Deployment Architecture

Splunk Search Head Captain Election

munang
Path Finder

 Hello.

I have a question about the captain selection process.


Let me ask you a question using the example below.

1. In a clustering of four searchheads, the captain goes down.

2. Among the remaining three, the search header whose timer expired earliest asks the remaining two to vote.

3. The remaining two cars vote for the search header whose timer ended early.

4. Although two votes were received, the captain election failed because three votes were required due to the majority rule.

This is the process of captain selection in my opinion.

However, when I practiced it myself, even if one of the four planes was down, another captain was automatically selected from the three remaining planes. How is this possible when there are not enough votes?

Tags (2)
0 Karma
1 Solution

richgalloway
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

The candidate always votes for itself.  Therefore, there are three votes for the new captain.

---
If this reply helps you, Karma would be appreciated.

View solution in original post

munang
Path Finder

@richgalloway Thank you so much for the clear answer!

richgalloway
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

The candidate always votes for itself.  Therefore, there are three votes for the new captain.

---
If this reply helps you, Karma would be appreciated.
Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

Data Management Digest – November 2025

  Welcome to the inaugural edition of Data Management Digest! As your trusted partner in data innovation, the ...

Splunk Mobile: Your Brand-New Home Screen

Meet Your New Mobile Hub  Hello Splunk Community!  Staying connected to your data—no matter where you are—is ...

Introducing Value Insights (Beta): Understand the Business Impact your organization ...

Real progress on your strategic priorities starts with knowing the business outcomes your teams are delivering ...