What does the command "vault status" do in HashiCorp Vault?

The command "vault status" is specifically designed to provide the current operational status of the Vault server. When executed, it will output important information such as whether the Vault server is sealed or unsealed, the version of Vault running, and the cluster status if applicable. This command is crucial for administrators to quickly assess the health and readiness of the Vault server before engaging in any secret operations or management tasks.

This command does not retrieve secrets, as that function requires different Vault commands and appropriate permission settings. It also does not initialize a Vault instance—that is done through a separate command specifically for initialization. Similarly, updating the configuration of the Vault server involves different commands intended for configuring storage backends, policies, and various other settings, rather than simply checking the server's current status. Thus, the command's purpose is solely focused on providing the operational state of Vault.