Integrating Kubernetes with Azure Key Vault

Integrating Kubernetes with Azure Key Vault for managing secrets involves using Azure Key Vault as a secure store for sensitive information like passwords, tokens, or certificates, and then accessing these secrets from within Kubernetes. Here's a general outline of the steps involved:

1. Set Up Azure Key Vault:

   • Create an Azure Key Vault in your Azure subscription.

   • Add secrets, keys, or certificates to the Azure Key Vault that your Kubernetes application will need.

2. Configure Access Policies:

   • Configure Azure Key Vault access policies to control which users and applications can access the stored secrets.

   • You might need to create a service principal or use Managed Identities in Azure to authenticate requests from Kubernetes to Azure Key Vault.

3. Integrate with Kubernetes:

   • There are different ways to integrate Azure Key Vault with Kubernetes. One popular method is using the Azure Key Vault Provider for Secrets Store CSI Driver, which allows Kubernetes to retrieve secrets stored in Azure Key Vault and mount them into pods.

4. Install and Configure the Secrets Store CSI Driver:

   • Install the Secrets Store Container Storage Interface (CSI) driver in your Kubernetes cluster.

   • Deploy necessary CustomResourceDefinitions (CRDs) and the Azure Key Vault Provider.

5. Create a SecretProviderClass:

   • Define a SecretProviderClass resource that references the Azure Key Vault and specifies which secrets to retrieve.

6. Mount Secrets into Pods:

   • Modify your Kubernetes pod definitions to include a volume that uses the Secrets Store CSI driver.

   • The driver fetches the specified secrets from Azure Key Vault and mounts them into your pods.

7. Access Secrets in the Application:

   • Update your application to read secrets from the mounted volume.

8. Rotating and Updating Secrets:

   • Plan for secret rotation and updates. When a secret is updated in Azure Key Vault, you need a strategy to update it in the Kubernetes pods.

9. Security Considerations:

   • Ensure that access to the Key Vault is securely managed, and only necessary permissions are granted.

   • Regularly audit access and usage of the secrets.

10. Monitoring and Logging:

    • Set up monitoring and logging to track access and usage of secrets, both in Azure Key Vault and in Kubernetes.

This process requires a good understanding of both Azure and Kubernetes. The exact steps and configurations may vary based on your specific requirements and the versions of Kubernetes and Azure services you are using. Always refer to the latest official documentation for Azure Key Vault and Kubernetes for the most current guidance and best practices.