Create, rotate, and update properties of a key in Azure Key Vault with JavaScript

Article
08/07/2024

Create the KeyClient with the appropriate programmatic authentication credentials, then use the client to set, update, and rotate a key in Azure Key Vault.

To rotate a key means to create a new version of the key and set that version as the latest version. The previous version isn't deleted, but it's no longer the active version.

Create a key with a rotation policy

To create a key in Azure Key Vault, use the createKey method of the KeyClient class. Set any properties with the optional createKeyOptions object. After the key is created, update the key with a rotation policy.

A KeyVaultKey is returned. Update the key using updateKeyRotationPolicy with a policy, which includes notification.

Convenience create methods are available for the following key types, which set properties associated with that key type:

// Azure client libraries
import { DefaultAzureCredential } from '@azure/identity';
import {
  CreateKeyOptions,
  KeyClient,
  KeyRotationPolicyProperties,
  KnownKeyOperations,
  KnownKeyTypes
} from '@azure/keyvault-keys';

// Day/time manipulation
import dayjs from 'dayjs';
import duration from 'dayjs/plugin/duration';
dayjs.extend(duration);

// Authenticate to Azure Key Vault
const credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
const client = new KeyClient(
    `https://${process.env.AZURE_KEYVAULT_NAME}.vault.azure.net`,
    credential
);

// Name of key
const keyName = `mykey-${Date.now().toString()}`;

// Set key options
const keyOptions: CreateKeyOptions = {
enabled: true,
expiresOn: dayjs().add(1, 'year').toDate(),
exportable: false,
tags: {
    project: 'test-project'
},
keySize: 2048,
keyOps: [
    KnownKeyOperations.Encrypt,
    KnownKeyOperations.Decrypt
    // KnownKeyOperations.Verify,
    // KnownKeyOperations.Sign,
    // KnownKeyOperations.Import,
    // KnownKeyOperations.WrapKey,
    // KnownKeyOperations.UnwrapKey
]
};

// Set key type
const keyType = KnownKeyTypes.RSA; //  'EC', 'EC-HSM', 'RSA', 'RSA-HSM', 'oct', 'oct-HSM'

// Create key
const key = await client.createKey(keyName, keyType, keyOptions);
if (key) {
    // Set rotation policy properties: KeyRotationPolicyProperties
    const rotationPolicyProperties: KeyRotationPolicyProperties = {
        expiresIn: 'P90D',
        lifetimeActions: [
        {
            action: 'Rotate',
            timeAfterCreate: 'P30D'
        },
        {
            action: 'Notify',
            timeBeforeExpiry: dayjs.duration({ days: 7 }).toISOString()
        }
    ]};
    
    // Set rotation policy: KeyRotationPolicy
    const keyRotationPolicy = await client.updateKeyRotationPolicy(
        key.name,
        rotationPolicyProperties
    );
    console.log(keyRotationPolicy);
}

Manually rotate key

When you need to rotate the key, use the rotateKey method. This creates a new version of the key and sets that version as the active version.

// Azure client libraries
import { DefaultAzureCredential } from '@azure/identity';
import {
  KeyClient
} from '@azure/keyvault-keys';

// Authenticate to Azure Key Vault
const credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
const client = new KeyClient(
    `https://${process.env.AZURE_KEYVAULT_NAME}.vault.azure.net`,
    credential
);

// Get existing key
let key = await client.getKey(`MyKey`);
console.log(key);

if(key?.name){

    // rotate key
    key = await client.rotateKey(key.name);
    console.log(key);
}

Update key properties

Update properties of the latest version of the key with the updateKeyProperties or update a specific version of a key with updateKeyProperties. Any UpdateKeyPropertiesOptions properties not specified are left unchanged. This doesn't change the key value.

// Azure client libraries
import { DefaultAzureCredential } from '@azure/identity';
import {
  KeyClient
} from '@azure/keyvault-keys';

// Authenticate to Azure Key Vault
const credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
const client = new KeyClient(
    `https://${process.env.AZURE_KEYVAULT_NAME}.vault.azure.net`,
    credential
);

// Get existing key
const key = await client.getKey('MyKey');

if (key) {

    // 
    const updateKeyPropertiesOptions = {
        enabled: false,
        // expiresOn,
        // keyOps,
        // notBefore, 
        // releasePolicy, 
        tags: { 
            ...key.properties.tags, subproject: 'Health and wellness' 
        }
    }
    
    // update properties of latest version
    await client.updateKeyProperties(
        key.name,
        updateKeyPropertiesOptions
    );
    
    // update properties of specific version
    await client.updateKeyProperties(
        key.name,
        key?.properties?.version,
        {
            enabled: true
        }
    );
}

Update key value

To update a key value, use the rotateKey method. Make sure to pass the new value with all the properties you want to keep from the current version of the key. Any current properties not set in additional calls to rotateKey will be lost.

This generates a new version of a key. The returned KeyVaultKey object includes the new version ID.

Next steps

Get a key with JavaScript SDK

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