Cluster Server 8.0 Agent for EMC SRDF/Star Configuration Guide - Windows

About preventing split-brain

Split-brain occurs when all heartbeat links between the primary and secondary hosts are cut. In this situation, each side mistakenly assumes that the other side is down. You can minimize the effects of split-brain by ensuring that the cluster heartbeat links pass through a similar physical infrastructure as the replication links. When you ensure that both pass through the same infrastructure, if one breaks, so does the other.

Even if the cluster heartbeat links pass through the same physical infrastructure as the replication links and all links break simultaneously, split-brain can still occur if the service group starts on a remote site. In this case, neither remote site is protecting the original workload site. To prevent this type of split-brain scenario, configure the steward utility on all three sites such that each site acts as the arbitrator for the other two sites.