# Register a vault in Ripple Custody

All newly deployed vaults must be registered in Ripple Custody before they can be used.

Note:
At the time you open a new vault, it is important to set the key management system (KMS) — either `HSM` (hardware-security module) or `MPC` (multi-party computation) — to enable correct behavior of the system. This does not affect existing vaults. For more information about MPC key management, contact your Ripple liaison.

## Obtain the vault public key

To register the vault, you first need to obtain the public key for either an on-premise or a managed vault. Follow the process accordingly.

### Obtain the key for an on-premise vault

To obtain the public key for an on-premise vault:

1. Access the vault logs according to the method supported for your architecture.
2. Search for the generated public key:



```sh

[INFO] [] [InitSvc]: Vault Core pubKeySig (der base64): MCowBQYDK2VwAyEA0rG1QbK6fGtkgsf7XXdbTFJVojK30tNEKrcjicKeVbI=
```

### Obtain the key for a managed vault

To obtain the public key for a vault that is managed by an agent, call the following API operation:


```sh
<VAULT_HOST_ADDRESS>/internal/v1/system/information
```

The vault host returns the following response:


```json
{
    "publicKey":<VAULT_PUBLIC_KEY>",
    "registeredInHarmonize":false,
    "vaultId":"<VAULT_ID>"
}
```

For more information about managed vaults, see [Deploy an agent](/products/custody/v1.26/get-started/deployment/deploy-kms/cloud/ibm/connect).

## Register the vault

To register the vault, create a vault entity, as described in the following sections:

- [Ripple Custody UI > Register vaults](/products/custody/v1.26/ui/environment/vault/register)
- [Ripple Custody API > Register vaults](/products/custody/v1.26/api/environment/vault/register)