What is "Unsealing" in HashiCorp Vault?

Unsealing in HashiCorp Vault refers specifically to the process of decrypting the master key to gain access to a sealed Vault. When Vault is sealed, it means that its data is encrypted and not accessible until it is unsealed. This condition is a security measure used to protect sensitive data stored within Vault.

To unseal Vault, a quorum of unseal keys is required, which means that a certain number of key holders must provide their portion of the master key. This multi-party computation ensures that no single person has the ability to unseal the Vault on their own, reinforcing security practices.

After unsealing, administrators can interact with Vault’s APIs and manage its operations, such as storing secrets or managing authentication. Understanding the unsealing process is crucial for anyone working with Vault, as it directly relates to the operation and security of the secret management tool. Other options relate to different administrative tasks but do not pertain to the specific action of unsealing.