HCVA0-003

The HashiCorp Certified Vault Associate (HCVA-003) exam focuses on your practical knowledge and skills using HashiCorp Vault. The main points covered can be categorized as follows:

I. Core Vault Concepts:

• Secret Management Fundamentals: Understanding the core principles of secret management, including the importance of secrets, types of secrets (passwords, certificates, database credentials, API keys, etc.), and the lifecycle of a secret.
• Vault Architecture: Knowing the components of Vault (e.g., server, client, storage), its architecture (distributed, highly available), and how it functions.
• Authentication Methods: Familiarity with various authentication methods (e.g., token-based, username/password, AppRole, Kubernetes, AWS IAM, GitHub, etc.) and how to configure and use them.
• Authorization Methods: Understanding different authorization methods (e.g., policies, roles) and their use in controlling access to secrets. This includes understanding how policies are written and applied.
• Secret Engines: Proficiency with common secret engines (e.g., transit, PKI, KV, database, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP). This encompasses understanding their functionality, configuration, and usage scenarios.

II. Practical Vault Operations:

• Installing and Configuring Vault: Understanding how to install and configure Vault, including various deployment options (single node, HA cluster).
• Managing Secrets: Ability to create, read, update, and delete secrets using different secret engines.
• Managing Policies and Roles: Knowing how to create and manage policies and roles to control access to secrets.
• Using Vault CLI: Proficiency in using the Vault command-line interface (CLI) to interact with the Vault server.
• Monitoring and Auditing: Understanding how to monitor Vault's health, performance, and security, as well as using its auditing capabilities.
• Understanding Vault's lifecycle: This includes backup and restore procedures, and disaster recovery strategies.

III. Security Best Practices:

• Security Considerations: Understanding and applying security best practices related to Vault, including secrets rotation, access control, and auditing.
• Integrating Vault with Other Systems: Knowing how to integrate Vault with existing infrastructure and applications.
• Troubleshooting and Problem Solving: The ability to diagnose and resolve common Vault issues.

In short: The exam tests your ability to administer and utilize HashiCorp Vault effectively and securely. It's less about theoretical knowledge and more about practical hands-on experience. You should be comfortable configuring and managing Vault, interacting with its various secret engines, and securing your secrets using appropriate policies and authentication methods. Hands-on labs and practical exercises are crucial for preparation.