persistent volume claim
also: PVC
A request for persistent storage in Kubernetes that a pod can use to store data beyond its lifetime. It abstracts the underlying storage details and allows applications to claim disk space dynamically.
A Persistent Volume Claim (PVC) is a Kubernetes API object that lets a pod request a specific amount of persistent storage without needing to know the details of the underlying storage system. Think of it as a purchase order for disk space.
When you create a PVC, Kubernetes automatically matches it with an available Persistent Volume (PV)—an actual storage resource provisioned by an administrator or a storage class. The PVC specifies requirements like size (e.g., 10Gi) and access modes (e.g., ReadWriteOnce).
Example: A database pod requests a PVC for 20GB of storage. Kubernetes binds this claim to a matching PV, which might be backed by a cloud block storage service or local disk. The pod mounts this storage and data persists even after the pod is deleted, as long as the PVC isn't removed.