# OpenStack Key Manager (barbican)

## What is Barbican?

Barbican is the OpenStack Key Manager service. It provides secure storage, provisioning and management of secret data. This includes keying material such as Symmetric Keys, Asymmetric Keys, Certificates and raw binary data.

## API Guide

If you’re trying to learn how to use barbican, you can start by reading about Secrets in the Barbican API Guide.

Once you’re comfortable working with secrets you can dig into the rest of the API.

- Cloud Administrator Guide - Key Manager service
  - Access Control
  - Barbican Service Management Utility
  - Database Cleaning
  - Key Manager Service Upgrade Guide
  - PKCS11 Key Generation - User Guide
- CLI Reference
  - barbican-status
- Key Manager service
  - Key Manager service overview
  - Install and configure
  - Verify operation
  - Next steps
- Setting up Barbican
  - Using Keystone Middleware with Barbican
  - Troubleshooting your Barbican Setup
  - No Auth barbican
  - Using Audit Middleware with Barbican
  - Using Secret Store Plugins in Barbican
  - barbican.conf
  - Policy configuration
  - Dogtag Setup - User Guide
- Barbican for Developers
  - Setting up a Barbican Development Environment
  - Running Barbican on DevStack
  - Contributing to Barbican
  - Getting Involved
  - Architecture
  - Project Structure
  - Dataflow
  - Adding/Updating Dependencies
  - Database Migrations
  - Guru Meditation Reports
  - API Microversions
  - Plugin Developers Guide
  - Writing and Running Barbican Tests

- Barbican API Documentation
  - User Guide
  - API Reference

## Sample Files

- Barbican Sample Configuration File
- Barbican Sample Policy

## Indices and tables

- Index

- Module Index

- Search Page

this page last updated: 2026-08-18 22:10:53

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