operator: fix syncPodTemplate to handle env var removals

Signed-off-by: Ryan Koo <rbk65@cornell.edu>

Author: rkoo19

operator/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ We structure this changelog in accordance with [Keep a Changelog](https://keepac
 
 ---
 
+## Unreleased
+
+### Changed
+
+- Fixed syncPodTemplate not syncing env var removals when the desired env slice was a prefix of the current, causing rollout loops on config changes such as clearing `authNSecretName`.
+
 ## v2.15.0
 
 ### Changed

operator/pkg/controllers/cluster_controller_test.go

@@ -1032,6 +1032,28 @@ var _ = Describe("AIStoreController", func() {
 				false,
 				false,
 			),
+			Entry("env var removed from slice",
+				&corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
+					Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+						InitContainers: []corev1.Container{{Image: "test:latest"}},
+						Containers: []corev1.Container{{
+							Image: "test:latest",
+							Env:   []corev1.EnvVar{{Name: "MY_NODE", Value: "node1"}, {Name: "MY_POD", Value: "pod1"}},
+						}},
+					},
+				},
+				&corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
+					Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+						InitContainers: []corev1.Container{{Image: "test:latest"}},
+						Containers: []corev1.Container{{
+							Image: "test:latest",
+							Env:   []corev1.EnvVar{{Name: "MY_NODE", Value: "node1"}, {Name: "MY_POD", Value: "pod1"}, {Name: "REMOVED_ENV", Value: "val"}},
+						}},
+					},
+				},
+				true,
+				true,
+			),
 		)
 	})
 	Describe("shouldUpdatePVCRetentionPolicy", func() {

operator/pkg/controllers/common.go

@@ -267,7 +267,10 @@ func syncPodTemplate(desired, current *corev1.PodTemplateSpec) (updated bool) {
 		{&desired.Spec.Containers[0], &current.Spec.Containers[0]},
 	} {
 		if equality.Semantic.DeepDerivative(*daemon.desiredContainer, *daemon.currentContainer) {
-			continue
+			// Account for env var removals with a deep equal check
+			if equality.Semantic.DeepEqual(daemon.desiredContainer.Env, daemon.currentContainer.Env) {
+				continue
+			}
 		}
 		*daemon.currentContainer = *daemon.desiredContainer
 		updated = true