Reclaim policies (Retain, Delete) in Kubernetes - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to set the reclaim policy to delete a PersistentVolume.

Kubernetes

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
  name: pv-example
spec:
  capacity:
    storage: 10Gi
  persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AKeep

BRetain

CRecycle

DDelete

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Choosing Retain instead of Delete causes the volume to stay after release.

The Delete reclaim policy means the volume and its data are deleted when released.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the code to set the reclaim policy to retain a PersistentVolume after release.

Kubernetes

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
  name: pv-data
spec:
  capacity:
    storage: 5Gi
  persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ARetain

BRecycle

CDelete

DRemove

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using Delete instead of Retain causes data loss.

The Retain policy keeps the volume and data after the claim is deleted.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the reclaim policy value to a valid option.

Kubernetes

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
  name: pv-fix
spec:
  capacity:
    storage: 8Gi
  persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ARemove

BDelete

CKeep

DRecycle

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using invalid reclaim policies causes errors in Kubernetes.

Only Delete and Retain are valid reclaim policies in Kubernetes v1. Recycle is deprecated and others are invalid.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to create a PersistentVolume with Retain policy and 20Gi storage.

Kubernetes

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
  name: pv-retain
spec:
  capacity:
    storage: [1]
  persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: [2]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ARetain

BDelete

C20Gi

D10Gi

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Mixing up storage sizes or reclaim policies.

The storage size is set to 20Gi and the reclaim policy to Retain to keep the volume after release.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to define a PersistentVolume with 15Gi storage, Delete reclaim policy, and name 'pv-delete'.

Kubernetes

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
  name: [1]
spec:
  capacity:
    storage: [2]
  persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: [3]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Apv-retain

B15Gi

CDelete

Dpv-delete

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using wrong names or policies causes deployment issues.

The volume is named pv-delete, has 15Gi storage, and uses the Delete reclaim policy.

Practice

1. What does the Retain reclaim policy do in Kubernetes Persistent Volumes?

easy

A. Keeps the volume and data after the PersistentVolumeClaim is deleted for manual cleanup.

B. Automatically deletes the volume and data when the PersistentVolumeClaim is deleted.

C. Prevents any deletion of the PersistentVolumeClaim.

D. Creates a backup of the volume before deletion.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand reclaim policies

   Reclaim policies define what happens to storage after the claim is deleted.

2. Step 2: Identify Retain behavior

   The Retain policy keeps the volume and data intact for manual intervention.

3. Final Answer:

   Keeps the volume and data after the PersistentVolumeClaim is deleted for manual cleanup. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Retain = Keep data safe [OK]

Hint: Retain means keep data after claim deletion [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Retain with automatic deletion
• Thinking Retain backs up data automatically
• Assuming Retain prevents claim deletion

2. Which of the following is the correct YAML snippet to set a PersistentVolume reclaim policy to Delete?

easy

A. persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: Retain

B. persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: Delete

C. persistent_volume_reclaim_policy: Delete

D. persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: delete

Solution

1. Step 1: Check correct YAML key and value

   The key is persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy, and value is case-sensitive.

2. Step 2: Identify correct value for Delete

   The value must be exactly Delete with capital D.

3. Final Answer:

   persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: Delete -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Correct key and capitalized value = A [OK]

Hint: Use exact key 'persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy' and capitalized 'Delete' [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using lowercase 'delete' instead of 'Delete'
• Using underscore instead of camelCase key
• Mixing Retain and Delete values

3. Given this PersistentVolume YAML snippet:

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
  name: pv-example
spec:
  capacity:
    storage: 5Gi
  accessModes:
    - ReadWriteOnce
  persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: Retain
  hostPath:
    path: /data/pv-example

What happens to the volume when the PersistentVolumeClaim using this PV is deleted?

medium

A. The volume and data are deleted automatically.

B. The volume is unbound but data is deleted.

C. The volume is retained and data remains for manual cleanup.

D. The volume is backed up before deletion.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify reclaim policy in YAML

   The reclaim policy is set as Retain in persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy.

2. Step 2: Understand Retain effect on deletion

   Retain means the volume and data stay after claim deletion for manual handling.

3. Final Answer:

   The volume is retained and data remains for manual cleanup. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Retain policy = keep volume and data [OK]

Hint: Retain policy keeps volume after claim deletion [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming data deletes automatically with Retain
• Confusing persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy with reclaimPolicy key
• Thinking volume is backed up automatically

4. You set a PersistentVolume reclaim policy to Delete but after deleting the PersistentVolumeClaim, the volume still exists. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The reclaim policy was misspelled in the YAML and ignored.

B. The volume was manually retained by an admin.

C. The PersistentVolumeClaim was not actually deleted.

D. The storage class does not support automatic deletion.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Delete reclaim policy

   Delete policy should remove the volume automatically after claim deletion.

2. Step 2: Check storage class support

   If the storage class does not support dynamic deletion, volume remains despite policy.

3. Final Answer:

   The storage class does not support automatic deletion. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Storage class support needed for Delete policy [OK]

Hint: Delete needs storage class support to remove volume [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming reclaim policy misspelling always causes failure
• Ignoring storage class role in deletion
• Not verifying claim deletion status

5. You want to ensure that when a PersistentVolumeClaim is deleted, the underlying storage is kept intact for backup purposes, but you also want to automate cleanup later. Which reclaim policy should you use and what additional step is needed?

hard

A. Use Retain policy and configure a cleanup job to delete volumes later.

B. Use Delete policy and rely on automatic cleanup only.

C. Use Retain policy and manually delete the volume after backup.

D. Use Delete policy and create snapshots before deletion.

Solution

1. Step 1: Choose policy to keep data after claim deletion

   Retain policy keeps the volume and data safe after claim deletion.

2. Step 2: Automate cleanup after backup

   Since Retain does not delete automatically, a cleanup job is needed to remove volumes later.

3. Final Answer:

   Use Retain policy and configure a cleanup job to delete volumes later. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Retain + cleanup job = safe backup + automation [OK]

Hint: Retain keeps data; add cleanup job for automation [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Delete keeps data for backup
• Expecting Retain to delete volumes automatically
• Not planning manual or automated cleanup after Retain