storage

default: local-path provisioner

k3s includes local-path provisioner. it dynamically creates hostPath-backed persistent volumes on the node.

pros:

• zero extra moving parts
• good enough for one node
• easy to inspect on disk

cons:

• node-bound
• manual migration if the node changes
• no replication

recommended data root: /srv/k3s/volumes.

alternative: openebs local pv

openebs local pv provides a more formal local pv abstraction with node affinity and clearer pv lifecycle semantics. it can make later multi-node local-disk scheduling cleaner, but it still does not replicate data.

use openebs local pv later if:

• we add worker nodes
• we want named storage classes per disk/path
• we need better pv lifecycle control than local-path

not v1: longhorn

longhorn is useful for replicated storage across nodes. on one node it mostly adds complexity without fault tolerance.