---
layout: docs
page_title: Storing the Snapshot Agent Config in Vault
description: >-
  Configuring the Consul Helm chart to use a snapshot agent config stored in Vault.
---

# Storing the Snapshot Agent Config in Vault

This topic describes how to configure the Consul Helm chart to use a snapshot agent config stored in Vault.
## Overview
To use an ACL replication token stored in Vault, follow the steps outlined in the [Data Integration](/docs/k8s/deployment-configurations/vault/data-integration) section.

Complete the following steps once:
  1. Store the secret in Vault.
  1. Create a Vault policy that authorizes the desired level of access to the secret.

Repeat the following steps for each datacenter in the cluster:
  1. Create Vault Kubernetes auth roles that link the policy to each Consul on Kubernetes service account that requires access.
  1. Update the Consul on Kubernetes helm chart.

## Prerequisites
Prior to setting up the data integration between Vault and Consul on Kubernetes, you will need to have:  
1. Read and completed the steps in the [Systems Integration](/docs/k8s/deployment-configurations/vault/systems-integration) section of [Vault as a Secrets Backend](/docs/k8s/deployment-configurations/vault).
2. Read the [Data Integration Overview](/docs/k8s/deployment-configurations/vault/data-integration) section of [Vault as a Secrets Backend](/docs/k8s/deployment-configurations/vault).

## Store the Secret in Vault

First, store the snapshot agent config in Vault:

```shell-session
$ vault kv put secret/consul/snapshot-agent-config key="<snapshot agent JSON config>"
```

## Create Vault policy

Next, you will need to create a policy that allows read access to this secret.

The path to the secret referenced in the `path` resource is the same values that you will configure in the  `client.snapshotAgent.configSecret.secretName` Helm configuration (refer to [Update Consul on Kubernetes Helm chart](#update-consul-on-kubernetes-helm-chart)).

<CodeBlockConfig filename="snapshot-agent-config-policy.hcl">

```HCL
path "secret/data/consul/snapshot-agent-config" {
  capabilities = ["read"]
}
```

</CodeBlockConfig>

Apply the Vault policy by issuing the `vault policy write` CLI command:

```shell-session
$ vault policy write snapshot-agent-config-policy snapshot-agent-config-policy.hcl
```

## Create Vault Authorization Roles for Consul

Next, you will create a Kubernetes auth role for the Consul snapshot agent:

```shell-session
$ vault write auth/kubernetes/role/consul-server \
    bound_service_account_names=<Consul snapshot agent service account> \
    bound_service_account_namespaces=<Consul installation namespace> \
    policies=snapshot-agent-config-policy \
    ttl=1h
```

To find out the service account name of the Consul snapshot agent,
you can run the following `helm template` command with your Consul on Kubernetes values file:

```shell-session
$ helm template --release-name ${RELEASE_NAME} -s templates/client-snapshot-agent-serviceaccount.yaml hashicorp/consul -f values.yaml
```

## Update Consul on Kubernetes Helm chart

Now that you have configured Vault, you can configure the Consul Helm chart to
use the snapshot agent configuration in Vault:

<CodeBlockConfig filename="values.yaml">

```yaml
global:
  secretsBackend:
    vault:
      enabled: true
      consulSnapshotAgentRole: snapshot-agent
client:
  snapshotAgent:
    configSecret:
      secretName: secret/data/consul/snapshot-agent-config
      secretKey: key
```

</CodeBlockConfig>

Note that `client.snapshotAgent.configSecret.secretName` is the path of the secret in Vault.
This should be the same path as the one you included in your Vault policy.
`client.snapshotAgent.configSecret.secretKey` is the key inside the secret data. This should be the same
as the key you passed when creating the snapshot agent config secret in Vault.
