Persistent Volumes in Kubernetes – Class Notes for CKA Exam Preparation

Introduction to Persistent Volumes (PVs)

In Kubernetes, managing storage is a critical aspect of running stateful applications. Unlike stateless applications, stateful applications require persistent storage to retain data beyond the lifecycle of a pod. Kubernetes provides a robust storage management system using Persistent Volumes (PVs) and Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs).

A Persistent Volume (PV) is a cluster-wide storage resource provisioned by an administrator or dynamically created using Storage Classes. PVs abstract the underlying storage infrastructure (such as NFS, AWS EBS, GCE Persistent Disk, or local storage) and provide a consistent API for pods to consume storage. PVs exist independently of pods, meaning data persists even if the pod is deleted.

Key Concepts of Persistent Volumes

1. Persistent Volume (PV)

A PV is a piece of storage in the cluster that has been provisioned by an administrator or dynamically created using a StorageClass. PVs have a lifecycle independent of any individual pod. They can be backed by various storage types, including:

• Network-attached storage (NFS, iSCSI, Ceph)

• Cloud provider block storage (AWS EBS, GCE PD, Azure Disk)

• Local storage (hostPath, local volumes)

PVs are defined using a YAML manifest with specifications such as:

• Capacity (e.g., 10Gi)

• Access Modes (ReadWriteOnce, ReadOnlyMany, ReadWriteMany)

• Reclaim Policy (Retain, Delete, Recycle)

• Storage Class Name (for dynamic provisioning)

• Volume Mode (Filesystem or Block)

2. Persistent Volume Claim (PVC)

A Persistent Volume Claim (PVC) is a request for storage by a user. It allows pods to consume PV resources without needing to know the underlying storage implementation. PVCs specify:

• Storage requirements (size)

• Access modes

• StorageClass (if dynamic provisioning is needed)

When a PVC is created, Kubernetes binds it to an available PV that matches the requested criteria. If no PV is available, a new one may be dynamically provisioned (if supported by the StorageClass).

3. StorageClass (SC)

A StorageClass enables dynamic provisioning of PVs. Instead of manually creating PVs, administrators define StorageClasses that describe the types of storage available (e.g., SSD, HDD, or cloud-specific storage). When a PVC references a StorageClass, Kubernetes automatically provisions a PV that meets the claim’s requirements.

Key attributes of a StorageClass include:

• Provisioner (e.g., kubernetes.io/aws-ebs, kubernetes.io/gce-pd)

• Parameters (e.g., type: gp2 for AWS EBS)

• Reclaim Policy (Delete or Retain)

• Volume Binding Mode (Immediate or WaitForFirstConsumer)

4. Access Modes

PVs and PVCs support different access modes, which define how the volume can be mounted:

• ReadWriteOnce (RWO): Read-write by a single node.

• ReadOnlyMany (ROX): Read-only by multiple nodes.

• ReadWriteMany (RWX): Read-write by multiple nodes.

Not all storage backends support all access modes. For example, AWS EBS only supports ReadWriteOnce, while NFS supports ReadWriteMany.

5. Reclaim Policies

When a PVC is deleted, the PV’s reclaim policy determines what happens to the underlying storage:

• Retain: Keeps the PV and its data (manual cleanup required).

• Delete: Automatically deletes the PV and associated storage (supported in cloud environments).

• Recycle (deprecated): Deletes data and makes the PV available for reuse (replaced by dynamic provisioning).

6. Volume Binding Modes

StorageClasses can define how PVs are bound to PVCs:

• Immediate: Binds the PVC to a PV as soon as the PVC is created.

• WaitForFirstConsumer: Delays binding until a pod uses the PVC (useful for local storage or topology constraints).

7. Volume Modes

PVs can be used in two modes:

• Filesystem: Default mode, where the volume is mounted as a directory.

• Block: Treats the volume as a raw block device (useful for databases like MySQL).

Static vs. Dynamic Provisioning

Static Provisioning

In static provisioning, an administrator manually creates PVs in advance. Users then create PVCs to claim these PVs. This approach is useful when:

• The storage infrastructure is fixed.

• Fine-grained control over PV properties is required.

• Dynamic provisioning is not supported by the storage backend.

Dynamic Provisioning

Dynamic provisioning automates PV creation when a PVC is created. It relies on StorageClasses to define the type of storage to provision. This is the preferred method in cloud environments because:

• It eliminates the need for pre-created PVs.

• It scales automatically with demand.

• It simplifies storage management.

Feature	Static Provisioning	Dynamic Provisioning
Definition	Administrator manually creates Persistent Volumes (PVs) in advance.	PVs are automatically created when a Persistent Volume Claim (PVC) is made, using a StorageClass.
Setup Complexity	Requires manual creation of PVs before use.	Fully automated; no need to pre-create PVs.
Storage Backend	Works with any storage type (NFS, local, cloud).	Requires a provisioner (e.g., AWS EBS, GCE PD, Azure Disk).
Scalability	Limited by pre-created PVs; may require manual scaling.	Scales automatically as PVCs are created.
Reclaim Policy	Can be Retain, Delete, or Recycle.	Typically Delete (cloud storage) or Retain (if configured).
Use Cases	– Legacy storage systems without dynamic provisioning. – Fine-grained control over PV properties. – On-premises environments with fixed storage.	– Cloud-native environments (AWS, GCP, Azure). – CI/CD pipelines needing on-demand storage. – Large-scale deployments requiring automation.
Pros	– Full control over PV configuration. – Works with any storage system.	– No manual intervention required. – Scales effortlessly with demand.
Cons	– Manual management overhead. – Risk of under/over-provisioning.	– Requires compatible storage backend. – Less control over PV properties (depends on StorageClass).

Lifecycle of a PV and PVC

1. Provisioning: PV is created statically by an admin or dynamically via a StorageClass.

2. Binding: A PVC requests storage, and Kubernetes binds it to an available PV.

3. Using: A pod references the PVC, and the volume is mounted into the container.

4. Releasing: When the pod is deleted, the PVC can be deleted or retained.

5. Reclaiming: Based on the reclaim policy, the PV is either retained, deleted, or recycled.

Common Use Cases

1. Databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL): Require persistent storage to retain data.

2. Stateful Applications (Redis, Elasticsearch): Need durable storage for logs and data.

3. File Storage (NFS, CephFS): Shared storage for multiple pods.

4. Cloud-native Applications (EBS, Azure Disk): Leverage cloud provider storage.

Troubleshooting PVs and PVCs

For the CKA exam, you should be familiar with debugging storage issues:

• Check PVC status: kubectl get pvc (look for Bound or Pending status).

• Check PV status: kubectl get pv (ensure PVs are available).

• Describe PVC/PV: kubectl describe pvc <name> (look for errors).

• Check StorageClass: kubectl get storageclass (ensure default or correct SC is set).

• Check events: kubectl get events (look for provisioning errors).

Best Practices for CKA Exam

1. Understand YAML Definitions: Be able to write PV, PVC, and StorageClass manifests.

2. Know Access Modes: Recognize which storage backends support ReadWriteMany.

3. Dynamic Provisioning: Practice creating PVCs with StorageClasses.

4. Troubleshooting: Know how to diagnose Pending PVCs.

5. StatefulSets: Understand how PVs work with StatefulSets (stable network identities and persistent storage).

Conclusion

Persistent Volumes are essential for running stateful applications in Kubernetes. The CKA exam tests your ability to configure and troubleshoot PVs, PVCs, and StorageClasses. Key takeaways:

• PVs are cluster resources, while PVCs are user requests for storage.

• StorageClasses enable dynamic provisioning.

• Access Modes and Reclaim Policies dictate how storage is used and managed.

• Troubleshooting involves checking PVC/PV status, StorageClass, and events.

Mastering these concepts will ensure you can handle storage-related tasks in the CKA exam and real-world Kubernetes deployments.

kubectl describe pvc <pvc-name>  # Check events for errors  
kubectl get storageclass        # Verify StorageClass exists  
kubectl get pv                  # Check available PVs  

apiVersion: apps/v1  
kind: StatefulSet  
metadata:  
  name: mysql  
spec:  
  volumeClaimTemplates:  
  - metadata:  
      name: mysql-data  
    spec:  
      accessModes: ["ReadWriteOnce"]  
      storageClassName: "fast-ssd"  # Uses dynamic provisioning  
      resources:  
        requests:  
          storage: 10Gi