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Scenario #337
Storage
Kubernetes v1.26, CSI snapshots (v1beta1)
CSI Snapshot Restore Overwrites Active Data
User triggered a snapshot restore to an existing PVC, unintentionally overwriting live data.
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What Happened
Snapshot restore process recreated PVC from source but didn't prevent overwriting an already-mounted volume.
Diagnosis Steps
- 1Traced VolumeSnapshotContent and PVC references.
- 2PVC had reclaimPolicy: Retain, but was reused.
- 3SnapshotClass used Delete policy.
Root Cause
No validation existed between snapshot restore and in-use PVCs.
Fix/Workaround
• Restored snapshot to a new PVC and used manual copy/move.
• Added lifecycle checks before invoking restores.Lessons Learned
Restoring snapshots can be destructive.
How to Avoid
- 1Never restore to in-use PVCs without backup.
- 2Build snapshot workflows that validate PVC state.