Hi all 👋 Question about external Ceph as VM storage in Harvester (target v1.8.2). We already run a Ceph cluster deployed with cephadm, not Rook, outside Harvester. We want to use it over RBD for VM root disks, data disks and images. I see that the third-party storage docs list

<http://rook-ceph.rbd.csi.ceph.com|rook-ceph.rbd.csi.ceph.com>

as a validated driver. I also see the KB on Rook with an existing external Ceph cluster. What I'd like to know: 1. Upstream ceph-csi vs Rook external mode: Is installing upstream ceph-csi directly (Helm chart, provisioner

<http://rbd.csi.ceph.com|rbd.csi.ceph.com>

) supported or tested? Or is the recommended path Rook in external-cluster mode, pointed at our cephadm cluster, so the driver is

<http://rook-ceph.rbd.csi.ceph.com|rook-ceph.rbd.csi.ceph.com>

? 2. Feature parity: With either option, do VM images, root volumes, live migration and snapshots behave the same as in the validated Rook RBD matrix? Are there CDI StorageProfile or

csi-driver-config

settings we should know about, like clone strategy or volume mode Block? 3. Host prereqs: Are the

rbd

module and the

/var/lib/ceph

persistent paths still needed if we use ceph-csi without Rook? 4. Production use: Is anyone running a non-Rook external Ceph in production with Harvester? Any gotchas with upgrades, Ceph version compatibility, or multi-cluster setups sharing one Ceph? Thanks!