Previously we analyzed the use of artifact to achieve inter-step file sharing, today we share how to use PVC to achieve efficient inter-step file sharing.
1. General
Previously in the artifact section we demonstrated how to use artifact to achieve inter-step file transfer, today we introduce a simpler way of file transfer:PVC Shared。
After all, artifact uses S3 for transit, which is definitely less efficient than sharing a PVC directly, and artifact is generally used for outputting results and saving the final result to S3, not just for sharing files.
2. Sharing files using artifact
I've already shared how to pass files between steps via artifact, so here's a recap.
apiVersion: /v1alpha1
kind: Workflow
metadata:
generateName: artifact-passing-
spec:
entrypoint: artifact-example
templates:
- name: artifact-example
steps:
- - name: generate-artifact
template: whalesay
- - name: consume-artifact
template: print-message
arguments:
artifacts:
# bind message to the hello-art artifact
# generated by the generate-artifact step
- name: message
from: "{{-art}}"
- name: whalesay
container:
image: docker/whalesay:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["cowsay hello world | tee /tmp/hello_world.txt"]
outputs:
artifacts:
# generate hello-art artifact from /tmp/hello_world.txt
# artifacts can be directories as well as files
- name: hello-art
path: /tmp/hello_world.txt
- name: print-message
inputs:
artifacts:
# unpack the message input artifact
# and put it at /tmp/message
- name: message
path: /tmp/message
container:
image: alpine:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["cat /tmp/message"]
As you can see, the artifact method of passing parameters between shared file steps is relatively similar.
Export artifact
outputs:
artifacts:
# generate hello-art artifact from /tmp/hello_world.txt
# artifacts can be directories as well as files
- name: hello-art
path: /tmp/hello_world.txt
Subsequent steps refer to the exported artifact
arguments:
artifacts:
# bind message to the hello-art artifact
# generated by the generate-artifact step
- name: message
from: "{{-art}}"
And how to bring in the artifact during the steps, for example, the demo below mounts the artifact as /tmp/message in the Pod.
inputs:
artifacts:
# unpack the message input artifact
# and put it at /tmp/message
- name: message
path: /tmp/message
3. Efficient file sharing using PVCs
As the name suggests, the same PVC is mounted at different steps, which naturally enables file sharing.
Each step in ArgoWorkflow starts a separate Pod to run the
There are also two ways:
- (1) Dynamically created PVCs: PVCs are created when Workflow is running, and deleted at the end of the run.
- 2) Using an existing PVC: it will not be created or deleted.
Dynamic creation of PVCs
The full demo is below:
apiVersion: /v1alpha1
kind: Workflow
metadata:
generateName: volumes-pvc-
spec:
entrypoint: volumes-pvc-example
volumeClaimTemplates: # define volume, same syntax as k8s Pod spec
- metadata:
name: workdir # name of volume claim
spec:
accessModes: [ "ReadWriteOnce" ]
resources:
requests:
storage: 1Gi # Gi => 1024 * 1024 * 1024
templates:
- name: volumes-pvc-example
steps:
- - name: generate
template: whalesay
- - name: print
template: print-message
- name: whalesay
container:
image: docker/whalesay:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["echo generating message in volume; cowsay hello world | tee /mnt/vol/hello_world.txt"]
# Mount workdir volume at /mnt/vol before invoking docker/whalesay
volumeMounts: # same syntax as k8s Pod spec
- name: workdir
mountPath: /mnt/vol
- name: print-message
container:
image: alpine:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["echo getting message from volume; find /mnt/vol; cat /mnt/vol/hello_world.txt"]
# Mount workdir volume at /mnt/vol before invoking docker/whalesay
volumeMounts: # same syntax as k8s Pod spec
- name: workdir
mountPath: /mnt/vol
First, a PVC template is defined, which is used by the Workflow runtime to create a PVC.
spec:
entrypoint: volumes-pvc-example
volumeClaimTemplates: # define volume, same syntax as k8s Pod spec
- metadata:
name: workdir # name of volume claim
spec:
accessModes: [ "ReadWriteOnce" ]
resources:
requests:
storage: 1Gi # Gi => 1024 * 1024 * 1024
The other steps then require that the PVC be mounted in the corresponding directory
- name: whalesay
container:
image: docker/whalesay:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["echo generating message in volume; cowsay hello world | tee /mnt/vol/hello_world.txt"]
# Mount workdir volume at /mnt/vol before invoking docker/whalesay
volumeMounts: # same syntax as k8s Pod spec
- name: workdir
mountPath: /mnt/vol
- name: print-message
container:
image: alpine:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["echo getting message from volume; find /mnt/vol; cat /mnt/vol/hello_world.txt"]
# Mount workdir volume at /mnt/vol before invoking docker/whalesay
volumeMounts: # same syntax as k8s Pod spec
- name: workdir
mountPath: /mnt/vol
This makes file sharing very simple.
Argo automatically deletes the created PVC when the workflow has finished running.
Use of existing PVC
In some cases, we can want to access volumes that already exist instead of dynamically creating/destroying them.
The full demo is below:
# Define Kubernetes PVC
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: my-existing-volume
spec:
accessModes: [ "ReadWriteOnce" ]
resources:
requests:
storage: 1Gi
---
apiVersion: /v1alpha1
kind: Workflow
metadata:
generateName: volumes-existing-
spec:
entrypoint: volumes-existing-example
volumes:
# Pass my-existing-volume as an argument to the volumes-existing-example template
# Same syntax as k8s Pod spec
- name: workdir
persistentVolumeClaim:
claimName: my-existing-volume
templates:
- name: volumes-existing-example
steps:
- - name: generate
template: whalesay
- - name: print
template: print-message
- name: whalesay
container:
image: docker/whalesay:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["echo generating message in volume; cowsay hello world | tee /mnt/vol/hello_world.txt"]
volumeMounts:
- name: workdir
mountPath: /mnt/vol
- name: print-message
container:
image: alpine:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["echo getting message from volume; find /mnt/vol; cat /mnt/vol/hello_world.txt"]
volumeMounts:
- name: workdir
mountPath: /mnt/vol
The first step is to manually create a PVC
# Define Kubernetes PVC
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
apiVersion: v1
metadata:
name: my-existing-volume
spec:
accessModes: [ "ReadWriteOnce" ]
resources:
requests:
storage: 1Gi
Then define in Workflow that you want to use this PVC.
apiVersion: /v1alpha1
kind: Workflow
metadata:
generateName: volumes-existing-
spec:
entrypoint: volumes-existing-example
volumes:
# Pass my-existing-volume as an argument to the volumes-existing-example template
# Same syntax as k8s Pod spec
- name: workdir
persistentVolumeClaim:
claimName: my-existing-volume
Think of it as replacing the previous volumeClaimTemplates with persistentVolumeClaims.
Then there are steps to mount the PVC to the corresponding directory
- name: whalesay
container:
image: docker/whalesay:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["echo generating message in volume; cowsay hello world | tee /mnt/vol/hello_world.txt"]
volumeMounts:
- name: workdir
mountPath: /mnt/vol
- name: print-message
container:
image: alpine:latest
command: [sh, -c]
args: ["echo getting message from volume; find /mnt/vol; cat /mnt/vol/hello_world.txt"]
volumeMounts:
- name: workdir
mountPath: /mnt/vol
This step is unchanged from when the PVC was created dynamically.
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4. Summary
This article analyzes how to share files using PVCs in Workflow in Argo.
- 1) Define a PVC template or specify the use of an existing PVC.
- 2) Mount the PVC to the corresponding directory in step