Quick Answer
The answer is that the two isolated nodes continue to serve requests while the third stops. This occurs because Vault’s Integrated Storage relies on the Raft consensus algorithm, which requires a majority (quorum) of nodes to process any operations. With three nodes total, the two isolated nodes form a 2/3 majority and can maintain leadership and serve traffic, whereas the single isolated node loses quorum and halts all requests to prevent a split-brain scenario. On the HashiCorp Vault Associate VA-003 exam, this question tests your understanding of Raft’s fault tolerance and the critical concept that a minority partition cannot serve data. A common trap is assuming all nodes stop during a partition, but the key is that the majority side remains operational. Memory tip: think “majority rules” — in a 3-node cluster, 2 is the magic number to keep serving.
This VA-003 practice question tests your understanding of explain vault architecture. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is using Vault's Integrated Storage (Raft) for high availability. During a network partition, two Vault nodes become isolated from the third. What happens to the isolated nodes?
The two isolated nodes continue to serve requests, the third stops
The two nodes have quorum; the isolated third does not.
All three nodes automatically rejoin after partition
Why wrong: Raft requires manual intervention to recover.
All three nodes continue to serve requests
Why wrong: The isolated node cannot serve writes without quorum.
The two isolated nodes stop serving requests
Why wrong: They can form quorum and continue.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The two isolated nodes continue to serve requests, the third stops
In Vault Integrated Storage (Raft), a quorum of nodes (majority) is required to maintain cluster leadership and serve requests. During a network partition where two nodes are isolated from the third, the two nodes form a majority (2 out of 3) and can continue to serve requests, while the isolated third node loses quorum and stops serving requests to prevent split-brain. This behavior is enforced by the Raft consensus algorithm, which requires a majority for any write or read operations to ensure consistency.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The two isolated nodes continue to serve requests, the third stops
Why this is correct
The two nodes have quorum; the isolated third does not.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
All three nodes automatically rejoin after partition
Why it's wrong here
Raft requires manual intervention to recover.
All three nodes continue to serve requests
Why it's wrong here
The isolated node cannot serve writes without quorum.
The two isolated nodes stop serving requests
Why it's wrong here
They can form quorum and continue.
Common exam traps
HashiCorp often tests the misconception that all nodes in a partitioned cluster stop serving requests, but the correct understanding is that only the minority side (nodes that lose quorum) stop, while the majority side continues to operate normally.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Raft uses leader election and log replication; during a partition, the majority side elects a leader and continues processing writes, while the minority side's leader steps down and all nodes on that side reject client requests. A subtle behavior is that if the partition splits the cluster into two groups of equal size (e.g., 1 and 1 in a 2-node cluster, or 2 and 2 in a 4-node cluster), neither side has a majority, and all nodes stop serving requests—this is why odd numbers of nodes are recommended for production deployments.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the VA-003 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Explain Vault architecture — This question tests Explain Vault architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The two isolated nodes continue to serve requests, the third stops — In Vault Integrated Storage (Raft), a quorum of nodes (majority) is required to maintain cluster leadership and serve requests. During a network partition where two nodes are isolated from the third, the two nodes form a majority (2 out of 3) and can continue to serve requests, while the isolated third node loses quorum and stops serving requests to prevent split-brain. This behavior is enforced by the Raft consensus algorithm, which requires a majority for any write or read operations to ensure consistency.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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