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Deleting a Cluster

Basic Deletion

To delete a cluster, you need to run the following command:

hetzner-k3s delete --config cluster_config.yaml

This command will remove all the resources in the Hetzner Cloud project that were created by hetzner-k3s.

Important Considerations

Protection Against Deletion

Additionally, to delete a cluster, you must ensure that protect_against_deletion is set to false. When you execute the delete command, you'll also need to enter the cluster's name to confirm the deletion. These steps are in place to avoid accidentally deleting a cluster you intended to keep.

Resources Not Automatically Deleted

Keep in mind that the following resources created by your applications will not be deleted automatically. You'll need to remove those manually:

  • Load Balancers: Load balancers created by your applications (via Services of type LoadBalancer)
  • Persistent Volumes: Persistent volumes and their underlying storage
  • Floating IPs: Any floating IPs you've manually attached to instances
  • Snapshots: Any snapshots created from instances

This behavior is by design to prevent accidental data loss. These resources might be improved in future updates.

Manual Cleanup Steps

Before Deleting the Cluster

  1. Backup Important Data: Ensure you have backups of any important data stored in persistent volumes
  2. Export Application Configurations: Save any Kubernetes manifests, Helm values, or configurations you might need later
  3. Note Load Balancer IPs: If you have applications with public IPs, note them down as they might change if you recreate the cluster

After Deleting the Cluster

Manual Cleanup

You can easily delete any remaining resources using the Hetzner Cloud Console:

  1. Log in to your Hetzner Cloud Console
  2. Navigate to your project
  3. Delete remaining resources from the left sidebar:
  4. Load Balancers → Select and delete any application load balancers
  5. Volumes → Select and delete any persistent volumes
  6. Floating IPs → Select and delete any unused floating IPs
  7. Snapshots → Select and delete any unnecessary snapshots

This visual approach is recommended as it's easier to identify which resources belong to your cluster and avoid accidental deletions.

Troubleshooting Deletion Issues

Cluster Still Protected

If you get an error about the cluster being protected:

  1. Check Configuration: Ensure protect_against_deletion: false is set in your config file
  2. Verify Cluster Name: Make sure you're entering the correct cluster name when prompted
  3. Check kubeconfig: Sometimes the cluster name is read from the kubeconfig location

Resources Stuck in Deletion

If some resources are stuck and not being deleted:

  1. Check Hetzner Console: Log in to the Hetzner Cloud Console to see the current state
  2. Wait and Retry: Sometimes there's a delay in API updates, wait a few minutes and retry

Network Resources Not Deleted

If networks, firewall rules, or other network resources remain:

  1. Check Dependencies: Make sure no instances are still using the network, load balancer or firewall
  2. Delete Manually: Use the Hetzner Console or API to clean up remaining network resources

Alternative: Delete Entire Project

If your cluster is the only thing in the Hetzner Cloud project, you might find it easier to delete the entire project instead:

  1. Go to Hetzner Cloud Console
  2. Navigate to your project
  3. Click on "Settings"
  4. Select "Delete Project"

This will delete everything in the project, including any resources you might have forgotten about.

Warning: This is irreversible! Only do this if you're certain you don't need anything in the project.

Best Practices

Planning for Deletion

When setting up your cluster, consider:

  1. Use Projects Wisely: Consider creating separate projects for different clusters or environments
  2. Document Dependencies: Keep track of external resources that depend on your cluster

Post-Deletion Checklist

After deleting your cluster, verify:

  • No instances are running
  • No load balancers are active
  • No volumes are attached
  • No floating IPs are allocated
  • Network usage has stopped
  • Billing reflects the changes

Cost Monitoring

Monitor your Hetzner Cloud billing dashboard for a few days after deletion to ensure:

  • No unexpected charges appear
  • All compute resources have been properly terminated
  • Network and storage costs stop accumulating

If you see unexpected charges, check for orphaned resources that might need manual cleanup.