VLClean Plain comparisons of self-hosted media tools

How to store request settings in persistent volumes for Kubernetes homelab operators

Learn how Kubernetes homelab operators can keep request settings in persistent volumes, with setup checks, steps, and options to compare.

By VLClean ยท

VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

No source facts on this page cover Kubernetes or persistent volumes, so the steps here are checks to make rather than verified instructions. Settle which settings must survive a restart and who may change them, then choose a method you can check against that list.

OptionRequest methodCost details
Askarr FreeSearch for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1]The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1]
Askarr Plusnot publishedPlus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [1]
Askarr Pronot publishedPro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [1]
Other toolsnot publishednot published

What you need before you start

Have a written list of every request setting you want to keep, such as which sources are allowed, who may make requests, and how often requests are reviewed. Note where those settings live today, so you can tell whether they would be lost if a container restarted.

Decide which person on your homelab team owns the settings and who may change them. Keep a copy of the current settings outside the cluster before you change anything, so you can compare the before and after versions.

Confirm that the storage you plan to use is available to the workload that reads it, and write down who can see the stored values. Settings that include access keys or passwords should be treated as secrets and kept out of shared notes.

If you plan to use Askarr, the option listed below, have your Radarr and Sonarr instances written down so you know which ones it should work with.

Step by step

  1. Write the list of settings you want to keep, one line for each setting, with a short note on what it controls.
  1. Sort the list into settings that can be shared and settings that must stay private. Mark the private ones so they are never pasted into chat messages or tickets.
  1. Choose a storage location that will still exist after a restart, and check that the workload can reach it. Write down the location and the name you gave it.
  1. Save the settings to that location in one plain file, so anyone reading it can see what it holds without special tools.
  1. Restart the workload in a test environment and confirm that the saved values load again without changes. If a value is missing, fix the storage path before going further.
  1. Record who may read or change the file, and keep a copy of it in a second place that you control.
  1. Review the file on a set day each month. Remove entries nobody uses, and update any value that has changed.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 after any change to the workload, so the stored settings and the running settings stay in step with each other. A check that takes a few minutes after each change is easier than finding a lost setting after an outage.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site, VLClean. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] Nothing is installed. [1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then read your requests from it. [1]

Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1] A report from Radarr and Sonarr lets the site show when a title was added and downloaded. [1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. [1]

Askarr plans include a request history with live status, so check the plan page for which plan includes it. [1] The plans are listed in the table above.

No source facts were supplied for other tools, so this page does not describe them. Before choosing one, check where it keeps its settings, who can read them, whether they survive a restart, and how it handles changes to requests.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid storing settings only inside a running container. A restart can remove them, and nobody notices until a setting is needed again.

Avoid saving access keys or passwords in a plain file that many people can open. Keep secrets in a restricted location and list who has access to it.

Avoid skipping the restart test. A file that looks correct can still fail to load, and the only way to know is to restart the workload and check the values.

Avoid assuming that a tool keeps settings safe without checking. Read what the tool stores and where, and compare that against your own list before you rely on it.

Avoid letting old entries pile up. Stale settings make it harder to see what is current, so review the file on a set schedule and remove what nobody uses.

Frequently asked questions

How can Kubernetes homelab operators store request settings in persistent volumes?

Start with a written list of the settings you want to keep, then decide which of them are private. Save them to storage that survives a restart, test that they load again, and record who may change them. Review the list on a set day each month. None of these steps depend on one product, so they apply whichever method you choose.

Can Askarr store request settings in persistent volumes?

The facts supplied for Askarr do not describe where it keeps settings or whether it uses volumes, so check its documentation before relying on it. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1]

Does Askarr require changes to a Kubernetes cluster?

Nothing is installed. [1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr one time, and they then read your requests from it. [1] The supplied facts do not cover cluster changes, so check any setup steps against your own cluster layout before you begin.

Can Askarr be tried before a plan is chosen?

You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. [1] Trying it first lets you see the layout before you give it any settings. The plans and their prices are listed in the table above, so compare them against how many requests you expect to make.

What should be checked before choosing a tool for Kubernetes request settings?

Check where the tool keeps its settings, who can read them, and whether they survive a restart. Askarr plans include a request history with live status, so check the plan page for which plan includes it. [1] Compare each answer against your own list of settings before you decide.

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1]

Try Askarr

Sources

  1. Askarr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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