VA-003 Utilize Vault CLI and API Practice Question
Exhibit
Key Value --- ----- accessor xyz123 creation_time 1625000000 creation_ttl 72h display_name root entity_id abc456 expire_time 2021-07-02T12:00:00Z explicit_max_ttl 0s id s.abc123def456 issue_time 2021-06-29T12:00:00Z meta map[] num_uses 0 orphan true path auth/token/root policies [root] renewable true type service
Refer to the exhibit. A user runs 'vault token renew -self' on this token. What is the expected behavior?
⚠ Common exam trap
HashiCorp often tests the misconception that service tokens cannot be renewed or that renewal is limited by the original issue time, when in fact renewal resets the TTL to the initial value from the current time, subject to the token's max TTL.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The token TTL will reset to 72h from now.
The token's initial TTL was set to 72h, and the token has a renewable property (service tokens are renewable by default unless explicitly disabled). Running 'vault token renew -self' extends the token's lifetime by resetting the TTL to the original 72h from the current time, as long as the renewal does not exceed the token's maximum TTL (which is also 72h in this case). This behavior is defined by Vault's token lifecycle management, where renewable tokens can have their TTL reset to the initial value upon renewal.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The token cannot be renewed because the token type is service.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Service tokens are renewable by default unless the 'renewable' property is explicitly set to false. The exhibit does not indicate that renewable is false, so renewal is possible.
- ✓
The token TTL will reset to 72h from now.
Why this is correct
Correct. Renewing a token resets its TTL to the original creation_ttl (72h) from the current time, subject to the token's maximum TTL, which is also 72h in this case.
- ✗
The token will be renewed, but TTL cannot exceed 72h from issue time.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. While renewal does reset the TTL, it is not limited to 72h from the issue time; rather, it resets to 72h from the current renewal time, as long as it does not exceed the max TTL.
- ✗
The token cannot be renewed because it is orphan.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Being orphan (no parent) does not prevent renewal; orphan tokens can still be renewed if they have the renewable property set to true.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This VA-003 practice question is part of Courseiva's free HashiCorp certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the VA-003 exam.