TL;DR
Kubernetes introduces an alpha version of a changed block tracking mechanism via CSI, improving storage backups by focusing only on modified data blocks.
What happened
Kubernetes has launched an alpha release of the Changed Block Tracking feature in its Container Storage Interface (CSI). This feature helps identify and track modifications at the block level between snapshots, making backup operations faster and more resource-efficient. It's designed for CSI storage drivers to streamline backups by focusing on changed data blocks rather than entire volumes.
Why it matters for ops
This API significantly reduces the time and resources required for full-volume backups in Kubernetes clusters managing large datasets. By only backing up changed blocks, it minimizes network bandwidth usage and storage costs associated with repetitive full backups.
Action items
- Implement CSI RPCs to enable tracking of allocated and changed blocks
- Deploy external snapshot metadata sidecar to expose the snapshot metadata service
- Register custom resources for SnapshotMetadataService to advertise availability
Source link
https://kubernetes.io/blog/2025/09/25/csi-changed-block-tracking/