Which statement best explains the role and usage of storage backends in HashiCorp Vault?

Comprehensive and Detailed in Depth Explanation:

Storage backends in Vault are responsible for storing persistent data, impacting its operation. The HashiCorp Vault documentation states: "The storage stanza configures the storage backend, which represents the location for the durable storage of Vault’s information. Each backend has pros, cons, advantages, and trade-offs. For example, some backends support high availability while others provide a more robust backup and restoration process." This includes secrets, policies, and audit logs, affecting scalability and performance.

The docs add: "Vault uses a storage backend to persist its encrypted data, configuration, and metadata." Option B is incorrect as encryption is handled by Vault, not the backend. C and D are wrong—backends store all persistent data, not just tokens or unseal keys. Thus, A is correct.