AWS Secrets Manager patterns using AWS SDK for Java 2.x. Use when storing/retrieving secrets (passwords, API keys, tokens), rotating secrets automatically, managing database credentials, or integrating secret management into Spring Boot applications.
Scanned 2/12/2026
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---
name: aws-sdk-java-v2-secrets-manager
description: AWS Secrets Manager patterns using AWS SDK for Java 2.x. Use when storing/retrieving secrets (passwords, API keys, tokens), rotating secrets automatically, managing database credentials, or integrating secret management into Spring Boot applications.
category: aws
tags: [aws, secrets-manager, java, sdk, security, credentials, spring-boot]
version: 1.1.0
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Glob, Bash
---
# AWS SDK for Java 2.x - AWS Secrets Manager
## When to Use
Use this skill when:
- Storing and retrieving application secrets programmatically
- Managing database credentials securely without hardcoding
- Implementing automatic secret rotation with Lambda functions
- Integrating AWS Secrets Manager with Spring Boot applications
- Setting up secret caching for improved performance
- Creating secure configuration management systems
- Working with multi-region secret deployments
- Implementing audit logging for secret access
## Dependencies
### Maven
```xml
<dependency>
<groupId>software.amazon.awssdk</groupId>
<artifactId>secretsmanager</artifactId>
</dependency>
<!-- For secret caching (recommended for production) -->
<dependency>
<groupId>com.amazonaws.secretsmanager</groupId>
<artifactId>aws-secretsmanager-caching-java</artifactId>
<version>2.0.0</version> // Use the sdk v2 compatible version
</dependency>
```
### Gradle
```gradle
implementation 'software.amazon.awssdk:secretsmanager'
implementation 'com.amazonaws.secretsmanager:aws-secretsmanager-caching-java:2.0.0
```
## Quick Start
### Basic Client Setup
```java
import software.amazon.awssdk.regions.Region;
import software.amazon.awssdk.services.secretsmanager.SecretsManagerClient;
SecretsManagerClient secretsClient = SecretsManagerClient.builder()
.region(Region.US_EAST_1)
.build();
```
### Store a Secret
```java
import software.amazon.awssdk.services.secretsmanager.model.*;
public String createSecret(String secretName, String secretValue) {
CreateSecretRequest request = CreateSecretRequest.builder()
.name(secretName)
.secretString(secretValue)
.build();
CreateSecretResponse response = secretsClient.createSecret(request);
return response.arn();
}
```
### Retrieve a Secret
```java
public String getSecretValue(String secretName) {
GetSecretValueRequest request = GetSecretValueRequest.builder()
.secretId(secretName)
.build();
GetSecretValueResponse response = secretsClient.getSecretValue(request);
return response.secretString();
}
```
## Core Operations
### Secret Management
- Create secrets with `createSecret()`
- Retrieve secrets with `getSecretValue()`
- Update secrets with `updateSecret()`
- Delete secrets with `deleteSecret()`
- List secrets with `listSecrets()`
- Restore deleted secrets with `restoreSecret()`
### Secret Versioning
- Access specific versions by `versionId`
- Access versions by stage (e.g., "AWSCURRENT", "AWSPENDING")
- Automatically manage version history
### Secret Rotation
- Configure automatic rotation schedules
- Lambda-based rotation functions
- Immediate rotation with `rotateSecret()`
## Caching for Performance
### Setup Cache
```java
import com.amazonaws.secretsmanager.caching.SecretCache;
public class CachedSecrets {
private final SecretCache cache;
public CachedSecrets(SecretsManagerClient secretsClient) {
this.cache = new SecretCache(secretsClient);
}
public String getCachedSecret(String secretName) {
return cache.getSecretString(secretName);
}
}
```
### Cache Configuration
```java
import com.amazonaws.secretsmanager.caching.SecretCacheConfiguration;
SecretCacheConfiguration config = SecretCacheConfiguration.builder()
.maxCacheSize(1000)
.cacheItemTTL(3600000) // 1 hour
.build();
```
## Spring Boot Integration
### Configuration
```java
@Configuration
public class SecretsManagerConfiguration {
@Bean
public SecretsManagerClient secretsManagerClient() {
return SecretsManagerClient.builder()
.region(Region.of(region))
.build();
}
@Bean
public SecretCache secretCache(SecretsManagerClient secretsClient) {
return new SecretCache(secretsClient);
}
}
```
### Service Layer
```java
@Service
public class SecretsService {
private final SecretCache cache;
public SecretsService(SecretCache cache) {
this.cache = cache;
}
public <T> T getSecretAsObject(String secretName, Class<T> type) {
String secretJson = cache.getSecretString(secretName);
return objectMapper.readValue(secretJson, type);
}
}
```
### Database Configuration
```java
@Configuration
public class DatabaseConfiguration {
@Bean
public DataSource dataSource(SecretsService secretsService) {
Map<String, String> credentials = secretsService.getSecretAsMap(
"prod/database/credentials");
HikariConfig config = new HikariConfig();
config.setJdbcUrl(credentials.get("url"));
config.setUsername(credentials.get("username"));
config.setPassword(credentials.get("password"));
return new HikariDataSource(config);
}
}
```
## Examples
### Database Credentials Structure
```json
{
"engine": "postgres",
"host": "mydb.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com",
"port": 5432,
"username": "admin",
"password": "MySecurePassword123!",
"dbname": "mydatabase",
"url": "jdbc:postgresql://mydb.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com:5432/mydatabase"
}
```
### API Keys Structure
```json
{
"api_key": "abcd1234-5678-90ef-ghij-klmnopqrstuv",
"api_secret": "MySecretKey123!",
"api_token": "Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."
}
```
## Common Patterns
### Error Handling
```java
try {
String secret = secretsClient.getSecretValue(request).secretString();
} catch (SecretsManagerException e) {
if (e.awsErrorDetails().errorCode().equals("ResourceNotFoundException")) {
// Handle missing secret
}
throw e;
}
```
### Batch Operations
```java
List<String> secretNames = List.of("secret1", "secret2", "secret3");
Map<String, String> secrets = secretNames.stream()
.collect(Collectors.toMap(
Function.identity(),
name -> cache.getSecretString(name)
));
```
## Best Practices
1. **Secret Management**:
- Use descriptive secret names with hierarchical structure
- Implement versioning and rotation
- Add tags for organization and billing
2. **Caching**:
- Always use caching in production environments
- Configure appropriate TTL values based on secret sensitivity
- Monitor cache hit rates
3. **Security**:
- Never log secret values
- Use KMS encryption for sensitive secrets
- Implement least privilege IAM policies
- Enable CloudTrail logging
4. **Performance**:
- Reuse SecretsManagerClient instances
- Use async operations when appropriate
- Monitor API throttling limits
5. **Spring Boot Integration**:
- Use `@Value` annotations for secret names
- Implement proper exception handling
- Use configuration properties for secret names
## Testing Strategies
### Unit Testing
```java
@ExtendWith(MockitoExtension.class)
class SecretsServiceTest {
@Mock
private SecretCache cache;
@InjectMocks
private SecretsService secretsService;
@Test
void shouldGetSecret() {
when(cache.getSecretString("test-secret")).thenReturn("secret-value");
String result = secretsService.getSecret("test-secret");
assertEquals("secret-value", result);
}
}
```
### Integration Testing
```java
@SpringBootTest(classes = TestSecretsConfiguration.class)
class SecretsManagerIntegrationTest {
@Autowired
private SecretsService secretsService;
@Test
void shouldRetrieveSecret() {
String secret = secretsService.getSecret("test-secret");
assertNotNull(secret);
}
}
```
## Troubleshooting
### Common Issues
- **Access Denied**: Check IAM permissions
- **Resource Not Found**: Verify secret name and region
- **Decryption Failure**: Ensure KMS key permissions
- **Throttling**: Implement retry logic and backoff
### Debug Commands
```bash
# Check secret exists
aws secretsmanager describe-secret --secret-id my-secret
# List all secrets
aws secretsmanager list-secrets
# Get secret value (CLI)
aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id my-secret
```
## References
For detailed information and advanced patterns, see:
- [API Reference](./references/api-reference.md) - Complete API documentation
- [Caching Guide](./references/caching-guide.md) - Performance optimization strategies
- [Spring Boot Integration](./references/spring-boot-integration.md) - Complete Spring integration patterns
## Related Skills
- `aws-sdk-java-v2-core` - Core AWS SDK patterns and best practices
- `aws-sdk-java-v2-kms` - KMS encryption and key management
- `spring-boot-dependency-injection` - Spring dependency injection patternsIs this your skill, or is something wrong with this listing? Request removal or report an issue. Author removals are honored within 72 hours.
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