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Creating a cloud witness by using Azure 
Beginning with Windows Server 2008, each version of failover clustering introduced a new quorum 
type to complement what already exists. That hasn't changed. Windows Server 2016 introduces the 
cloud witness quorum type, a witness that you can create in the cloud by using Azure. 
This quorum type takes advantage of the Azure public cloud as the arbitration (witness) point for the 
cluster. You can achieve this configuration without the need for an extra site and you will utilize it 
mostly in multisite clusters. It provides a quorum option for the following situations: 

Multisite clusters that do not have a third site on which to place a file-share witness 

Clusters using nonshared storage 

Guest clusters hosted in Azure 

Guest clusters hosted in private clouds 

Clusters using Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) 
The cloud witness acts the same as a file-share witness, using the same basic logic in that it does not 
contain a copy of the cluster database and will act as a deciding vote to prevent split brains (multiple 
nodes running in the same cluster that cannot communicate with one another). 
To configure a cloud witness, you first must have an Azure subscription. Here are the steps you need 
to take to get one: 
1.
Sign in to the Azure management portal (https://portal.azure.com and create a storage account 
for this witness (if you are not sure how to see 
https://azure.microsoft.com/documentation/ 
articles/storage-create-storage-account/
) 

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CHAPTER 2 | Software-defined datacenter 
2.
When the storage account is created, highlight it in the portal, and then click Manage Access 
Keys. Copy the primary access key for later use. 
3.
In the Failover Cluster Manager console, configure the quorum for the cloud witness. First, right-
click the name of the cluster, and then, on the shortcut menu that opens, click More Actions, and 
then select Configure Cluster Quorum Settings, as demonstrated in Figure 2-27.