Reclaim policies (Retain, Delete) in Kubernetes - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Reclaim policies (Retain, Delete)

PVC Bound to PV

↓

Delete PVC

↓

Check Reclaim Policy

↓

PV stays

↓

Manual

↓

cleanup

When a PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC) is deleted, Kubernetes checks the PersistentVolume's (PV) reclaim policy. If Retain, the PV stays for manual cleanup. If Delete, the PV and storage are deleted automatically.

Execution Sample

Kubernetes

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
  name: pv-example
spec:
  persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: Retain

Defines a PersistentVolume with reclaim policy set to Retain, meaning storage is kept after PVC deletion.

Process Table

Step	Action	PVC State	PV State	Reclaim Policy	Result
1	PVC created and bound to PV	Bound	Bound	Retain	PV and PVC linked
2	User deletes PVC	Deleted	Released	Retain	PV released, data intact
3	Admin manually cleans PV	Deleted	Available	Retain	PV ready for reuse
4	PVC created and bound to PV	Bound	Bound	Delete	PV and PVC linked
5	User deletes PVC	Deleted	Released	Delete	PV released, storage deleted

💡 Execution stops after PVC deletion and reclaim policy action completes

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5
PVC State	Not created	Bound	Deleted	Deleted	Bound	Deleted
PV State	Available	Bound	Released	Available	Bound	Released
Reclaim Policy	Set at PV creation	Retain	Retain	Retain	Delete	Delete

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the PV remain after PVC deletion when reclaim policy is Retain?

Because Retain policy tells Kubernetes to keep the PV and data intact for manual cleanup, as shown in step 2 of the execution_table.

What happens to the PV and storage when reclaim policy is Delete?

The PV enters Released state and its storage is deleted automatically when the PVC is deleted, as shown in step 5 of the execution_table.

When does the PV state change to Released?

After PVC deletion with Retain or Delete policy, the PV state changes to Released indicating it is no longer bound but data may remain, as in step 2 and step 5.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the PV state immediately after PVC deletion with Retain policy?

A Released

B Deleted

C Bound

D Available

💡 Hint

Check Step 2 in execution_table where PVC is deleted: PV state is Released.

At which step does the PV get deleted automatically?

A Step 3

B Step 4

C Step 5

D Step 2

💡 Hint

Look at Step 5 in execution_table where reclaim policy is Delete and PV is released and storage deleted.

If the reclaim policy was changed from Retain to Delete, what would happen at Step 2?

A PV state changes to Released

B PV and storage get deleted

C PV remains Bound

D PVC remains Bound

💡 Hint

Refer to Step 5 where Delete policy causes PV release and storage deletion after PVC deletion.

Concept Snapshot

Reclaim policies control what happens to storage after PVC deletion.
Retain: PV stays, manual cleanup needed.
Delete: PV released and storage deleted automatically.
Set in PV spec: persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy.
Important for managing storage lifecycle in Kubernetes.

Full Transcript

In Kubernetes, PersistentVolumes (PV) have a reclaim policy that decides what happens when the PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC) using it is deleted. The two main policies are Retain and Delete. When the PVC is deleted, if the policy is Retain, the PV enters the Released state and data is kept safe for manual cleanup. If the policy is Delete, the PV enters Released state and its storage is deleted automatically. This flow helps manage storage resources properly. The execution table shows step-by-step how PVC and PV states change depending on the reclaim policy. Understanding this helps avoid accidental data loss or orphaned storage.