When etcd crashes, check your disks first

TechStrider

21 Feb 2026 — 2 min read

Introduction to etcd

As a developer, I've worked with my fair share of distributed systems, and etcd is one of those critical components that can make or break your application's reliability. etcd is a distributed key-value store that provides a reliable way to store and manage data in a distributed system. It's a crucial component of many modern distributed systems, including Kubernetes.

Why etcd is Important

etcd is responsible for storing and managing the state of your distributed system, including configuration data, node membership, and other critical information. When etcd crashes, it can bring down your entire system, causing downtime and lost productivity. That's why it's essential to identify and fix the root cause of etcd crashes quickly.

Why etcd Crashes

One of the most common reasons for etcd crashes is disk-related issues. etcd is a disk-intensive application, and if your disks are slow, faulty, or running low on space, it can cause etcd to crash. Other reasons for etcd crashes include network issues, configuration errors, and software bugs.

How to Troubleshoot etcd Crashes

When etcd crashes, the first thing to check is your disks. Here are some steps to follow:

Check your disk space: Make sure you have enough free disk space available. etcd requires a significant amount of disk space to operate, and if you're running low, it can cause crashes.
Check your disk speed: Slow disks can cause etcd to crash. Check your disk speed using tools like dd or fio.
Check your disk errors: Check your system logs for disk-related errors. You can use commands like dmesg or journalctl to check for errors.

# Check disk space
df -h

# Check disk speed
dd if=/dev/zero of=/tmp/test bs=1M count=100

# Check disk errors
dmesg | grep -i error

Best Practices for etcd

To avoid etcd crashes, follow these best practices:

Monitor your disks: Keep an eye on your disk space, speed, and errors.
Use high-quality disks: Use fast and reliable disks, such as SSDs.
Configure etcd correctly: Make sure you have the correct configuration settings for etcd.
Test your system: Test your system regularly to ensure it can handle failures.

Who is this for?

This article is for developers and operators who work with distributed systems and etcd. If you're responsible for ensuring the reliability and uptime of your system, you should be aware of the potential causes of etcd crashes and take steps to prevent them.

What do you think is the most common cause of etcd crashes, and how do you troubleshoot them? Share your experiences in the comments below!

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