Longhorn 1.0: Lightweight Distributed Storage for Kubernetes

Introduction

Rancher Labs released Longhorn 1.0 on April 7, 2020, bringing a cloud-native, lightweight block storage solution to the CNCF sandbox. Designed for edge clusters and hyperconverged deployments, Longhorn delivers HA storage without external arrays.

Cloud-Native Architecture

• Runs as a set of Kubernetes controllers and DaemonSets, leveraging container disks and local storage.
• Replication policy configurable per volume, with synchronous replica rebuilds to tolerate node failures.
• Thin-provisioned volumes support snapshots and clones instantly without heavy controller overhead.

Backup & Disaster Recovery

1. Integrated backup jobs ship data to S3-compatible object stores (MinIO, AWS, GCP, Azure).
2. Incremental backups reduce bandwidth consumption for remote DR sites.
3. Scheduled snapshot policies automate point-in-time recovery for stateful workloads.

Operations & Edge Readiness

• Minimal resource footprint suits single-board computers and air-gapped clusters.
• UI dashboard visualizes volume health, replica placement, and rebuilding progress.
• CSI driver integration aligns with Kubernetes storage classes and dynamic provisioning.

Getting Started

kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/longhorn/longhorn/v1.0.0/deploy/longhorn.yaml

Create a StorageClass:

apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: longhorn
parameters:
  numberOfReplicas: "3"
  staleReplicaTimeout: "30"
provisioner: driver.longhorn.io
reclaimPolicy: Delete
allowVolumeExpansion: true

Summary

Longhorn 1.0 empowers operators to deliver reliable block storage using commodity hardware, perfect for edge, lab, and SMB clusters.