Before starting the integration, make sure you have:

• Installed and configured HashiCorp Vault server.
• CentOS 7 operating system with administrator (root) privileges.

Installation of HashiCorp Vault Client

1. Adding HashiCorp Repository: Firstly, add the HashiCorp repository to your CentOS 7 system:

   sudo yum install -y yum-utils
   sudo yum-config-manager --add-repo https://rpm.releases.hashicorp.com/RHEL/hashicorp.repo
   

2. Installation of Vault Client: After adding the repository, install the Vault client:

   sudo yum install -y vault
   

Configuration of Vault Client

After installation, configure the client to communicate with the Vault server:

1. Setting Environment Variables: Set environment variables for Vault address and token. You'll obtain this information from the Vault server configuration.

   export VAULT_ADDR='http://VAULT_SERVER_ADDRESS:8200'
   export VAULT_TOKEN='YOUR_VAULT_TOKEN'
   

2. Verifying Connection: Verify that the Vault client is properly configured and can communicate with the Vault server:

   vault status
   

Integration with Deployment Script

After configuring the client, you can proceed with integrating Vault into your deployment scripts:

1. Retrieving Secrets: In your deployment script, add commands to retrieve the necessary secrets from Vault. Example of retrieving a password from Vault:

   DB_PASSWORD=$(vault kv get -field=password secret/myapp/database)
   

2. Using Secrets: After retrieving the secrets, you can use them in configuration files or directly in deployment scripts. It's important to ensure that these secrets are not exposed or stored on disk in plain text.

Security Recommendations

• Minimal Permissions: Ensure that the token used for accessing Vault has minimal permissions required for reading specific secrets.
• Token Rotation: Regularly rotate Vault tokens and passwords to ensure higher security.
• Auditing: Enable auditing on the Vault server to track accesses and operations with secrets.

Integrating HashiCorp Vault into automated deployment scripts on CentOS 7 enhances the security and efficiency of secrets management. It's important to follow best practices and security recommendations when working with sensitive data.