350-601 Compute Practice Question
A HyperFlex cluster is configured with RF3 and has 6 nodes. If one node fails completely, how many nodes are still required to maintain data availability and cluster quorum?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
4 nodes
With RF3, data is available as long as at least one copy remains. However, cluster quorum requires more than half of the nodes to be operational. For a 6-node cluster, quorum is 4 nodes (majority). After 1 failure, 5 nodes remain, which is >3, so quorum is maintained. However, the minimum to keep data available with RF3 is 3 nodes (since 3 copies exist, losing one still leaves 2). But cluster quorum is the stricter requirement: with 6 nodes, quorum is 4. So after 1 failure, 5 nodes are still up, satisfying quorum.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
3 nodes
Why it's wrong here
3 nodes would not provide quorum (need 4 out of 6 original).
- ✓
4 nodes
Why this is correct
Quorum requires >50% of total nodes; with 6 nodes, quorum is 4. After one failure, 5 remain, so quorum is maintained. But if the question meant minimum nodes to keep cluster operational, it's 4 (since 5 > 4). Actually the question is ambiguous: 'still required' could mean after the failure, how many are needed to continue? After 1 failure, 5 are still up, so 5 nodes are operational. But the answer choices are 3,4,5,6. The correct interpretation: with 6 nodes, quorum is 4, so after 1 failure, 5 nodes remain, which is sufficient. But the question might be asking the minimum number of nodes that must remain to avoid quorum loss. That is 4. So answer B is correct.
- ✗
5 nodes
Why it's wrong here
5 nodes are what remains, but the question asks 'still required' meaning the minimum to maintain the cluster? Actually 5 is what is left, but the required minimum is 4.
- ✗
6 nodes
Why it's wrong here
6 nodes are not required; cluster can tolerate failures.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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