Kubernetes / Storage, Configuration & Data Protection
Review StatefulSet claim-retention behavior before scale-down or deletion
Stateful data can outlive Pods, but retention behavior depends on the workload's actual configuration and supported Kubernetes release.
Environment and inputs: Kubernetes · kubectl with supported client/server versions and delegated RBAC. Examples use namespace app unless noted. Check context, namespace, APIs and provider support first.
Start with this check
Confirm the environment and replace sample objects, namespaces, images, paths and hosts with approved targets. Share only relevant, sanitized output. Follow the workload owner’s process for changes.
kubectl -n app get statefulset database -o jsonpath='{.spec.persistentVolumeClaimRetentionPolicy}{" "}{.spec.volumeClaimTemplates[*].metadata.name}'Read the result
An omitted policy uses documented defaults for the installed release. The claim lifecycle and PV reclaim policy are separate layers.
Resolve and verify
Compare retention intent with backup requirements and controller ownership, then plan a reviewed scale or deletion action. Verify the data remains recoverable.
Before changing production
Do not assume every StatefulSet operation preserves or deletes claims identically across configurations.