CKA Storage Practice Question
A cluster administrator wants to expand an existing PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC) that is bound to a PersistentVolume (PV) with reclaim policy Delete and storage class 'fast'. The PV was dynamically provisioned. Which condition is required for the PVC expansion to succeed?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse PV reclaim policy (Delete/Retain) with expansion capabilities, or assume the PV must be in a specific state like Released, when in fact the StorageClass setting is the sole gatekeeper for volume expansion.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The StorageClass 'fast' must have allowVolumeExpansion: true.
For PVC expansion to succeed with a dynamically provisioned PV, the StorageClass must have the `allowVolumeExpansion: true` field set. This field explicitly enables volume expansion for all PVCs using that StorageClass. Without it, the PVC expansion request will be rejected even if other conditions are met.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The PV must be in Released state.
Why it's wrong here
For a PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC) to be expanded, its associated PersistentVolume (PV) must be in the `Bound` state, actively serving the PVC. A `Released` state indicates that the PVC has been deleted, breaking the binding relationship, and the PV is now available for reclamation or re-binding. Therefore, a PV in the `Released` state cannot be expanded in conjunction with an active PVC, as no such PVC exists to expand.
- ✓
The StorageClass 'fast' must have allowVolumeExpansion: true.
Why this is correct
This statement is correct because volume expansion is a feature that must be explicitly enabled at the StorageClass level. The `allowVolumeExpansion: true` parameter within the StorageClass definition signals to Kubernetes and the underlying storage provisioner that volumes provisioned by this class are capable of being resized. Without this setting, any attempt to expand a PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC) will be rejected by the API server, regardless of the underlying storage system's capabilities.
- ✗
The reclaim policy must be changed to Retain before expansion.
Why it's wrong here
The reclaim policy of a PersistentVolume (PV) dictates what happens to the underlying storage resource when its associated PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC) is deleted. Options like `Retain`, `Recycle` (deprecated), or `Delete` govern the lifecycle of the *storage resource itself* after the PVC is gone. This policy has no bearing on the ability to expand an *active* PVC; volume expansion is an operation performed on a currently bound and in-use volume, entirely separate from its post-deletion behavior.
- ✗
The PVC must be using access mode ReadWriteOnce.
Why it's wrong here
PersistentVolumeClaims (PVCs) can utilize various access modes, such as `ReadWriteOnce`, `ReadOnlyMany`, or `ReadWriteMany`, depending on the underlying storage technology and its capabilities. The ability to expand a volume is primarily determined by the StorageClass and the specific CSI driver or in-tree volume plugin, not inherently by the access mode. While certain storage systems might have limitations, there is no universal Kubernetes requirement that a PVC must be `ReadWriteOnce` to be eligible for expansion; many drivers support expansion across all supported access modes.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Configuring Core Cluster Components
Key term
Volumes
In Kubernetes, a volume is a storage resource that outlives the pod it belongs to, enabling data to persist across container restarts and be shared between containers in the same pod.
Key term
Storage Classes
A Storage Class in Kubernetes is a template that defines how persistent storage is provisioned automatically, including the type of storage, performance characteristics, and provisioning policies.
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