Cluster API Hetzner (CAPH) - Part 2: Hetzner Cloud Container Storage Interface (CSI) Driver & Storage Class

# Create Kubernetes secret
kubectl create secret generic hcloud --namespace=kube-system \
  --from-literal=token='4euNmosomeAPIkeyOOToVZ'

# Add the Hetzner Cloud Helm repository
helm repo add hcloud https://charts.hetzner.cloud

# Update all Helm repositories
helm repo update

# Install CSI driver
helm install hcloud-csi hcloud/hcloud-csi \
  --namespace kube-system \
  --set controller.enabled=true \
  --set node.enabled=true

# Shell output:
NAME: hcloud-csi
LAST DEPLOYED: Sun May 11 18:01:44 2025
NAMESPACE: kube-system
STATUS: deployed
REVISION: 1
TEST SUITE: None

# List CSI pods
kubectl get pods -n kube-system -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=hcloud-csi

# Shell output:
NAME                                    READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
hcloud-csi-controller-c56857668-hwftf   5/5     Running   0          2m19s
hcloud-csi-node-l4k4x                   3/3     Running   0          2m19s
hcloud-csi-node-z2v4m                   3/3     Running   0          2m19s
hcloud-csi-node-zx5z6                   3/3     Running   0          2m19s

# Verify the StorageClass
kubectl get sc

# Shell output:
NAME                       PROVISIONER         RECLAIMPOLICY   VOLUMEBINDINGMODE      ALLOWVOLUMEEXPANSION   AGE
hcloud-volumes (default)   csi.hetzner.cloud   Delete          WaitForFirstConsumer   true                   8m19s

# Create a configuration for the StorageClass
vi hcloud-volumes-retain.yml

apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: hcloud-volumes-retain
provisioner: csi.hetzner.cloud
parameters:
  type: network
reclaimPolicy: Retain
volumeBindingMode: Immediate
allowVolumeExpansion: true

# Deploy the StorageClass
kubectl apply -f hcloud-volumes-retain.yml

# Verify the StorageClass
kubectl get sc

# Shell output:
NAME                       PROVISIONER         RECLAIMPOLICY   VOLUMEBINDINGMODE      ALLOWVOLUMEEXPANSION   AGE
hcloud-volumes (default)   csi.hetzner.cloud   Delete          WaitForFirstConsumer   true                   10m
hcloud-volumes-retain      csi.hetzner.cloud   Retain          Immediate              true                   5s

# Create a configuration for the PVC
vi example-pvc.yml

---
apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
metadata:
  name: example-pvc
spec:
  accessModes:
  - ReadWriteOnce
  resources:
    requests:
      storage: 10Gi
  storageClassName: hcloud-volumes-retain

# Create PVC
kubectl apply -f example-pvc.yml

# List PVC
kubectl get pvc

# Shell output:
NAME          STATUS   VOLUME                                     CAPACITY   ACCESS MODES   STORAGECLASS            VOLUMEATTRIBUTESCLASS   AGE
example-pvc   Bound    pvc-dece0343-335a-4fee-8d48-1503251629be   10Gi       RWO            hcloud-volumes-retain   <unset>                 31s

# List PVC
kubectl get pv

# Shell output:
NAME                                       CAPACITY   ACCESS MODES   RECLAIM POLICY   STATUS   CLAIM                 STORAGECLASS            VOLUMEATTRIBUTESCLASS   REASON   AGE
pvc-dece0343-335a-4fee-8d48-1503251629be   10Gi       RWO            Retain           Bound    default/example-pvc   hcloud-volumes-retain   <unset>                          47s

# Delete the PVC
kubectl delete pvc example-pvc

# Delete the PV
kubectl delete pv pvc-dece0343-335a-4fee-8d48-1503251629be

# Official GitHub Repository
https://github.com/hetznercloud/csi-driver

# Official Documentation
https://github.com/hetznercloud/csi-driver/blob/main/docs/kubernetes/README.md#getting-started