# Understanding Kubernetes: Part 11 -Persistent Volumeย (PV)
> If youโve been following our **Kubernetes series 2025**, welcome back! For new readers, check out Part 10: [**Understanding Kubernetes: StorageClass**](https://medium.com/@techwithpatil/understanding-kubernetes-part-10-storageclass-9aeadec5817c)
๐ **Not a Medium member?** No worries! Hereโs the free link: [**Part 11-StorageClass**](https://blog.techwithpatil.com/blogs/medium-articles/kubernetes-series-2025/understanding-kubernetes-part-10-storageclass)
## What is a Persistent Volume (PV) in Kubernetes?
A Persistent Volume (PV) in Kubernetes is a storage resource that exists independently of pods and provides a way to store data persistently. Unlike ephemeral pod storage, a PV allows data to persist even if the pod is deleted or restarted. It abstracts the underlying storage system, such as NFS, AWS EBS, or local disks, and provides a unified way to manage storage in Kubernetes.
### For example:
If you have an application that requires a database, like MySQL, the database data must be retained across restarts. A Persistent Volume ensures that the data is stored on durable storage, allowing the database to recover its state after any disruption.
### Persistent Volume Capabilities:
* **Abstraction**: Supports multiple storage backends (e.g., local disks, cloud storage).
* **Decoupled from Pods**: A PV exists independently of pods, providing persistent storage.
* **Access Modes**: Supports `ReadWriteOnce`, `ReadOnlyMany`, or `ReadWriteMany` for different usage scenarios.
* **Lifecycle Management**: A PV is provisioned and bound to Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs) by users or dynamically created by storage classes.
### In my previous role:
As a Senior DevOps Engineer, I used Persistent Volumes to manage storage for our Jenkins CI/CD setup. Jenkins required durable storage for build artifacts and configurations. I configured an NFS-backed Persistent Volume, which ensured data availability across pod restarts. By combining PVs with Persistent Volume Claims, I provided teams with seamless access to shared storage while maintaining strict isolation between workloads. This setup ensured high reliability for our build and deployment processes.
### Hereโs a simple YAML for a Persistent Volume:
```
apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolume
metadata:
name: pv-storage
spec:
capacity:
storage: 10Gi
accessModes:
- ReadWriteOnce
persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy: Retain
hostPath:
path: /mnt/data
```
This Persistent Volume provides 10GB of storage with a `ReadWriteOnce` access mode. The `hostPath` configuration binds it to the `/mnt/data` directory on the host machine, ensuring durability for applications like databases or CI/CD pipelines. This makes PVs an essential component for persistent storage in Kubernetes.
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