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| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: Cluster Node Quarantine Troubleshooting Guide |
| 3 | +description: Resolves issues cause a cluster node quarantine to temporarily isolate an unstable or problematic node. |
| 4 | +ms.date: 10/06/2025 |
| 5 | +author: kaushika-msft |
| 6 | +ms.author: kaushika |
| 7 | +manager: dcscontentpm |
| 8 | +audience: itpro |
| 9 | +ms.topic: troubleshooting |
| 10 | +ms.reviewer: kaushika |
| 11 | +ms.custom: |
| 12 | +- sap: virtualization and hyper-v\backup and restore of virtual machines |
| 13 | +- pcy: Virtualization\backup and restore of virtual machines |
| 14 | +appliesto: |
| 15 | + - <a href=https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/release-health/windows-server-release-info target=_blank>Supported versions of Windows Server</a> |
| 16 | +--- |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +# Cluster node quarantine troubleshooting guide |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +## Summary |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +Cluster node quarantine is a protective feature in Windows Server Failover Clustering that temporarily isolates unstable or problematic nodes to safeguard cluster health and application workloads. A quarantined node can't host cluster roles, such as virtual machines (VMs), until it exits quarantine, either automatically or through administrator intervention. Several issues can trigger a quarantine, including repeated health check failures, persistent service failures, hardware issues, or storage or network communication problems. This article provides a thorough approach to investigating and resolving node quarantine incidents to help administrators ensure cluster stability and minimal downtime. |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +Troubleshooting checklist |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +Use this checklist for systematic troubleshooting: |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +- Identify Quarantined Nodes |
| 29 | + - Use Failover Cluster Manager orGet-ClusterNodePowerShell cmdlet. |
| 30 | +- Review Cluster Events and Error Messages |
| 31 | + - Check Event Viewer (System/Cluster logs) for quarantine reasons, for example Event IDs 1641, 1647, 1649. |
| 32 | + - Examine recent application, system, and failover clustering logs. |
| 33 | +- Check Node Status and Resource Hosting Subsystem (RHS) |
| 34 | + - Check whether RHS or core services are repeatedly crashing. |
| 35 | + - Review service health and recent restarts. |
| 36 | +- Assess Network Connectivity |
| 37 | + - Verify that the node can communicate with other cluster members (ICMP/ping, ports 3343 and others). |
| 38 | + - Verify no packet loss, MTU mismatches, firewall blocks. |
| 39 | +- Verify cluster storage connectivity |
| 40 | + - Check for access to Cluster Shared Volumes (CSVs) and disk resources. |
| 41 | + - Look for Event IDs 5120, 5142 (CSV paused/disconnected). |
| 42 | +- Check system resource health |
| 43 | + - Investigate disk status, memory, CPU utilization, hardware alerts. |
| 44 | + - Run diagnostics for hardware issues. |
| 45 | +- Cluster configuration review |
| 46 | + - Validate node certificates, static IP, cluster network settings, quorum configuration. |
| 47 | +- Examine security software or antivirus |
| 48 | + - Determine whether security agent is interfering with cluster traffic or services. |
| 49 | + - Temporarily disable to test stability. |
| 50 | +- Collect Relevant Data for Analysis |
| 51 | + - Cluster logs (Get-ClusterLog), event logs, network trace, Crash dumps. |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +Common issues and solutions |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +1. Quarantine because of repeated RHS/service failures |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +#### Symptoms |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +- Node appears in "Quarantine" state. |
| 60 | +- Event IDs: 1641 ("Node quarantine activated"), 1647, repeated 7031 (Service Control Manager: unexpected service termination). |
| 61 | +- Cluster roles continuously fail over from the node. VMs may repeatedly restart or move. |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +Resolution: |
| 64 | +- Review failure details in Cluster.log and System/Application event logs. |
| 65 | +- If a specific process (for example, MsSense.exe, rhs.exe) is implicated: |
| 66 | + - Obtain memory dump files of the process. Analyze for deadlocks or memory leaks. |
| 67 | + - Remove or disable problematic VM/service. |
| 68 | + - Apply the latest updates for Windows, Hyper-V, and third-party software. |
| 69 | + - Add antivirus exclusions for .avhdx, .vhdx, and cluster-related files. |
| 70 | +- Check for known bugs (for example, WDATP/MsSense.exe memory leak), and apply a MSFT hotfix, if it's available. |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +2. Network communication issues |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +#### Symptoms |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +- Node is quarantined. Network events show dropped packets or heartbeat failures. |
| 77 | +- Event IDs: 1135 (Node removed from cluster), 1177, warnings about broken communication channels (status 10054). |
| 78 | +- Other nodes show failed connection attempts to quarantined node (port 3343). |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +#### Resolution |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +- Make sure that all required cluster ports (UDP 3343, SMB, TCP 6600 for live migration) are open and not blocked by firewall/security software. |
| 83 | +- Run Test-NetConnection for key ports. |
| 84 | +- Check for MTU mismatches. Set consistent MTU values across all cluster adapter settings. |
| 85 | +- Update network adapter drivers/firmware. Verify the RDMA configuration, if used. |
| 86 | +- If antivirus/firewall is blocking traffic, add exceptions, or temporarily disable for testing. |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +3. Storage/CSV issues that cause quarantine |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +#### Symptoms |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +- Event IDs 5120, 5142, CSV paused or disconnected, node enters quarantine after failure. |
| 93 | +- VM disks or CSVs inaccessible from quarantined node. |
| 94 | +- Event logs show storage path failures, degraded MPIO, or controller resets. |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +#### Resolution |
| 97 | +- Verify the health of the storage subsystem (use vendor tools and logs). |
| 98 | +- Reconnect or restart storage paths, check for persistent disks. |
| 99 | +- Exclude cluster storage directories from antivirus. |
| 100 | +- Run Get-ClusterSharedVolumeState on affected nodes. |
| 101 | +- Verify MPIO, check failover/failback logs, apply the latest firmware or storage drivers. |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +4. Security platform/antivirus interference |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +#### Symptoms |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +- Cluster communication dropped by third-party security software. |
| 108 | +- Cluster event logs or TCP/IP diagnostic logs indicate silent packet drops. |
| 109 | +- Procmon shows blocked cluster service execution. |
| 110 | + |
| 111 | +#### Resolution |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | +- Disable/remove offending security software. Retest cluster stability. |
| 114 | +- Reinstall after you verify that cluster communication works. |
| 115 | +- Add cluster service, process, and directories to software exclusion list. |
| 116 | + |
| 117 | +5. Configuration and infrastructure gaps |
| 118 | + |
| 119 | +#### Symptoms |
| 120 | + |
| 121 | +- Quarantine initiated after node restart or updating. |
| 122 | +- IP misconfigurations occur (DHCP used instead of static), and cluster certificate is missing. |
| 123 | +- Quorum witness resource repeatedly fails. |
| 124 | + |
| 125 | +#### Resolution |
| 126 | + |
| 127 | +- Set cluster IP resource to static, not DHCP (Set-ClusterParameter). |
| 128 | +- Verify cluster node certificates; export/import from healthy node if missing. |
| 129 | +- Validate and repair quorum witness configuration (disk/file share witness settings). |
| 130 | +- Use Update-ClusterNetworkNameResource to refresh network name resources. |
| 131 | + |
| 132 | +6. Recovering from quarantine state |
| 133 | + |
| 134 | +General Recovery Steps: |
| 135 | + |
| 136 | +- Use PowerShell to clear node quarantine: Start-ClusterNode -Name \<NodeName> -ClearQuarantineCopy. |
| 137 | +- Evict and re-add node; restart cluster service, if it's necessary. |
| 138 | +- Restart node after clearing issues (hardware, network, service-related). |
| 139 | +- Monitor logs for confirmation: node rejoins cluster normally. |
| 140 | + |
| 141 | +Data collection |
| 142 | + |
| 143 | +Before you contact Microsoft Support, you can gather the following information about your issue. |
| 144 | + |
| 145 | +- Cluster Logs: Get-ClusterLog -Destination \<FolderPath> -UseLocal -TimeSpan \<Minutes>Copy |
| 146 | +- Event Logs: Export System, Application, and FailoverClustering logs. |
| 147 | +- Network Trace: Netsh trace start scenario=GENERAL capture=yes tracefile=\<path>Copy |
| 148 | +- Process dumps files: As needed, using Sysinternals or built-in Windows tools. |
| 149 | +- Storage and hardware diagnostics: Collect through vendor tool output. |
| 150 | +- Security software logs: Export relevant security agent filtering and action logs. |
| 151 | + |
| 152 | +Common issues quick reference table |
| 153 | + |
| 154 | +| Issue | Key symptoms | Resolution | Reference event IDs | |
| 155 | +| --- | --- | --- | --- | |
| 156 | +| RHS/service failure | Quarantine state, VM failovers, crash logs | Analyze dumps, update/update, AV exclusions, remove problematic service/VM | 1641, 7031 | |
| 157 | +| Network communication error | Node removal, dropped packets, port failures | Open cluster ports, fix MTU, update NIC drivers, AV/firewall exclusions | 1135, 1177, 10054 | |
| 158 | +| Storage/CSV Access Failure | CSV paused/disconnected, VM disk I/O errors | Storage vendor analysis, update firmware/drivers, fix MPIO, AV exclusions | 5120, 5142 | |
| 159 | +| Antivirus/security platform issues | Packet dropped by filter, service block | Disable/remove AV/Security, set exclusions, reinstall as necessary | Varies | |
| 160 | +| Configuration/quorum issues | Quorum witness fail, IP/certificate errors | Set static IPs, fix certificates, rebuild quorum witness, update resources | 1069, 1558, 121 | |
| 161 | +| Recovery steps (general) | Can't host roles, node stays quarantined | Start-ClusterNode -ClearQuarantine, evict/re-add, restart, monitor logs | 1641 | |
| 162 | + |
| 163 | +#### References |
| 164 | + |
| 165 | +- [AV Exclusions for Server and Hyper-V](/troubleshoot/windows-server/virtualization/antivirus-exclusions-for-hyper-v-hosts) |
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