Project Overview
A Fortune 500 enterprise client required a scalable, self-service secrets management platform as part of their internal service catalog. The solution needed to enable application teams to rapidly provision HashiCorp Vault clusters on-demand while maintaining strict security controls and high availability.
Note: Client identity and specific environment details are protected under a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Technical details have been generalized.
Active-Active
High Availability Architecture
<10 min
Cluster Provisioning Time
15+
Application Teams Enabled
The Challenge
- Self-Service Model: Application teams needed on-demand Vault clusters without waiting for infrastructure team intervention
- High Availability: Mission-critical applications required 99.9%+ uptime with zero single points of failure
- Standardization: Ensure consistent configuration, security controls, and operational practices across all Vault instances
- Rapid Deployment: Reduce provisioning time from weeks to minutes through automation
- Security Compliance: Meet enterprise security standards for secrets management, audit logging, and access controls
Project Information
- Client: Fortune 500 Enterprise
- Industry: Confidential (NDA)
- Project Date: June 2023
- Duration: 2 months
- Status: Production
Technology Stack
My Role
- Lead Infrastructure Engineer
- CI/CD Pipeline Architect
- Terraform Module Developer
The Solution
Developed a fully automated, modular infrastructure solution that enables application teams to provision production-grade HashiCorp Vault clusters through a simple Git workflow. The Active-Active architecture ensures zero downtime during maintenance and provides seamless horizontal scaling.
Key Implementation Details
- Terraform Modules: Reusable IaC modules with configurable parameters for cluster size, region, and security settings
- Jenkins CI/CD: Automated validation, testing, and deployment pipeline triggered on Git repository push
- Active-Active HA: Multi-AZ deployment with DynamoDB storage backend for consistent performance
- Auto-scaling: Dynamic cluster sizing based on load with automatic node recovery
Results & Impact
- 95% reduction in cluster provisioning time (weeks → minutes)
- 15+ application teams onboarded in first 3 months
- 99.95% uptime achieved across all deployed clusters
- Zero manual interventions required for routine operations
Architecture Highlights
AWS KMS auto-unseal, TLS everywhere, audit logging to CloudWatch
Multi-AZ deployment with DynamoDB backend for zero RPO
GitOps workflow with automated testing and deployment
Key Features
GitOps Workflow
Teams submit configuration via Git pull requests. Automated validation ensures compliance before Jenkins pipeline provisions infrastructure. Full audit trail of all changes.
Modular Design
Reusable Terraform modules enable consistent deployments while allowing customization for specific use cases. Modules tested independently for reliability.
Performance Optimized
DynamoDB storage backend provides consistent low-latency performance. Auto-scaling handles traffic spikes without manual intervention.
Enterprise Security
AWS KMS integration for auto-unseal, encryption at rest and in transit, comprehensive audit logging, and role-based access controls.
Lessons Learned
Self-Service Infrastructure
Empowering teams with self-service capabilities significantly reduces bottlenecks and accelerates delivery. Proper guardrails through automation ensure consistency and security.
Active-Active Architecture
Active-Active Vault clusters with DynamoDB backend eliminate operational complexity of leader election while providing superior availability and performance characteristics.