: Deploying VSatellites
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Deploying VSatellites

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Deploying VSatellites

After you've carefully reviewed and completed all prerequisite steps, you're ready to deploy a VSatellite to your target computer.
Important: When deploying your first VSatellite, you must choose how the Data Encryption Key (DEK) is protected:
  • Software-based DEK (default)
  • HSM-protected DEK
This is a tenant-level setting. After a VSatellite is deployed, the DEK protection mode cannot be changed unless all VSatellites are deleted.
For details about deploying with HSM-protected DEK, see Using HSM-protected DEK with VSatellites.
Deploying a VSatellite involves 3 simple steps:
  1. Download the VSatellite installer (vsatctl) onto your target computer.
  2. Run sudo ./vsatctl preflight to verify that you've met all prerequisites.
  3. Run sudo ./vsatctl install to deploy your new VSatellite.

Why are root privileges required?"

The vsatctl install command installs k3s in /usr/local/bin, which is owned by the root user.
If you are installing VSatellite on RHEL, Oracle, or Rocky Linux, the vsatctl install command will install the k3s-selinux RPM package.
Installing RPM packages requires root privileges.
Other vsatctl subcommands connect to the VSatellite cluster, requiring access to credentials stored in /etc/rancher/k3s/k3s.yaml.
This file is only accessible to the root user.
If you are already logged in as the root user, you can omit the sudo command.
Tip: It's helpful to have both the VSatellites page open in Certificate Manager - SaaS (Settings > VSatellites) and a command line utility connected to your target computer before you begin. You'll be using both.

About the generated installation command

When you deploy a VSatellite using the installation wizard, Certificate Manager - SaaS generates an installation command that includes placeholders for required values.
For HSM-protected DEK deployments, these placeholders reference components of your HSM client installation (such as client paths, PKCS#11 libraries, and configuration files). The wizard does not validate these values.
For an explanation of each HSM-related parameter and example values, see Using HSM-protected DEK with VSatellites.

To deploy a new VSatellite

  1. In Next-Gen Trust Security, click Configuration > VSatellite.
  2. On the VSatellites page, click New, and then follow the on-screen instructions.