What occurs if a cluster loses 3 or more nodes according to the defined criteria?

When a cluster loses three or more nodes, it typically results in a significant impact on its overall functionality. This is because clusters are designed to distribute workloads and maintain redundancy; losing too many nodes disrupts this balance. In most configurations, having a minimum number of operational nodes is crucial for decision-making processes, data availability, and the execution of tasks.

Clusters are often built with fault tolerance in mind, meaning that they can sustain operations with a limited number of node failures. However, exceeding the threshold of three lost nodes generally compromises their ability to coordinate effectively and provide the necessary services, leading to a state of non-functionality. In practical scenarios, this can result in complete system downtime or a failure to process requests, thus emphasizing the importance of maintaining a higher level of operational nodes to ensure continuous functionality.