How does Kubernetes handle persistent storage and what are the different storage options?

Kubernetes provides abstracted storage management through volumes, persistent volumes, and storage classes for stateful applications.\n\nVolume Types:\n• EmptyDir: Temporary storage tied to pod lifecycle\n• HostPath: Mounts host filesystem (not recommended for production)\n• ConfigMap/Secret: Configuration and sensitive data\n• PersistentVolume: Cluster-wide storage resource\n\nPersistent Volume (PV): Cluster storage resource\n• Independent of pod lifecycle\n• Provisioned by administrator or dynamically\n• Has access modes and reclaim policies\n\nPersistent Volume Claim (PVC): Storage request by user\n• Binds to available PV\n• Specifies size and access requirements\n• Used in pod specifications\n\nStorage Classes: Dynamic provisioning templates\n• Defines storage type and parameters\n• Enables automatic PV creation\n• Supports different storage tiers\n\nExample:\napiVersion: v1\nkind: PersistentVolumeClaim\nmetadata:\n name: database-pvc\nspec:\n accessModes:\n - ReadWriteOnce\n resources:\n requests:\n storage: 10Gi\n storageClassName: fast-ssd\n\nBest Practices:\n• Use storage classes for dynamic provisioning\n• Implement backup strategies\n• Monitor storage usage and performance\n• Choose appropriate access modes