The Problem
In a multi-region Azure architecture, managing secrets across different regions can be challenging.
While Azure Key Vault is excellent for storing secrets, there's no built-in way to automatically sync secrets between Key Vaults in different regions or anything like a main/replica scenario.
We would like to have the secrets across regions to:
- Increase the availability of the secrets, if the entire main region goes down by any reasons, we can still point the workloads to read the secrets from the replica
- In some cases, we need to deploy resources in the replica region, and from those cases, some has specific requirements (e.g. Disk Encryption for Azure Virtual Machines) which requires the key to be saved in a Keyvault at the very same region of the Disk/VM.
I looked and even found a powershell script, would may do the job of syncing data between two keyvaults. However, we have several (around 30 in the main region) and manually running a powershell script wouldn't be my most preferred day-to-day activity.
Our requirements:
- ✅ Sync secrets from a source Key Vault (e.g., West Europe) to destination vault in other regions (e.g., North Europe)
- ✅ Run automatically on a defined schedule (every 5 minutes)
- ✅ Support Azure Workload Identity for secure, credential-free authentication
- ✅ Support multiple vaults with flexible configuration
- ✅ Zero downtime during regional failover scenarios
The Solution: AKV-Sync
With those requirements in mind, I started to work in built AKV-Sync, a Kubernetes-native solution that runs as a CronJob and automatically syncs secrets between Azure Key Vaults across regions.
NOTE: For full-disclosure: I had A LOT of support from AI engines in this process, in order to speed up the coding and the troubleshooting (I've used claude and cursor).
Key Features
- 🔐 Secure Authentication - Uses Azure Workload Identity (no stored credentials!) 1.1 - Worst case scenario, if your company does not have workload identities in place yet, you can use service principals client_id/client_secret to run the script (and I strongly recommend invest time and effort to migrate to WI as soon as possible, to make your life even easier)
- 🔍 Auto-Discovery - Automatically discovers vault resource groups
- 🎯 Flexible Selection - Support for specific vaults, all vaults, or all-except patterns
- 📝 Smart Sync - Only syncs changed secrets, tracks disabled secrets
- 🔔 Notifications - Integrates with Slack, Teams, Telegram, and email
- 📊 Comprehensive Logging - Detailed logs with version tracking
- 🎨 Naming Patterns - Flexible destination vault naming conventions
1. Core Script (akv-sync.sh)
The heart of the solution is a bash script (and my friend Francis suggested implement this on Go or Python - But since bash is my strongest skill for this type of things, was way easier to stick to it and troubleshoot):
#!/bin/bash
#############################################
# Azure Key Vault Multi-Region Sync Script
# Version: 2.1 (Autodiscovery Fixed)
#############################################
set -euo pipefail
# Script version - can be overridden at build time
SCRIPT_VERSION="${SCRIPT_VERSION:-2.1-dev}"
SCRIPT_BUILD_DATE="${SCRIPT_BUILD_DATE:-$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S UTC")}"
# Configuration - can be overridden by environment variables
# Subscription configuration
SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID="${SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID:-}" # Source subscription ID (optional, uses current if not set)
DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID="${DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID:-}" # Destination subscription (defaults to source if not set)
# Authentication configuration
AUTH_METHOD="${AUTH_METHOD:-workload-identity}" # workload-identity or service-principal
SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_ID="${SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_ID:-}" # Required for service-principal auth
SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_SECRET="${SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_SECRET:-}" # Required for service-principal auth
SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_TENANT_ID="${SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_TENANT_ID:-}" # Required for service-principal auth
# Source configuration
SOURCE_SELECTION_MODE="${SOURCE_SELECTION_MODE:-specific}" # all, specific, allExcept
SOURCE_KEYVAULTS="${SOURCE_KEYVAULTS:-}" # Comma-separated list for "specific" mode
SOURCE_EXCLUDE_KEYVAULTS="${SOURCE_EXCLUDE_KEYVAULTS:-}" # Comma-separated list for "allExcept" mode
SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP="${SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP:-}" # Optional: limit to specific RG
SOURCE_TAGS="${SOURCE_TAGS:-}" # Optional: JSON string of tags for filtering
# Destination configuration
DESTINATION_REGION="${DESTINATION_REGION:-}"
# Default pattern should match Helm chart values.yaml default
DESTINATION_NAMING_PATTERN="${DESTINATION_NAMING_PATTERN:-\{source_name\}-replica}"
DESTINATION_KEYVAULTS="${DESTINATION_KEYVAULTS:-}" # Mapping of source:destination names
DESTINATION_RESOURCE_GROUP="${DESTINATION_RESOURCE_GROUP:-}"
DESTINATION_AUTO_CREATE="${DESTINATION_AUTO_CREATE:-false}"
DESTINATION_SKU="${DESTINATION_SKU:-standard}"
DRY_RUN="${DRY_RUN:-false}"
LOG_LEVEL="${LOG_LEVEL:-INFO}"
EXCLUDE_SECRETS="${EXCLUDE_SECRETS:-}" # Comma-separated list of secret patterns
SYNC_DISABLED_SECRETS="${SYNC_DISABLED_SECRETS:-true}"
ENABLE_DELETION="${ENABLE_DELETION:-false}"
# Notification configuration
NOTIFY_ENABLED="${NOTIFY_ENABLED:-false}"
NOTIFY_ON_SUCCESS="${NOTIFY_ON_SUCCESS:-false}"
NOTIFY_ON_FAILURE="${NOTIFY_ON_FAILURE:-true}"
NOTIFY_ON_WARNING="${NOTIFY_ON_WARNING:-true}"
# Email notifications
EMAIL_ENABLED="${EMAIL_ENABLED:-false}"
SMTP_SERVER="${SMTP_SERVER:-}"
SMTP_PORT="${SMTP_PORT:-587}"
SMTP_USER="${SMTP_USER:-}"
SMTP_PASSWORD="${SMTP_PASSWORD:-}"
EMAIL_FROM="${EMAIL_FROM:-}"
EMAIL_TO="${EMAIL_TO:-}" # Comma-separated
EMAIL_USE_TLS="${EMAIL_USE_TLS:-true}"
# Slack notifications
SLACK_ENABLED="${SLACK_ENABLED:-false}"
SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL="${SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL:-}"
SLACK_CHANNEL="${SLACK_CHANNEL:-#alerts}"
SLACK_USERNAME="${SLACK_USERNAME:-AKV Sync Bot}"
SLACK_ICON_EMOJI="${SLACK_ICON_EMOJI:-:key:}"
# Teams notifications
TEAMS_ENABLED="${TEAMS_ENABLED:-false}"
TEAMS_WEBHOOK_URL="${TEAMS_WEBHOOK_URL:-}"
# Telegram notifications
TELEGRAM_ENABLED="${TELEGRAM_ENABLED:-false}"
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN:-}"
TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID="${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID:-}"
# Color codes for output
RED='\033[0;31m'
GREEN='\033[0;32m'
YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
BLUE='\033[0;34m'
MAGENTA='\033[0;35m'
CYAN='\033[0;36m'
NC='\033[0m' # No Color
# Global statistics
TOTAL_VAULTS_PROCESSED=0
TOTAL_SECRETS_CREATED=0
TOTAL_SECRETS_UPDATED=0
TOTAL_SECRETS_DELETED=0
TOTAL_SECRETS_SKIPPED=0
TOTAL_ERRORS=0
TOTAL_WARNINGS=0
MISSING_DESTINATION_VAULTS=()
# Logging functions - ALL output to stderr to avoid capturing in command substitution
log_debug() {
if [[ "$LOG_LEVEL" == "DEBUG" ]]; then
echo -e "${CYAN}[DEBUG]${NC} $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') - $*" >&2
fi
}
log_info() {
echo -e "${BLUE}[INFO]${NC} $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') - $*" >&2
}
log_success() {
echo -e "${GREEN}[SUCCESS]${NC} $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') - $*" >&2
}
log_warning() {
echo -e "${YELLOW}[WARNING]${NC} $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') - $*" >&2
((TOTAL_WARNINGS++))
}
log_error() {
echo -e "${RED}[ERROR]${NC} $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') - $*" >&2
((TOTAL_ERRORS++))
}
# Authentication function
authenticate_azure() {
# Additional diagnostic information
log_info "Checking Azure CLI version:"
az version >&2
log_info "Authenticating to Azure (method: $AUTH_METHOD)..."
log_info "Creating azure cache directory..."
mkdir -p "$AZURE_CONFIG_DIR"
case "$AUTH_METHOD" in
"workload-identity")
log_info "Using Azure Workload Identity authentication"
# Check for required environment variables
for var in AZURE_CLIENT_ID AZURE_TENANT_ID AZURE_FEDERATED_TOKEN_FILE; do
if [ -z "${!var}" ]; then
log_error "Error: $var is not set"
return 1
fi
done
# Check if token file exists and is readable
if [ ! -r "$AZURE_FEDERATED_TOKEN_FILE" ]; then
log_error "Error: Cannot read token file: $AZURE_FEDERATED_TOKEN_FILE"
return 1
else
log_debug "Token file found: $AZURE_FEDERATED_TOKEN_FILE"
fi
# Explicitly login using the federated token
# This is needed since az cli don't support WI by default to auth
# https://github.com/Azure/azure-cli/issues/26858
log_info "Logging in with federated token..."
if ! az login --service-principal \
-u "$AZURE_CLIENT_ID" \
-t "$AZURE_TENANT_ID" \
--federated-token "$(cat "$AZURE_FEDERATED_TOKEN_FILE")" \
--allow-no-subscriptions \
--output none 2>&1; then
log_error "Workload Identity login failed"
log_error "Ensure the federated credential is correctly configured"
# Additional diagnostic information
log_info "Checking Azure CLI version:"
az version
return 1
fi
log_success "Azure login successful with workload identity"
# Verify we're authenticated
if ! az account show &> /dev/null; then
log_error "Workload Identity authentication failed after login"
log_error "Ensure pod has correct labels and service account annotations"
return 1
fi
# Get the first Key Vault from SOURCE_KEYVAULTS if it's set
if [ -n "$SOURCE_KEYVAULTS" ]; then
KEY_VAULT_NAME=$(echo "$SOURCE_KEYVAULTS" | awk -F',' '{print $1}')
log_info "Using Key Vault from SOURCE_KEYVAULTS: $KEY_VAULT_NAME"
else
log_warning "SOURCE_KEYVAULTS is not set. Skipping specific Key Vault check."
fi
# Check if we can access the specific Key Vault
if [ -n "$KEY_VAULT_NAME" ]; then
if ! az keyvault secret list --vault-name "$KEY_VAULT_NAME" --query "[].name" -o tsv &> /dev/null; then
log_error "Unable to list secrets in Key Vault: $KEY_VAULT_NAME"
log_error "Check if the Managed Identity has appropriate permissions on the Key Vault"
return 1
fi
log_success "Successfully accessed Key Vault: $KEY_VAULT_NAME"
else
log_info "No specific Key Vault to check. Skipping Key Vault access test."
fi
log_success "Workload Identity authentication successful"
;;
"service-principal")
log_info "Using Service Principal authentication"
if [[ -z "$SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_ID" ]]; then
log_error "SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_ID is required for service-principal auth"
return 1
fi
if [[ -z "$SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_SECRET" ]]; then
log_error "SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_SECRET is required for service-principal auth"
return 1
fi
if [[ -z "$SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_TENANT_ID" ]]; then
log_error "SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_TENANT_ID is required for service-principal auth"
return 1
fi
log_debug "Logging in with Service Principal: $SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_ID"
if ! az login \
--service-principal \
--username "$SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_ID" \
--password "$SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_SECRET" \
--tenant "$SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_TENANT_ID" \
--output none 2>&1; then
log_error "Service Principal authentication failed"
return 1
fi
log_success "Service Principal authentication successful"
;;
*)
log_error "Invalid AUTH_METHOD: $AUTH_METHOD (must be 'workload-identity' or 'service-principal')"
return 1
;;
esac
return 0
}
# Set Azure subscription context
set_subscription_context() {
local context_type="$1" # "source" or "destination"
local subscription_id="$2"
if [[ -z "$subscription_id" ]]; then
log_debug "No explicit subscription specified for $context_type, using current subscription"
return 0
fi
log_info "Setting $context_type subscription context: $subscription_id"
# Try to set subscription context, but don't fail if using Workload Identity without subscription access
local set_output
set_output=$(az account set --subscription "$subscription_id" 2>&1)
local exit_code=$?
if [[ $exit_code -ne 0 ]]; then
if [[ "$AUTH_METHOD" == "workload-identity" ]]; then
log_warning "Cannot set subscription context (service principal may not have subscription-level permissions)"
log_debug "Error: $set_output"
log_info "Will access resources directly by name/ID instead"
# This is expected for Workload Identity with resource-level RBAC only
return 0
else
log_error "Failed to set subscription context to: $subscription_id"
log_error "$set_output"
return 1
fi
fi
log_success "Subscription context set to: $subscription_id"
return 0
}
# Notification functions
send_email_notification() {
local subject="$1"
local body="$2"
if [[ "$EMAIL_ENABLED" != "true" ]]; then
return 0
fi
log_debug "Sending email notification: $subject"
# Create email body file
local email_file="/tmp/email_body_$$.txt"
echo "$body" > "$email_file"
# Send email using Python (available in Azure CLI container)
python3 <<EOF
import smtplib
from email.mime.text import MIMEText
from email.mime.multipart import MIMEMultipart
try:
msg = MIMEMultipart()
msg['From'] = "${EMAIL_FROM}"
msg['To'] = "${EMAIL_TO}"
msg['Subject'] = "${subject}"
with open("${email_file}", "r") as f:
body = f.read()
msg.attach(MIMEText(body, 'plain'))
server = smtplib.SMTP("${SMTP_SERVER}", ${SMTP_PORT})
if "${EMAIL_USE_TLS}" == "true":
server.starttls()
if "${SMTP_PASSWORD}":
server.login("${SMTP_USER}", "${SMTP_PASSWORD}")
server.send_message(msg)
server.quit()
print("Email sent successfully")
except Exception as e:
print(f"Failed to send email: {e}")
EOF
rm -f "$email_file"
}
send_slack_notification() {
local title="$1"
local message="$2"
local color="$3" # good, warning, danger
if [[ "$SLACK_ENABLED" != "true" ]] || [[ -z "$SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL" ]]; then
return 0
fi
log_debug "Sending Slack notification: $title"
# Use jq to properly escape JSON values
local payload
payload=$(jq -n \
--arg channel "$SLACK_CHANNEL" \
--arg username "$SLACK_USERNAME" \
--arg icon "$SLACK_ICON_EMOJI" \
--arg color "$color" \
--arg title "$title" \
--arg text "$message" \
'{
channel: $channel,
username: $username,
icon_emoji: $icon,
attachments: [{
color: $color,
title: $title,
text: $text,
footer: "AKV Sync",
ts: now
}]
}')
curl -X POST -H 'Content-type: application/json' \
--data "$payload" \
"$SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL" 2>/dev/null || log_warning "Failed to send Slack notification"
}
send_teams_notification() {
local title="$1"
local message="$2"
local color="$3" # good=00FF00, warning=FFB900, danger=FF0000
if [[ "$TEAMS_ENABLED" != "true" ]] || [[ -z "$TEAMS_WEBHOOK_URL" ]]; then
return 0
fi
log_debug "Sending Teams notification: $title"
# Convert color names to hex
case "$color" in
"good") color="00FF00" ;;
"warning") color="FFB900" ;;
"danger") color="FF0000" ;;
esac
# Use jq to properly escape JSON values
local payload
payload=$(jq -n \
--arg color "$color" \
--arg title "$title" \
--arg text "$message" \
'{
"@type": "MessageCard",
"@context": "http://schema.org/extensions",
themeColor: $color,
summary: $title,
sections: [{
activityTitle: $title,
activitySubtitle: "Azure Key Vault Sync",
text: $text,
markdown: true
}]
}')
curl -X POST -H 'Content-type: application/json' \
--data "$payload" \
"$TEAMS_WEBHOOK_URL" 2>/dev/null || log_warning "Failed to send Teams notification"
}
send_telegram_notification() {
local message="$1"
if [[ "$TELEGRAM_ENABLED" != "true" ]] || [[ -z "$TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN" ]] || [[ -z "$TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID" ]]; then
return 0
fi
log_debug "Sending Telegram notification"
local url="https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage"
# Use jq to properly escape JSON values
local payload
payload=$(jq -n \
--arg chat_id "$TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID" \
--arg text "$message" \
'{
chat_id: $chat_id,
text: $text,
parse_mode: "Markdown"
}')
curl -X POST "$url" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d "$payload" \
2>/dev/null || log_warning "Failed to send Telegram notification"
}
send_notification() {
local level="$1" # success, warning, error
local title="$2"
local message="$3"
if [[ "$NOTIFY_ENABLED" != "true" ]]; then
return 0
fi
# Check if we should notify for this level
case "$level" in
"success")
if [[ "$NOTIFY_ON_SUCCESS" != "true" ]]; then
return 0
fi
;;
"warning")
if [[ "$NOTIFY_ON_WARNING" != "true" ]]; then
return 0
fi
;;
"error")
if [[ "$NOTIFY_ON_FAILURE" != "true" ]]; then
return 0
fi
;;
esac
# Determine color
local color
case "$level" in
"success") color="good" ;;
"warning") color="warning" ;;
"error") color="danger" ;;
esac
# Send to all enabled channels
send_email_notification "$title" "$message"
send_slack_notification "$title" "$message" "$color"
send_teams_notification "$title" "$message" "$color"
send_telegram_notification "*${title}*\n\n${message}"
}
# Validate prerequisites
validate_prerequisites() {
log_info "Validating prerequisites..."
if ! command -v az &> /dev/null; then
log_error "Azure CLI not found. Please install it first."
exit 1
fi
if ! command -v jq &> /dev/null; then
log_error "jq not found. Please install it first."
exit 1
fi
if [[ -z "$DESTINATION_REGION" ]]; then
log_error "DESTINATION_REGION environment variable is not set"
exit 1
fi
# Authenticate to Azure
if ! authenticate_azure; then
log_error "Azure authentication failed"
exit 1
fi
# Set destination subscription (defaults to source if not specified)
if [[ -z "$DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID" ]]; then
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID" ]]; then
DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID="$SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
log_info "Destination subscription not specified, using source subscription"
else
# Get current subscription
DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID=$(az account show --query id -o tsv 2>/dev/null)
if [[ -z "$DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID" ]]; then
log_warning "Could not determine current subscription ID"
log_warning "This is expected for Workload Identity with resource-level permissions"
else
log_info "Using current subscription for destination: $DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
fi
fi
fi
# Display subscription configuration
log_info "Subscription configuration:"
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID" ]]; then
log_info " Source subscription: $SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
else
log_info " Source subscription: (current)"
fi
log_info " Destination subscription: $DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
log_success "Prerequisites validated successfully"
}
# Get list of source Key Vaults based on selection mode
get_source_keyvaults() {
log_info "========================================="
log_info "GET_SOURCE_KEYVAULTS - START"
log_info "Discovering source Key Vaults (mode: $SOURCE_SELECTION_MODE)..."
log_info "SOURCE_KEYVAULTS=$SOURCE_KEYVAULTS"
log_info "SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP=$SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP"
# Set source subscription context if specified
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID" ]]; then
set_subscription_context "source" "$SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
fi
local query_filter="[]"
local keyvaults_json
case "$SOURCE_SELECTION_MODE" in
"all")
# Get all Key Vaults in subscription or resource group
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP" ]]; then
keyvaults_json=$(az keyvault list --resource-group "$SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP" -o json 2>&1)
else
keyvaults_json=$(az keyvault list -o json 2>&1)
fi
# Check if the command failed (e.g., due to lack of subscription-level permissions)
if ! echo "$keyvaults_json" | jq empty 2>/dev/null; then
if [[ "$AUTH_METHOD" == "workload-identity" ]]; then
log_error "Cannot list Key Vaults at subscription level with Workload Identity"
log_error "Please use selectionMode: 'specific' and set SOURCE_KEYVAULTS in your configuration"
log_error "Example: SOURCE_KEYVAULTS='vault1,vault2'"
else
log_error "Failed to list Key Vaults: $keyvaults_json"
fi
exit 1
fi
;;
"specific")
# Get only specified Key Vaults
if [[ -z "$SOURCE_KEYVAULTS" ]]; then
log_error "SOURCE_KEYVAULTS not set for 'specific' mode"
exit 1
fi
local vault_names=()
IFS=',' read -ra vault_names <<< "$SOURCE_KEYVAULTS"
keyvaults_json="[]"
for vault_name in "${vault_names[@]}"; do
vault_name=$(echo "$vault_name" | xargs) # Trim whitespace
log_info "Fetching Key Vault details: $vault_name"
local vault_info
local exit_code
# If resource group is specified, use it for more efficient query
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP" ]]; then
log_debug "Using configured resource group: $SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP"
vault_info=$(az keyvault show --name "$vault_name" --resource-group "$SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP" -o json 2>&1)
exit_code=$?
else
# Auto-discover by fetching vault info directly (no resource group needed)
log_debug "Auto-discovering vault: $vault_name"
vault_info=$(az keyvault show --name "$vault_name" -o json 2>&1)
exit_code=$?
# Extract and log the discovered resource group for debugging
if [[ $exit_code -eq 0 ]]; then
local vault_rg
vault_rg=$(echo "$vault_info" | jq -r '.resourceGroup' 2>/dev/null)
if [[ -n "$vault_rg" && "$vault_rg" != "null" ]]; then
log_debug "Auto-discovered resource group: $vault_rg"
fi
fi
fi
# Validate we got valid JSON
if [[ $exit_code -eq 0 ]] && echo "$vault_info" | jq empty 2>/dev/null; then
log_info "DEBUG: About to append vault to array"
log_info "DEBUG: Current keyvaults_json length: $(echo "$keyvaults_json" | jq 'length' 2>/dev/null || echo 'INVALID')"
log_info "DEBUG: vault_info first 100 chars: ${vault_info:0:100}"
# Append vault_info to keyvaults_json array using jq with proper JSON streaming
local jq_exit=0
keyvaults_json=$(printf '%s\n%s' "$keyvaults_json" "$vault_info" | jq -s '.[0] + [.[1]]' 2>&1)
jq_exit=$?
if [[ $jq_exit -ne 0 ]]; then
log_error "JQ FAILED! Exit code: $jq_exit"
log_error "JQ output: $keyvaults_json"
keyvaults_json="[]"
else
log_success "Successfully retrieved vault: $vault_name"
fi
else
log_error "Failed to retrieve Key Vault '$vault_name'"
log_error "Error: $vault_info"
log_info "Please verify:"
log_info " 1. The vault name is correct"
log_info " 2. The managed identity has 'Reader' permission"
log_info " 3. The vault exists in the subscription"
fi
done
;;
"allExcept")
# Get all Key Vaults except excluded ones
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP" ]]; then
keyvaults_json=$(az keyvault list --resource-group "$SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP" -o json 2>&1)
else
keyvaults_json=$(az keyvault list -o json 2>&1)
fi
# Check if the command failed
if ! echo "$keyvaults_json" | jq empty 2>/dev/null; then
if [[ "$AUTH_METHOD" == "workload-identity" ]]; then
log_error "Cannot list Key Vaults at subscription level with Workload Identity"
log_error "Please use selectionMode: 'specific' instead of 'allExcept'"
else
log_error "Failed to list Key Vaults: $keyvaults_json"
fi
exit 1
fi
# Filter out excluded vaults
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_EXCLUDE_KEYVAULTS" ]]; then
local exclude_names=()
IFS=',' read -ra exclude_names <<< "$SOURCE_EXCLUDE_KEYVAULTS"
for exclude_name in "${exclude_names[@]}"; do
exclude_name=$(echo "$exclude_name" | xargs)
log_debug "Excluding Key Vault: $exclude_name"
keyvaults_json=$(echo "$keyvaults_json" | jq "map(select(.name != \"$exclude_name\"))")
done
fi
;;
*)
log_error "Invalid SOURCE_SELECTION_MODE: $SOURCE_SELECTION_MODE"
exit 1
;;
esac
# Apply tag filters if specified
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_TAGS" ]]; then
log_debug "Applying tag filters: $SOURCE_TAGS"
# TODO: Implement tag filtering
fi
# Debug: Check if keyvaults_json is valid
log_info "DEBUG: Final keyvaults_json content (first 200 chars): ${keyvaults_json:0:200}..."
# Validate JSON before processing
if ! echo "$keyvaults_json" | jq empty 2>/dev/null; then
log_error "Invalid JSON in keyvaults_json at end of function"
log_error "Content: $keyvaults_json"
keyvaults_json="[]"
fi
local jq_exit=0
local vault_count
vault_count=$(echo "$keyvaults_json" | jq 'length' 2>&1)
jq_exit=$?
if [[ $jq_exit -ne 0 ]]; then
log_error "JQ FAILED when getting vault_count!"
log_error "JQ output: $vault_count"
vault_count=0
fi
log_info "Found $vault_count source Key Vault(s)"
log_info "GET_SOURCE_KEYVAULTS - END"
log_info "========================================="
echo "$keyvaults_json"
}
# Generate destination Key Vault name
get_destination_vault_name() {
local source_name="$1"
local source_region="$2"
log_info "DEBUG: get_destination_vault_name called with: source_name=$source_name, source_region=$source_region"
log_info "DEBUG: DESTINATION_NAMING_PATTERN='$DESTINATION_NAMING_PATTERN'"
log_info "DEBUG: DESTINATION_REGION='$DESTINATION_REGION'"
# Check if explicit destination name is provided in mapping
if [[ -n "$DESTINATION_KEYVAULTS" ]]; then
# Parse the mapping format: "vault1:dest1,vault2:,vault3:dest3"
IFS=',' read -ra mappings <<< "$DESTINATION_KEYVAULTS"
for mapping in "${mappings[@]}"; do
IFS=':' read -r src_vault dest_vault <<< "$mapping"
if [[ "$src_vault" == "$source_name" ]] && [[ -n "$dest_vault" ]]; then
log_debug "Using explicit destination name: $dest_vault for source: $source_name"
echo "$dest_vault"
return 0
fi
done
fi
# If no explicit mapping, use naming pattern
local dest_name="$DESTINATION_NAMING_PATTERN"
log_info "DEBUG: Before replacement: dest_name='$dest_name'"
dest_name="${dest_name//\{source_name\}/$source_name}"
log_info "DEBUG: After {source_name} replacement: dest_name='$dest_name'"
dest_name="${dest_name//\{source_region\}/$source_region}"
log_info "DEBUG: After {source_region} replacement: dest_name='$dest_name'"
dest_name="${dest_name//\{dest_region\}/$DESTINATION_REGION}"
log_info "DEBUG: After {dest_region} replacement: dest_name='$dest_name'"
log_info "Using naming pattern for destination: $dest_name"
echo "$dest_name"
}
# Check if destination Key Vault exists, optionally create it
ensure_destination_vault() {
local dest_vault_name="$1"
local source_rg="$2"
local dest_rg="${DESTINATION_RESOURCE_GROUP:-$source_rg}"
# Set destination subscription context
set_subscription_context "destination" "$DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
log_info "Checking destination Key Vault: $dest_vault_name (subscription: $DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID)"
if az keyvault show --name "$dest_vault_name" &> /dev/null; then
log_success "Destination Key Vault exists: $dest_vault_name"
return 0
else
log_warning "Destination Key Vault does not exist: $dest_vault_name"
MISSING_DESTINATION_VAULTS+=("$dest_vault_name (region: $DESTINATION_REGION, subscription: $DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID)")
if [[ "$DESTINATION_AUTO_CREATE" == "true" ]]; then
if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "true" ]]; then
log_info "[DRY RUN] Would create Key Vault: $dest_vault_name in $dest_rg"
return 0
fi
log_info "Creating destination Key Vault: $dest_vault_name"
if az keyvault create \
--name "$dest_vault_name" \
--resource-group "$dest_rg" \
--location "$DESTINATION_REGION" \
--sku "$DESTINATION_SKU" \
--output none 2>/dev/null; then
log_success "Created destination Key Vault: $dest_vault_name"
return 0
else
log_error "Failed to create destination Key Vault: $dest_vault_name"
return 1
fi
else
return 1
fi
fi
}
# Check if a secret matches exclusion patterns
is_secret_excluded() {
local secret_name="$1"
if [[ -z "$EXCLUDE_SECRETS" ]]; then
return 1 # Not excluded
fi
local patterns=()
IFS=',' read -ra patterns <<< "$EXCLUDE_SECRETS"
for pattern in "${patterns[@]}"; do
pattern=$(echo "$pattern" | xargs) # Trim whitespace
# Simple wildcard matching
if [[ "$secret_name" == $pattern ]]; then
return 0 # Excluded
fi
done
return 1 # Not excluded
}
# Sync secrets between two Key Vaults
sync_vault_secrets() {
local source_vault="$1"
local dest_vault="$2"
log_info "Syncing secrets: $source_vault → $dest_vault"
local created=0
local updated=0
local deleted=0
local skipped=0
local errors=0
# Set source subscription context
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID" ]]; then
set_subscription_context "source" "$SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
fi
# Get secrets from source vault
local source_secrets
source_secrets=$(az keyvault secret list --vault-name "$source_vault" --query "[].{name:name, enabled:attributes.enabled}" -o json 2>/dev/null)
if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
log_error "Failed to retrieve secrets from source vault: $source_vault"
return 1
fi
# Set destination subscription context
set_subscription_context "destination" "$DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
# Get secrets from destination vault
local dest_secrets
dest_secrets=$(az keyvault secret list --vault-name "$dest_vault" --query "[].{name:name, enabled:attributes.enabled}" -o json 2>/dev/null)
if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
log_error "Failed to retrieve secrets from destination vault: $dest_vault"
return 1
fi
local source_secret_names
local dest_secret_names
source_secret_names=$(echo "$source_secrets" | jq -r '.[].name' | sort)
dest_secret_names=$(echo "$dest_secrets" | jq -r '.[].name' | sort)
# Process secrets from source
while IFS= read -r secret_name; do
if [[ -z "$secret_name" ]]; then
continue
fi
# Check if excluded
if is_secret_excluded "$secret_name"; then
log_debug "Skipping excluded secret: $secret_name"
((skipped++))
continue
fi
log_debug "Processing secret: $secret_name"
# Set source subscription context for fetching secret details
if [[ -n "$SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID" ]]; then
set_subscription_context "source" "$SOURCE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
fi
# Get source secret details
local source_secret_details
source_secret_details=$(az keyvault secret show --vault-name "$source_vault" --name "$secret_name" -o json 2>/dev/null)
if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
log_error "Failed to get details for secret '$secret_name' from $source_vault"
((errors++))
continue
fi
local source_value
local source_enabled
source_value=$(echo "$source_secret_details" | jq -r '.value')
source_enabled=$(echo "$source_secret_details" | jq -r '.attributes.enabled')
# Skip disabled secrets if configured
if [[ "$SYNC_DISABLED_SECRETS" == "false" && "$source_enabled" == "false" ]]; then
log_debug "Skipping disabled secret: $secret_name"
((skipped++))
continue
fi
# Check if secret exists in destination
if echo "$dest_secret_names" | grep -qx "$secret_name"; then
# Set destination subscription context
set_subscription_context "destination" "$DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
# Secret exists - check if update is needed
local dest_secret_details
dest_secret_details=$(az keyvault secret show --vault-name "$dest_vault" --name "$secret_name" -o json 2>/dev/null)
if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
log_error "Failed to get details for destination secret '$secret_name'"
((errors++))
continue
fi
local dest_value
local dest_enabled
dest_value=$(echo "$dest_secret_details" | jq -r '.value')
dest_enabled=$(echo "$dest_secret_details" | jq -r '.attributes.enabled')
# Compare values and enabled status
if [[ "$source_value" != "$dest_value" || "$source_enabled" != "$dest_enabled" ]]; then
if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "true" ]]; then
log_info "[DRY RUN] Would update secret: $secret_name"
else
log_debug "Updating secret: $secret_name"
# Ensure destination subscription context
set_subscription_context "destination" "$DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
if az keyvault secret set --vault-name "$dest_vault" --name "$secret_name" --value "$source_value" --output none 2>/dev/null; then
if [[ "$source_enabled" == "false" ]]; then
if ! az keyvault secret set-attributes --vault-name "$dest_vault" --name "$secret_name" --enabled false --output none 2>/dev/null; then
log_warning "Updated secret value but failed to set enabled=false for: $secret_name"
fi
fi
log_success "Updated secret: $secret_name"
((updated++))
else
log_error "Failed to update secret: $secret_name"
((errors++))
fi
fi
fi
else
# Secret doesn't exist - create it
if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "true" ]]; then
log_info "[DRY RUN] Would create secret: $secret_name"
else
log_debug "Creating new secret: $secret_name"
# Ensure destination subscription context
set_subscription_context "destination" "$DESTINATION_SUBSCRIPTION_ID"
if az keyvault secret set --vault-name "$dest_vault" --name "$secret_name" --value "$source_value" --output none 2>/dev/null; then
if [[ "$source_enabled" == "false" ]]; then
if ! az keyvault secret set-attributes --vault-name "$dest_vault" --name "$secret_name" --enabled false --output none 2>/dev/null; then
log_warning "Created secret but failed to set enabled=false for: $secret_name"
fi
fi
log_success "Created secret: $secret_name"
((created++))
else
log_error "Failed to create secret: $secret_name"
((errors++))
fi
fi
fi
done <<< "$source_secret_names"
# Handle deletion if enabled
if [[ "$ENABLE_DELETION" == "true" ]]; then
while IFS= read -r secret_name; do
if [[ -z "$secret_name" ]]; then
continue
fi
if is_secret_excluded "$secret_name"; then
continue
fi
if ! echo "$source_secret_names" | grep -qx "$secret_name"; then
if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "true" ]]; then
log_info "[DRY RUN] Would delete secret: $secret_name"
else
log_warning "Deleting secret (not in source): $secret_name"
if az keyvault secret delete --vault-name "$dest_vault" --name "$secret_name" --output none 2>/dev/null; then
log_success "Deleted secret: $secret_name"
((deleted++))
else
log_error "Failed to delete secret: $secret_name"
((errors++))
fi
fi
fi
done <<< "$dest_secret_names"
fi
# Update global statistics
TOTAL_SECRETS_CREATED=$((TOTAL_SECRETS_CREATED + created))
TOTAL_SECRETS_UPDATED=$((TOTAL_SECRETS_UPDATED + updated))
TOTAL_SECRETS_DELETED=$((TOTAL_SECRETS_DELETED + deleted))
TOTAL_SECRETS_SKIPPED=$((TOTAL_SECRETS_SKIPPED + skipped))
log_info "Vault sync complete - Created: $created, Updated: $updated, Deleted: $deleted, Skipped: $skipped, Errors: $errors"
return $errors
}
# Main sync function
sync_keyvaults() {
log_info "Starting Azure Key Vault synchronization..."
log_info "Destination region: $DESTINATION_REGION"
if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "true" ]]; then
log_warning "DRY RUN MODE - No changes will be made"
fi
# Get source Key Vaults
log_info "DEBUG: About to call get_source_keyvaults()"
local source_vaults_json
source_vaults_json=$(get_source_keyvaults)
log_info "DEBUG: get_source_keyvaults() returned, parsing result..."
log_info "DEBUG: source_vaults_json first 200 chars: ${source_vaults_json:0:200}"
local jq_exit=0
local vault_count
vault_count=$(echo "$source_vaults_json" | jq 'length' 2>&1)
jq_exit=$?
if [[ $jq_exit -ne 0 ]]; then
log_error "JQ FAILED in sync_keyvaults when getting vault_count!"
log_error "JQ output: $vault_count"
log_error "source_vaults_json: $source_vaults_json"
vault_count=0
fi
if [[ $vault_count -eq 0 ]]; then
log_warning "No source Key Vaults found"
send_notification "warning" "AKV Sync: No Source Vaults" "No source Key Vaults found for synchronization."
return 0
fi
# Process each source vault
# Use process substitution to avoid subshell issue with variable updates
while IFS= read -r vault_json; do
local source_vault_name
local source_vault_region
local source_vault_rg
source_vault_name=$(echo "$vault_json" | jq -r '.name')
source_vault_region=$(echo "$vault_json" | jq -r '.location')
source_vault_rg=$(echo "$vault_json" | jq -r '.resourceGroup')
log_info "========================================="
log_info "Processing source vault: $source_vault_name ($source_vault_region)"
# Generate destination vault name
local dest_vault_name
dest_vault_name=$(get_destination_vault_name "$source_vault_name" "$source_vault_region")
log_info "Target destination vault: $dest_vault_name"
# Ensure destination vault exists
if ensure_destination_vault "$dest_vault_name" "$source_vault_rg"; then
# Sync secrets
sync_vault_secrets "$source_vault_name" "$dest_vault_name"
((TOTAL_VAULTS_PROCESSED++))
else
log_error "Skipping vault due to missing destination: $source_vault_name"
fi
done < <(echo "$source_vaults_json" | jq -c '.[]')
}
# Generate summary report
generate_summary() {
local summary=""
summary+="========================================="$'\n'
summary+="Azure Key Vault Sync - Summary Report"$'\n'
summary+="========================================="$'\n'
summary+="Vaults processed: $TOTAL_VAULTS_PROCESSED"$'\n'
summary+="Secrets created: $TOTAL_SECRETS_CREATED"$'\n'
summary+="Secrets updated: $TOTAL_SECRETS_UPDATED"$'\n'
summary+="Secrets deleted: $TOTAL_SECRETS_DELETED"$'\n'
summary+="Secrets skipped: $TOTAL_SECRETS_SKIPPED"$'\n'
summary+="Warnings: $TOTAL_WARNINGS"$'\n'
summary+="Errors: $TOTAL_ERRORS"$'\n'
if [[ ${#MISSING_DESTINATION_VAULTS[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
summary+=$'\n'"Missing destination vaults:"$'\n'
for missing_vault in "${MISSING_DESTINATION_VAULTS[@]}"; do
summary+=" - $missing_vault"$'\n'
done
fi
echo "$summary"
# Send notification
if [[ $TOTAL_ERRORS -gt 0 ]]; then
send_notification "error" "AKV Sync Failed" "$summary"
elif [[ $TOTAL_WARNINGS -gt 0 ]] || [[ ${#MISSING_DESTINATION_VAULTS[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
send_notification "warning" "AKV Sync Completed with Warnings" "$summary"
else
send_notification "success" "AKV Sync Completed Successfully" "$summary"
fi
}
# Main execution
main() {
log_info "========================================="
log_info "Azure Key Vault Sync Tool v${SCRIPT_VERSION}"
log_info "Build Date: ${SCRIPT_BUILD_DATE}"
log_info "========================================="
echo ""
validate_prerequisites
sync_keyvaults
echo ""
generate_summary
if [[ $TOTAL_ERRORS -gt 0 ]]; then
exit 1
fi
}
# Run main function
main
2. Kubernetes Deployment (Helm Chart)
We packaged everything as a Helm chart for easy deployment. I will not parse every single yaml file here, it's easier check them on my GitHub repository (contributions and improvements are very welcome!).
3. Docker Container
I started with the alpine/azure_cli image, and quickly realised it's very outdated, so included instructions to bump it to the edge release and upgrade the az cli.
FROM alpine/azure_cli:latest
# Build arguments
ARG ARTIFACT_VERSION=dev
ARG BUILD_DATE
# Switch to edge repository for latest packages and upgrade all existing packages
RUN echo "https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main" > /etc/apk/repositories && \
echo "https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community" >> /etc/apk/repositories && \
echo "https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing" >> /etc/apk/repositories && \
apk update && \
apk upgrade --no-cache
# Install required packages
RUN apk add --no-cache \
jq \
bash \
curl \
python3 \
py3-pip
# Upgrade Azure CLI to latest version
RUN pip3 install --upgrade --no-cache-dir azure-cli
# Display Azure CLI version
RUN az version
# Verify Python modules are available (smtplib and email are part of Python standard library)
RUN python3 -c "import smtplib; from email.mime.text import MIMEText; from email.mime.multipart import MIMEMultipart; print('Python modules verified')"
# Create app directory
WORKDIR /app
# Copy the sync script
COPY akv-sync.sh /app/akv-sync.sh
# Make script executable
RUN chmod +x /app/akv-sync.sh
# Set version as environment variables
ENV SCRIPT_VERSION=${ARTIFACT_VERSION}
ENV SCRIPT_BUILD_DATE=${BUILD_DATE}
# Set the entrypoint
ENTRYPOINT ["/app/akv-sync.sh"]
💡 Technical Challenges & Solutions
Challenge 1: Workload Identity Authentication
Problem: Azure CLI doesn't natively support Workload Identity.
Solution: We explicitly login using the federated token:
az login --service-principal \
-u "$AZURE_CLIENT_ID" \
-t "$AZURE_TENANT_ID" \
--federated-token "$(cat "$AZURE_FEDERATED_TOKEN_FILE")" --allow-no-subscriptions
Challenge 2: Resource Group Auto-Discovery
Problem: Users shouldn't need to specify resource groups for every vault.
Solution: Auto-discover using Azure CLI:
vault_rg=$(az keyvault show --name "$vault_name" \
--query resourceGroup -o tsv 2>/dev/null)
Challenge 3: Logs Polluting JSON Output
Problem: When using command substitution $(get_source_keyvaults), log messages were being captured along with JSON, breaking jq parsing.
Solution: Redirect ALL logs to stderr:
log_info() {
echo -e "${BLUE}[INFO]${NC} $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') - $*" >&2
}
Challenge 4: Naming Pattern Issues
Problem: Bash was interpreting unescaped braces in naming patterns.
Solution: Escape the braces in default values:
DESTINATION_NAMING_PATTERN="${DESTINATION_NAMING_PATTERN:-\{source_name\}-replica}"
📈 Results
After implementing AKV-Sync:
- ✅ Zero manual intervention - Secrets sync automatically every 5 minutes
- ✅ Secure - No stored credentials, uses Workload Identity
- ✅ Fast - Syncs complete in ~15 seconds
- ✅ Reliable - Detailed logging and Slack notifications on failures
- ✅ Scalable - Supports multiple source and destination vaults
Sample Output
This logs includes two consecutive runs of the pod, at the first one, it detects a secret which don't exist at the destination vault and creates it, and at the second one, no changes are detected and the pod terminates gracefully:
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:42 - =========================================
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:42 - Azure Key Vault Sync Tool vv0.1.0-9d31fd5
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:42 - Build Date: 2025-10-23T19:07:40+01:00
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:42 - =========================================
akv-sync
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:42 - Validating prerequisites...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:42 - Checking Azure CLI version:
akv-sync {
akv-sync "azure-cli": "2.78.0",
akv-sync "azure-cli-core": "2.78.0",
akv-sync "azure-cli-telemetry": "1.1.0",
akv-sync "extensions": {}
akv-sync }
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:48 - Authenticating to Azure (method: workload-identity)...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:48 - Creating azure cache directory...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:48 - Using Azure Workload Identity authentication
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:48 - Logging in with federated token...
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:14:49 - Azure login successful with workload identity
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:51 - Using Key Vault from SOURCE_KEYVAULTS: myown-testvault1
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Successfully accessed Key Vault: myown-testvault1
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Workload Identity authentication successful
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Destination subscription not specified, using source subscription
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Subscription configuration:
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Source subscription: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Destination subscription: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Prerequisites validated successfully
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Starting Azure Key Vault synchronization...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Destination region: northeurope
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - DEBUG: About to call get_source_keyvaults()
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - =========================================
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - GET_SOURCE_KEYVAULTS - START
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Discovering source Key Vaults (mode: specific)...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - SOURCE_KEYVAULTS=myown-testvault1
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP=managed-services
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:53 - Setting source subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:14:54 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:54 - Fetching Key Vault details: myown-testvault1
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: About to append vault to array
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: Current keyvaults_json length: 0
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: vault_info first 100 chars: {
akv-sync "id": "/subscriptions/<REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>/resourceGroups/managed-services/provi
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - Successfully retrieved vault: myown-testvault1
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: Final keyvaults_json content (first 200 chars): [
akv-sync {
akv-sync "id": "/subscriptions/<REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>/resourceGroups/managed-services/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/myown-testvault1",
akv-sync "location": "westeurope",
akv-sync "name": "myow...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - Found 1 source Key Vault(s)
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - GET_SOURCE_KEYVAULTS - END
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - =========================================
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: get_source_keyvaults() returned, parsing result...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: source_vaults_json first 200 chars: [
akv-sync {
akv-sync "id": "/subscriptions/<REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>/resourceGroups/managed-services/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/myown-testvault1",
akv-sync "location": "westeurope",
akv-sync "name": "myow...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - =========================================
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - Processing source vault: myown-testvault1 (westeurope)
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: get_destination_vault_name called with: source_name=myown-testvault1, source_region=westeurope
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: DESTINATION_NAMING_PATTERN='{source_name}-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: DESTINATION_REGION='northeurope'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: Before replacement: dest_name='{source_name}-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: After {source_name} replacement: dest_name='myown-testvault1-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: After {source_region} replacement: dest_name='myown-testvault1-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - DEBUG: After {dest_region} replacement: dest_name='myown-testvault1-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - Using naming pattern for destination: myown-testvault1-replica
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - Target destination vault: myown-testvault1-replica
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:56 - Setting destination subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:14:57 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:57 - Checking destination Key Vault: myown-testvault1-replica (subscription: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>)
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:14:59 - Destination Key Vault exists: myown-testvault1-replica
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:59 - Syncing secrets: myown-testvault1 → myown-testvault1-replica
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:14:59 - Setting source subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:01 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:03 - Setting destination subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:04 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:07 - Setting source subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:08 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:10 - Setting destination subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:11 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:13 - Created secret: testvalue
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:24 - =========================================
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:24 - Azure Key Vault Sync Tool vv0.1.0-9d31fd5
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:24 - Build Date: 2025-10-23T19:07:40+01:00
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:24 - =========================================
akv-sync
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:24 - Validating prerequisites...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:24 - Checking Azure CLI version:
akv-sync {
akv-sync "azure-cli": "2.78.0",
akv-sync "azure-cli-core": "2.78.0",
akv-sync "azure-cli-telemetry": "1.1.0",
akv-sync "extensions": {}
akv-sync }
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:30 - Authenticating to Azure (method: workload-identity)...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:30 - Creating azure cache directory...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:30 - Using Azure Workload Identity authentication
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:30 - Logging in with federated token...
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:31 - Azure login successful with workload identity
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:32 - Using Key Vault from SOURCE_KEYVAULTS: myown-testvault1
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Successfully accessed Key Vault: myown-testvault1
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Workload Identity authentication successful
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Destination subscription not specified, using source subscription
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Subscription configuration:
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Source subscription: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Destination subscription: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Prerequisites validated successfully
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Starting Azure Key Vault synchronization...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Destination region: northeurope
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - DEBUG: About to call get_source_keyvaults()
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - =========================================
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - GET_SOURCE_KEYVAULTS - START
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Discovering source Key Vaults (mode: specific)...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - SOURCE_KEYVAULTS=myown-testvault1
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - SOURCE_RESOURCE_GROUP=managed-services
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:35 - Setting source subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:36 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:36 - Fetching Key Vault details: myown-testvault1
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - DEBUG: About to append vault to array
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - DEBUG: Current keyvaults_json length: 0
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - DEBUG: vault_info first 100 chars: {
akv-sync "id": "/subscriptions/<REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>/resourceGroups/managed-services/provi
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - Successfully retrieved vault: myown-testvault1
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - DEBUG: Final keyvaults_json content (first 200 chars): [
akv-sync {
akv-sync "id": "/subscriptions/<REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>/resourceGroups/managed-services/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/myown-testvault1",
akv-sync "location": "westeurope",
akv-sync "name": "mi-t...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - Found 1 source Key Vault(s)
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - GET_SOURCE_KEYVAULTS - END
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - =========================================
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - DEBUG: get_source_keyvaults() returned, parsing result...
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - DEBUG: source_vaults_json first 200 chars: [
akv-sync {
akv-sync "id": "/subscriptions/<REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>/resourceGroups/managed-services/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/myown-testvault1",
akv-sync "location": "westeurope",
akv-sync "name": "mi-t
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - =========================================
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - Processing source vault: myown-testvault1 (westeurope)
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - DEBUG: get_destination_vault_name called with: source_name=myown-testvault1, source_region=westeurope
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - DEBUG: DESTINATION_NAMING_PATTERN='{source_name}-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:37 - DEBUG: DESTINATION_REGION='northeurope'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:38 - DEBUG: Before replacement: dest_name='{source_name}-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:38 - DEBUG: After {source_name} replacement: dest_name='myown-testvault1-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:38 - DEBUG: After {source_region} replacement: dest_name='myown-testvault1-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:38 - DEBUG: After {dest_region} replacement: dest_name='myown-testvault1-replica'
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:38 - Using naming pattern for destination: myown-testvault1-replica
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:38 - Target destination vault: myown-testvault1-replica
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:38 - Setting destination subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:39 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:39 - Checking destination Key Vault: myown-testvault1-replica (subscription: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>)
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:40 - Destination Key Vault exists: myown-testvault1-replica
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:40 - Syncing secrets: myown-testvault1 → myown-testvault1-replica
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:40 - Setting source subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:42 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:43 - Setting destination subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:45 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:47 - Setting source subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:48 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:50 - Setting destination subscription context: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [SUCCESS] 2025-10-23 18:15:51 - Subscription context set to: <REDACTED SUBSCRITPION ID>
akv-sync [INFO] 2025-10-23 18:15:53 - Vault sync complete - Created: 0, Updated: 0, Deleted: 0, Skipped: 0, Errors: 0
Future Enhancements
- [ ] Support for Key Vault keys and certificates
- [ ] Bi-directional sync
- [ ] Conflict resolution strategies
- [ ] Azure DevOps integration
- [ ] Prometheus metrics export
- [ ] Web UI for monitoring
Resources
🙏 Conclusion
Building AKV-Sync helped me to not get rusty on my bash scripting, Kubernetes and Azure integration.
The solution is now ready to go running in production, syncing secrets across multiple regions reliably and securely.
If you're dealing with similar challenges in your multi-region Azure setup, give AKV-Sync a try! Contributions and feedback are always welcome.
Have questions or suggestions? Drop a comment below! 👇
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