your Vault environments healthy by avoiding established anti-patterns.

The Hashicorp Well-architected framework documentation provides in-depth Vault anti-patterns guidance based on lessons learned by customers operating Vault in the field.

Step 3: Plan for maintenance at scale

The easiest way to run Vault at scale is to manage Vault programmatically with Terraform and Sentinel.

1. Review the Terraform intro.
2. Review the Programmatic best practices guide to learn about managing Vault through Terraform.
3. Review the Vault namespaces recommendations.