eks-storage

name	eks-storage
description	Install the aws-ebs-csi-driver EKS managed addon and create a default gp3 StorageClass. Use after eks-nodes and before ecr or eks-gpu-operator. Closes the gap where eks-nodes sets IMDS hop-limit=2 for the driver but nothing installs it.
version	1.0.0
author	NVIDIA Omniverse Streaming
tags	["aws","eks","ebs-csi","storage","storageclass"]
tools	["Shell","Read","Write"]

EKS Storage — EBS CSI Driver and Default StorageClass

What This Skill Produces

1. A Terraform aws_iam_role_policy_attachment resource that attaches AmazonEBSCSIDriverPolicy to the existing EKS node IAM role, so the EBS CSI controller can call EC2 APIs using node-role credentials read from IMDS. The hop-limit-2 launch-template setting that eks-nodes already configures makes this work for non-hostNetwork pods.
2. generated/<cluster-name>-storage.sh — a bash script that:
   • Installs or upgrades the aws-ebs-csi-driver EKS managed addon.
   • Creates a gp3 StorageClass marked as the cluster default.
   • Removes the storageclass.kubernetes.io/is-default-class annotation from the legacy gp2 StorageClass (non-functional on EKS 1.29+ which dropped the in-tree kubernetes.io/aws-ebs provisioner).

This skill does not configure IRSA or EKS Pod Identity. The node-role + IMDS hop-limit-2 path is sufficient and simpler. If per-pod IAM isolation is required, add IRSA outside this skill.

Why

EKS clusters come with a gp2 StorageClass backed by the removed in-tree provisioner kubernetes.io/aws-ebs. On EKS 1.29+ that provisioner is absent, so any PVC that lands on gp2 hangs Pending forever. The fix is a working CSI driver and a gp3 default StorageClass. The driver uses the node IAM role for EC2 API calls provided the IMDS hop limit is 2, which eks-nodes already sets via launch template.

The eks-nodes skill documents this dependency at its IMDS section and validation checklist (hop-limit-2 note), but no prior skill installs the driver or policies it. This skill closes that gap.

Prerequisites

• eks-nodes has been applied (IMDS http_put_response_hop_limit = 2 is set via launch template on every node group).
• The node IAM role name is known (output from eks-cluster or eks-nodes Terraform state).
• kubeconfig context works for CLUSTER_NAME.

Inputs

Input	Notes
CLUSTER_NAME	Existing EKS cluster name.
AWS_REGION	Region where the cluster runs.
node_role_name	Node IAM role name; referenced as a Terraform variable or literal.
EBS_CSI_ADDON_VERSION	Optional. Leave unset to let AWS manage the latest compatible version.

Terraform — IAM Policy Attachment

Add a single resource in the cluster's Terraform root module (same state file as eks-nodes). Do not create a new workspace or module for one resource.

# Grants the aws-ebs-csi-driver controller EC2 permissions via node-role IMDS.
# Requires http_put_response_hop_limit = 2 in the eks-nodes launch template.
resource "aws_iam_role_policy_attachment" "ebs_csi_driver" {
  role       = var.node_role_name   # or module.eks_nodes.node_role_name
  policy_arn = "arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/service-role/AmazonEBSCSIDriverPolicy"
}

Apply the IAM change before running the storage script:

terraform -chdir="generated/terraform/aws/envs/${CLUSTER_NAME}" \
  plan -target=aws_iam_role_policy_attachment.ebs_csi_driver -out=tfplan
terraform -chdir="generated/terraform/aws/envs/${CLUSTER_NAME}" apply tfplan

Bash Script

Generate generated/<cluster>-storage.sh:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

: "${CLUSTER_NAME:?Set CLUSTER_NAME before running}"
: "${AWS_REGION:?Set AWS_REGION before running}"
EBS_CSI_ADDON_VERSION="${EBS_CSI_ADDON_VERSION:-}"   # empty = AWS-managed latest

echo "==> Installing aws-ebs-csi-driver addon on cluster ${CLUSTER_NAME}"

addon_args=(
  --cluster-name "$CLUSTER_NAME"
  --region       "$AWS_REGION"
  --addon-name   "aws-ebs-csi-driver"
)
[[ -n "$EBS_CSI_ADDON_VERSION" ]] && addon_args+=(--addon-version "$EBS_CSI_ADDON_VERSION")

if aws eks describe-addon "${addon_args[@]}" \
     --query "addon.addonName" --output text 2>/dev/null \
     | grep -q "aws-ebs-csi-driver"; then
  echo "    addon exists — updating"
  aws eks update-addon "${addon_args[@]}"
else
  echo "    addon absent — creating"
  aws eks create-addon "${addon_args[@]}"
fi

echo "==> Waiting for addon to become ACTIVE (up to 5 min)"
aws eks wait addon-active \
  --cluster-name "$CLUSTER_NAME" \
  --region       "$AWS_REGION" \
  --addon-name   "aws-ebs-csi-driver"

echo "==> Creating gp3 default StorageClass"
kubectl --context "$CLUSTER_NAME" apply -f - <<'EOF'
apiVersion: storage.k8s.io/v1
kind: StorageClass
metadata:
  name: gp3
  annotations:
    storageclass.kubernetes.io/is-default-class: "true"
provisioner: ebs.csi.aws.com
volumeBindingMode: WaitForFirstConsumer
reclaimPolicy: Delete
allowVolumeExpansion: true
parameters:
  type: gp3
  encrypted: "true"
EOF

echo "==> Removing default annotation from legacy gp2 StorageClass"
kubectl --context "$CLUSTER_NAME" annotate storageclass gp2 \
  storageclass.kubernetes.io/is-default-class- \
  --overwrite 2>/dev/null || true

echo "==> Verifying default StorageClass"
kubectl --context "$CLUSTER_NAME" get storageclass
echo "done."

Generation Rules

• Read aws-tf-conventions before generating Terraform.
• The IAM policy attachment goes in the same root module as eks-nodes (same state file). Do not create a new Terraform workspace for a single resource.
• The storage script must be idempotent: create-addon only when absent, apply -f - is safe to re-run, annotate --overwrite || true handles missing gp2 gracefully.
• Do not pin EBS_CSI_ADDON_VERSION by default; let AWS pick the latest compatible version for the cluster unless the user specifies one.
• Always set volumeBindingMode: WaitForFirstConsumer — required for multi-AZ clusters so PVCs bind in the same AZ as the scheduled pod.
• Always set encrypted: "true" on the gp3 StorageClass.

Destroy Notes

The EKS managed addon is deleted automatically when the EKS cluster is destroyed by Terraform. The gp3 StorageClass is a Kubernetes object that disappears with the cluster. No explicit teardown step is needed beyond what aws-infra already does.

Validation Checklist

• AmazonEBSCSIDriverPolicy is attached to the node IAM role.
• aws-ebs-csi-driver addon reaches ACTIVE state.
• gp3 StorageClass exists and is marked is-default-class: "true".
• gp2 StorageClass no longer carries the default annotation.
• volumeBindingMode: WaitForFirstConsumer is set on gp3.
• encrypted: "true" is set on gp3.
• A test PVC using the default StorageClass binds within 30 s.