In Windows Server failover clustering, which term describes the mechanism that requires a majority of nodes to agree on the cluster state?

In Windows Server failover clustering, which term describes the mechanism that requires a majority of nodes to agree on the cluster state?

• A. Witness
• B. Cluster Quorum
• C. Cluster Director
• D. Cluster Conductor

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is quorum—the rule that a cluster stays online only if a majority of voting members agree on its state. In Windows Server failover clustering, each node has a vote, and a witness can also contribute a vote in some configurations. The cluster must reach a majority of votes to form and continue running, which prevents split-brain scenarios where separate parts of the cluster think they’re in charge. This is why the mechanism described is called cluster quorum: it defines how many votes are needed to make a valid, active cluster decision. The witness is a component used to help achieve quorum in certain setups, but it’s not the mechanism itself, and the other terms aren’t standard terms for this concept.

The concept being tested is quorum—the rule that a cluster stays online only if a majority of voting members agree on its state. In Windows Server failover clustering, each node has a vote, and a witness can also contribute a vote in some configurations. The cluster must reach a majority of votes to form and continue running, which prevents split-brain scenarios where separate parts of the cluster think they’re in charge. This is why the mechanism described is called cluster quorum: it defines how many votes are needed to make a valid, active cluster decision. The witness is a component used to help achieve quorum in certain setups, but it’s not the mechanism itself, and the other terms aren’t standard terms for this concept.