What are the best practices for using finalizers in Kubernetes?

What are the best practices for using finalizers in Kubernetes?

Finalizers are a powerful feature in Kubernetes that allow you to control the deletion of resources. Best practices include ensuring that finalizers are idempotent, handling timeouts properly, and cleaning up resources efficiently.

Can you explain what idempotent means in this context?

Idempotent means that performing the same operation multiple times will have the same effect as performing it once. In the context of finalizers, this ensures that if a finalizer is called multiple times due to retries, it won't cause unintended side effects.

What should I do if a finalizer is stuck?

If a finalizer is stuck, you can check the logs of the controller managing the resource. You may also need to manually remove the finalizer from the resource if it's not able to complete its cleanup.

Are there any common pitfalls to avoid with finalizers?

Yes, common pitfalls include not handling errors properly, failing to clean up resources, and not considering the impact of finalizers on resource deletion times.