// Module included in the following assemblies:
//
// * nodes/nodes-pods-configuring.adoc
// * nodes/nodes-cluster-pods-configuring

:_mod-docs-content-type: REFERENCE
[id="nodes-pods-configuring-reducing_{context}"]
= Reducing pod timeouts when using persistent volumes with high file counts

[role="_abstract"]
You can prevent pod startup timeouts in clusters with high file counts, by configuring how the cluster manages volume ownership and permissions. Using security context constraints or runtime classes, you can ensure that large storage volumes mount efficiently without the delays associated with recursive permission changes.

If a storage volume contains many files (~1,000,000 or greater), you might experience pod timeouts.

This can occur because, when volumes are mounted, {product-title} recursively changes the ownership and permissions of the contents of each volume in order to match the `fsGroup` specified in a pod's `securityContext`. For large volumes, checking and changing the ownership and permissions can be time consuming, resulting in a very slow pod startup.

You can reduce this delay by applying one of the following workarounds:

* Use a security context constraint (SCC) to skip the SELinux relabeling for a volume.

* Use the `fsGroupChangePolicy` field inside an SCC to control the way that {product-title} checks and manages ownership and permissions for a volume.

* Use the Cluster Resource Override Operator to automatically apply an SCC to skip the SELinux relabeling.

* Use a runtime class to skip the SELinux relabeling for a volume.

For information, see link:https://access.redhat.com/solutions/6221251[When using Persistent Volumes with high file counts in OpenShift, why do pods fail to start or take an excessive amount of time to achieve "Ready" state?].
