How a Cloud-Native Architecture Handles Persistent Storage
Computer Weekly, Monday, May 4th, 2026
Cloud-native architectures require rethinking persistent storage approaches through CSI drivers and modern infrastructure.
As 82% of enterprises now run Kubernetes in production, cloud-native applications increasingly need to handle persistent storage despite containers being originally designed as stateless systems. The container storage interface (CSI) has emerged as the standard way to connect storage to Kubernetes environments, allowing third-party storage providers to deploy plug-ins without changing core Kubernetes code.
Key drivers for storage modernization include AI workloads, the trend toward moving virtualized applications to containers, and cost controls, with stateful applications like databases and machine learning pipelines becoming first-class citizens in containerized environments.
Both traditional storage arrays and software-defined storage solutions support CSI drivers, enabling enterprises to manage storage similarly across container and virtual machine environments while maintaining application portability.