Patent ID: 7890555

Claim:
A method for preventing a requesting node from unfencing and mounting a file system subsequent to a failure in a cluster file system having a plurality of active nodes, comprising: upgrading one active node in said cluster to a cluster manager node; receiving, by a requesting node, permission from a file system manager to mount said file system; issuing from said requesting node an active status request to said cluster manager node in response to said requesting node receiving permission to mount said file system from said file system manager; defining a majority of active nodes as quorum nodes in said cluster; placing said cluster manager in communication with active nodes in said cluster; assigning to said cluster manager responsibilities, in part, comprising: receiving the active status request from said requesting node in said cluster in response to said requesting node; querying, in response to receiving said active status request, said quorum nodes whether each node considers said cluster manager to still have cluster management responsibilities for said file system; determining, in response to said querying, whether a majority of quorum nodes have responded to said querying; and in response to a majority of said quorum nodes considering said cluster manager to still have cluster management responsibilities for said file system then said cluster manager sending a response to said requesting node's active status request; and mounting said file system by said requesting node only in response to receiving said response from said cluster manager.