/vm-snapshot-delete Skill

Permanently delete virtual machine snapshots in OpenShift Virtualization. Deleting snapshots frees storage but removes recovery points.

Prerequisites

Required MCP Server: openshift-virtualization (OpenShift MCP Server)

Required MCP Tools:

• resources_get (from openshift-virtualization) - Verify snapshot exists
• resources_list (from openshift-virtualization) - List related snapshots
• resources_delete (from openshift-virtualization) - Delete snapshot

Required Environment Variables:

• KUBECONFIG - Path to Kubernetes configuration file with cluster access

Required Cluster Setup:

• OpenShift cluster (>= 4.19)
• OpenShift Virtualization operator installed
• ServiceAccount with RBAC permissions to delete VirtualMachineSnapshot resources

Prerequisite Verification

Before executing, verify MCP server availability:

1. Check MCP Server Configuration

   • Verify openshift-virtualization exists in .mcp.json
   • If missing → Report to user with setup instructions

2. Check Environment Variables

   • Verify KUBECONFIG is set (check presence only, never expose value)
   • If missing → Report to user

When to Use This Skill

Trigger this skill when:

• User wants to free storage by removing old snapshots
• User wants to delete a specific snapshot
• User wants to implement snapshot retention policies

User phrases that trigger this skill:

• "Delete snapshot pre-upgrade-backup"
• "Remove old snapshots for VM database-01"
• "Delete all snapshots older than 7 days"
• "Free up snapshot storage"

Do NOT use this skill when:

• User wants to create snapshots → Use vm-snapshot-create skill
• User wants to restore from snapshot → Use vm-snapshot-restore skill
• User wants to list snapshots → Use vm-snapshot-list skill

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Delete Information

Required Information from User:

1. Snapshot Name - Name of snapshot to delete
2. Namespace - Namespace where snapshot exists

If namespace not provided, ask for it.

Step 2: Verify Snapshot Exists

MCP Tool: resources_get (from openshift-virtualization)

Parameters:

{
  "apiVersion": "snapshot.kubevirt.io/v1beta1",
  "kind": "VirtualMachineSnapshot",
  "namespace": "<namespace>",
  "name": "<snapshot-name>"
}

Expected Output: VirtualMachineSnapshot resource

Error Handling:

• If snapshot not found → Report error

If snapshot not found:

❌ Snapshot Not Found

**Snapshot**: `<snapshot-name>` not found in namespace `<namespace>`.

**To list available snapshots:**
"List snapshots in namespace <namespace>"

Delete operation cancelled.

STOP workflow.

If snapshot found, extract snapshot details:

• spec.source.name - VM name
• metadata.creationTimestamp - Creation timestamp
• status.phase - Snapshot status
• Calculate age from creationTimestamp

Step 3: List Other Snapshots for Same VM

MCP Tool: resources_list (from openshift-virtualization)

Parameters:

{
  "apiVersion": "snapshot.kubevirt.io/v1beta1",
  "kind": "VirtualMachineSnapshot",
  "namespace": "<namespace>",
  "labelSelector": "vm.kubevirt.io/name=<vm-name>"
}

Fallback: If label selector doesn't work, list all snapshots and filter by spec.source.name.

Count snapshots for the VM to determine if this is the last snapshot.

Step 4: Present Snapshot Details and Confirm Deletion

## ⚠️ Snapshot Deletion - Review

**Snapshot to Delete**: `<snapshot-name>`

### Snapshot Details
- **Snapshot Name**: `<snapshot-name>`
- **VM**: `<vm-name>`
- **Namespace**: `<namespace>`
- **Created**: <creation-timestamp>
- **Age**: <snapshot-age>
- **Status**: <status>

### Impact of Deletion
- ✗ Snapshot will be permanently deleted
- ✗ This recovery point will be lost
- ✗ Cannot restore VM to this snapshot state after deletion
- ✓ Storage will be freed

### Recovery Impact
**Before deletion, consider:**
- Is this snapshot still needed for recovery?
- Are there other recovery points available?
- Could you need to restore to this state in the future?

**Available snapshots for VM `<vm-name>`:**
<list other snapshots for the same VM, if any>

<if no other snapshots>
⚠️ **WARNING**: This is the ONLY snapshot for VM `<vm-name>`. After deletion, no snapshot recovery points will exist.
</if>

---

**Proceed with snapshot deletion? This action cannot be undone. (yes/no)**

Wait for user confirmation.

Handle response:

• If "yes" → Proceed to Step 5 (execute deletion)
• If "no", "cancel", or anything else → Cancel operation

On cancellation:

Snapshot deletion cancelled by user. Snapshot `<snapshot-name>` preserved.

STOP workflow.

Step 5: Delete the Snapshot

ONLY PROCEED AFTER user confirmation in Step 4.

MCP Tool: resources_delete (from openshift-virtualization)

Parameters:

{
  "apiVersion": "snapshot.kubevirt.io/v1beta1",
  "kind": "VirtualMachineSnapshot",
  "namespace": "<namespace>",
  "name": "<snapshot-name>"
}

Example tool invocation:

resources_delete({
  "apiVersion": "snapshot.kubevirt.io/v1beta1",
  "kind": "VirtualMachineSnapshot",
  "namespace": "production",
  "name": "old-snapshot"
})

Expected Output: VirtualMachineSnapshot deleted successfully

Error Handling:

• If snapshot not found → Report error (may have been deleted externally)
• If permission denied → Report RBAC error
• If snapshot in use → Report error (snapshot may be in restore process)

Report progress:

🗑️ Deleting snapshot...
✓ Snapshot `<snapshot-name>` deleted

Step 6: Report Deletion Results

On success:

## ✓ Snapshot Deleted Successfully

**Snapshot**: `<snapshot-name>` (VM: `<vm-name>`, namespace: `<namespace>`)

### Deletion Summary
- ✓ Snapshot permanently deleted
- ✓ Storage freed
- ✓ Recovery point removed

### Impact
- ✗ Cannot restore VM to <snapshot-creation-timestamp> state
- ✗ Snapshot `<snapshot-name>` no longer available

<if other snapshots exist>
### Remaining Snapshots for VM `<vm-name>`

<list remaining snapshots>

These snapshots are still available for recovery.
</if>

<if no other snapshots>
⚠️ **No snapshots remain** for VM `<vm-name>`. Consider creating new snapshots for future recovery points.
</if>

---

### Next Steps

**To create a new snapshot:**
"Create snapshot of VM <vm-name>"

**To list remaining snapshots:**
"List snapshots for VM <vm-name>"

On failure:

## ❌ Snapshot Deletion Failed

**Error**: <error-message>

**Snapshot**: `<snapshot-name>` (VM: `<vm-name>`, namespace: `<namespace>`)

**Common Causes:**
- **Snapshot not found** - May have been deleted externally
- **Insufficient RBAC permissions** - ServiceAccount lacks delete permissions
- **Snapshot in use** - Snapshot may be in active restore process
- **Storage backend error** - CSI driver or storage backend issue

**Troubleshooting Steps:**

1. **Verify snapshot still exists:**
   "List snapshots for VM <vm-name>"

2. **Check if snapshot is being used for restore:**
   Use `resources_list` to check for active VirtualMachineRestore resources

3. **Check permissions:**
   Use CLI: `oc auth can-i delete virtualmachinesnapshots -n <namespace>`

4. **Wait and retry** if snapshot is in use by restore operation

Would you like help troubleshooting this error?

Common Issues

Issue 1: Snapshot Not Found

Error: "Snapshot <name> not found in namespace <namespace>"

Cause: Snapshot doesn't exist, was deleted, or wrong namespace/name.

Solution:

1. List snapshots to verify name: "List snapshots in namespace "
2. Check spelling (names are case-sensitive)
3. Try listing in other namespaces if unsure

Issue 2: Snapshot In Use During Restore

Error: "Snapshot is in use by restore operation"

Cause: An active VirtualMachineRestore is using this snapshot.

Solution:

1. Check for active restores: Use resources_list with apiVersion="snapshot.kubevirt.io/v1beta1", kind="VirtualMachineRestore"
2. Wait for restore to complete, or delete the VirtualMachineRestore resource
3. Retry snapshot deletion

Issue 3: Permission Denied

Error: "Forbidden: User lacks permissions to delete virtualmachinesnapshots"

Cause: Missing RBAC permissions for snapshot deletion.

Solution:

1. Check permissions: oc auth can-i delete virtualmachinesnapshots -n <namespace>
2. Contact cluster admin to grant delete permissions for virtualmachinesnapshots
3. Required permissions: delete verb on snapshot.kubevirt.io/virtualmachinesnapshots

Dependencies

Required MCP Servers

• openshift-virtualization - OpenShift MCP server with kubevirt toolset

Required MCP Tools

• resources_get (from openshift-virtualization) - Get snapshot details

  • Parameters: apiVersion, kind, namespace, name
  • Source: https://github.com/openshift/openshift-mcp-server

• resources_list (from openshift-virtualization) - List related snapshots

  • Parameters: apiVersion, kind, namespace, labelSelector
  • Source: https://github.com/openshift/openshift-mcp-server

• resources_delete (from openshift-virtualization) - Delete Kubernetes resources

  • Parameters: apiVersion, kind, namespace, name
  • Source: https://github.com/openshift/openshift-mcp-server

Related Skills

• vm-snapshot-list - List snapshots before deletion
• vm-snapshot-create - Create new snapshots
• vm-snapshot-restore - Restore VMs from snapshots

Reference Documentation

• OpenShift Virtualization Snapshots
• KubeVirt VM Snapshots

Critical: Human-in-the-Loop Requirements

IMPORTANT: This skill performs destructive operations. You MUST:

1. Before Deleting Snapshots

   • Show snapshot details (VM, age, size)
   • Confirm snapshot won't be needed for recovery
   • List other available snapshots for the VM
   • Ask: "Proceed with snapshot deletion? (yes/no)"
   • Wait for explicit "yes"

2. Never Auto-Execute

   • NEVER delete without user confirmation
   • ALWAYS show what will be lost before deletion

Why This Matters:

• Recovery Point Loss: Deleting snapshots removes recovery options permanently
• No Undo: Snapshot deletion cannot be reversed
• Last Snapshot Warning: Users must know if deleting the only snapshot for a VM

Security Considerations

• RBAC Enforcement: Requires delete permissions for VirtualMachineSnapshot resources
• User Confirmation: Always requires explicit "yes" before deletion
• Last Snapshot Warning: Warns users when deleting the only snapshot for a VM
• Namespace Isolation: Snapshots scoped to namespace boundaries
• Audit Trail: Deletions logged in Kubernetes API audit logs

Example Usage

User: "Delete snapshot database-01-daily-backup"

Agent: "Which namespace is the snapshot in?"

User: "production"

Agent: [Invokes vm-snapshot-delete skill]
       [Step 2: Verifies snapshot exists]
       [Step 3: Lists other snapshots]
       [Step 4: Presents deletion confirmation]

## ⚠️ Snapshot Deletion - Review

Snapshot to Delete: `database-01-daily-backup`

Snapshot Details:
- Name: `database-01-daily-backup`
- VM: `database-01`
- Namespace: `production`
- Created: 2024-01-14 02:00:00 UTC
- Age: 1 day

Impact of Deletion:
- ✗ Snapshot will be permanently deleted
- ✗ This recovery point will be lost
- ✓ Storage will be freed

Available snapshots for VM `database-01`:
- `database-01-pre-upgrade` (created 2024-01-15 10:30)

Proceed with snapshot deletion? This action cannot be undone. (yes/no)

User: "yes"

Agent: [Step 5: Deletes snapshot]

🗑️ Deleting snapshot...
✓ Snapshot `database-01-daily-backup` deleted

       [Step 6: Reports results]

## ✓ Snapshot Deleted Successfully

Snapshot: `database-01-daily-backup`

Deletion Summary:
- ✓ Snapshot permanently deleted
- ✓ Storage freed
- ✓ Recovery point removed

Remaining Snapshots for VM `database-01`:
- `database-01-pre-upgrade` (created 2024-01-15 10:30)

This snapshot is still available for recovery.