Cluster Witness Functionality

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

In a cluster with an even number of nodes and a quorum configuration that includes a witness, when the witness remains online, the cluster can sustain failures of half the nodes. If the witness goes offline, the same cluster can sustain failures of half the nodes minus one.

Events

Event ID Source Message

1557

Microsoft-Windows-FailoverClustering

Cluster service failed to update the cluster configuration data on the witness resource. Please ensure that the witness resource is online and accessible.

1558

Microsoft-Windows-FailoverClustering

The cluster service detected a problem with the witness resource. The witness resource will be failed over to another node within the cluster in an attempt to reestablish access to cluster configuration data.

1559

Microsoft-Windows-FailoverClustering

File share '%1' associated with the file share witness resource is currently hosted by server '%2'. This server '%2' has just been added as a new node within the failover cluster. Hosting of the file share witness by any node comprising the same cluster is not recommended. Please choose a file share witness that is not hosted by any node within the same cluster and modify settings of the file share witness resource accordingly.

1562

Microsoft-Windows-FailoverClustering

File share witness resource '%1' failed a periodic health check on file share '%2'. Please ensure that file share '%2' exists and is accessible by the cluster.

1563

Microsoft-Windows-FailoverClustering

File share witness resource '%1' failed to come online. Please ensure that file share '%2' exists and is accessible by the cluster.

1564

Microsoft-Windows-FailoverClustering

File share witness resource '%1' failed to arbitrate for the file share '%2'. Please ensure that file share '%2' exists and is accessible by the cluster.

1573

Microsoft-Windows-FailoverClustering

Node '%1' failed to form a cluster. This was because the witness was not accessible. Please ensure that the witness resource is online and available.

Cluster Witness

Failover Clustering