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Scenario #309
Storage
Kubernetes v1.20, Self-Hosted
Orphaned PVs After Namespace Deletion
Deleting a namespace did not clean up PersistentVolumes, leading to leaked storage.
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What Happened
A team deleted a namespace with PVCs, but the associated PVs (with Retain policy) remained and weren’t cleaned up.
Diagnosis Steps
- 1Listed all PVs: found orphaned volumes in Released state.
- 2Checked reclaim policy: Retain.
Root Cause
Manual cleanup required for Retain policy.
Fix/Workaround
• Deleted old PVs and disks manually.
• Changed reclaim policy to Delete for dynamic volumes.Lessons Learned
Reclaim policy should match cleanup expectations.
How to Avoid
- 1Use Delete unless you need manual volume recovery.
- 2Monitor Released PVs for leaks.