Implementation Checklist

Implementation Checklist

Phase 1: Vault Integration (Week 1)

• Configure Vault KV v2 secrets engine for SMTP path

• Create access policies for SMTP credentials

• Implement encryption/decryption functions (AES-256-GCM)

• Test credential storage and retrieval

Phase 2: Storage Workflow (Week 1-2)

• Implement credential storage during MailU setup

• Encrypt passwords before Vault storage

• Add audit logging for storage events

• Test end-to-end VPS provisioning with credential storage

Phase 3: Admin Access (Week 2)

• Create platform admin API endpoints

• Implement re-authentication requirement

• Build secure credential viewing UI

• Add time-limited access (15 minutes)

• Test admin credential retrieval workflow

Phase 4: Automated Rotation (Week 3)

• Implement rotation check cron job (daily at 02:00 UTC)

• Build automated rotation workflow

• Add rotation notifications (7 days before)

• Test automated rotation end-to-end

• Verify zero downtime during rotation

Phase 5: Emergency Reset (Week 3)

• Implement emergency reset API endpoint

• Build emergency reset UI component

• Add security alerts for emergency resets

• Test emergency reset workflow

• Document incident response procedures

Phase 6: Disaster Recovery (Week 4)

• Document VPS failure recovery procedures

• Test credential recovery to new VPS

• Implement Vault backup restoration

• Conduct disaster recovery drill

• Verify RTO/RPO targets met

Phase 7: Monitoring & Alerts (Week 4)

• Configure audit log monitoring

• Set up alerts for suspicious activity

• Create admin dashboard for audit trail

• Test alert delivery (email, Slack)

• Document monitoring procedures

Related Documentation

Route Specifications

• Infrastructure SSH Access Routes - SSH and secrets management UI

• Admin Routes - Admin secrets management panel

• Settings Routes - General settings navigation

Feature Documentation

• Vault SSH Management - SSH key storage and rotation

• Vault API Keys - Tenant API key system

• Vault Disaster Recovery - Backup and recovery

• Email Infrastructure Setup - MailU configuration

• Hostwind Management - VPS provisioning workflow

API Documentation

• Platform API - Platform-level endpoints

• Tenant SMTP API - SMTP configuration endpoints

• API Reference - Complete API documentation

Architecture & Security

• Vault Integration Architecture - Complete Vault architecture

• Multi-Tenant Architecture - Tenant isolation

• Enterprise Security - Security features

• Security Monitoring - Monitoring and alerting

Planning & Review

• Integrations Review - Integration completeness review

• Feature Completeness Review Requirements - Review requirements

• Technical Roadmap - Infrastructure roadmap

Implementation Tasks

• Task 11.5 - SMTP Credentials Vault Storage - SMTP credentials implementation

• Task 11.3 - Vault Integration Architecture - Architecture documentation

• Task 11.4 - VPS SSH Key Management - SSH key storage

• Task 11.6 - Tenant API Key System - API key storage

• Task 11.7 - Vault Disaster Recovery - Disaster recovery

• Epic 5: Infrastructure Management - Internal task reference for infrastructure work

External Resources

• HashiCorp Vault Documentation - Official Vault docs

• Vault KV Secrets Engine - Key-value storage

• Vault Access Policies - Access control

• AES-256-GCM Encryption - Encryption standard

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Last Updated: November 26, 2025 Document Version: 1.0 Status: APPROVED Next Review: December 26, 2025

This document provides comprehensive guidance for implementing secure SMTP credential storage in HashiCorp Vault with automated rotation, emergency reset, and disaster recovery capabilities.