Need Official Guidance: Two-Node Cluster + Witness Deployment Requirements, Supported Hardware, and Licensing

Question

Hello Nutanix Community,I am currently evaluating a Nutanix Two-Node Cluster deployment for a small environment and have been reviewing the official documentation, including the Prism Web Console Guide and the Data Protection Guide.Unfortunately, I have not been able to obtain clear technical guidance regarding Two-Node Cluster deployments from my local Nutanix sales representatives and SE teams in Japan and Singapore. As a result, I am trying to better understand the official requirements and supported deployment models directly from the community and Nutanix experts.I would appreciate clarification on the following topics:1. Witness VM deployment requirementsIs a dedicated physical host required for the Witness VM when no remote datacenter is available?	If the Witness is deployed in the same site, what conditions must be met to satisfy the "separate failure domain" requirement?	Is a separate rack, power circuit, UPS, and network path sufficient?2. Supported Witness hosting platformsThe documentation states that the Witness VM can run on a supported hypervisor and on Nutanix or non-Nutanix hardware.Can the Witness VM be hosted on a standalone AHV host that is not part of a production Nutanix cluster?	If yes, what are the minimum hardware and software requirements for such a host?	Is there any official reference architecture for this deployment model?3. Licensing requirementsDoes a standalone AHV host used solely for hosting a Witness VM require Nutanix licensing?	If licensing is required, which license editions are necessary?	Are there any additional licensing requirements specific to Two-Node Cluster deployments?4. Supported hardware and softwareI would like to understand the officially supported infrastructure requirements.Which hardware platforms are certified or officially supported for hosting the Witness VM?	Is there a Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) or support matrix specifically covering Witness deployments?	What AHV, AOS, Prism Element, and Witness VM software versions are currently supported for Two-Node Cluster environments?	Are there any version interoperability requirements between AOS and Witness VM releases?5. Practical deployment examplesAre there any reference architectures or best practices for customers who only have a single site and cannot place the Witness VM in a separate corporate datacenter?	How do customers typically deploy the Witness VM in hotel, retail, branch office, or other small-site scenarios?6. Deployment and operational guidanceI would also appreciate references to any official documentation covering:Witness VM installation and deployment procedures	Initial configuration and registration	Upgrade and lifecycle management	Backup and recovery considerations	Maintenance requirements	Troubleshooting and support best practicesMy goal is to understand the complete and officially supported design for a Two-Node Cluster with Witness, including hardware requirements, software versions, licensing, deployment procedures, operational considerations, and supportability.Any guidance, documentation references, support matrixes, or real-world deployment examples would be greatly appreciated.Thank you in advance for your assistance.Best regards,

JeroenTielen · Answer

Hi Atsuyori,Yes a dedicated host is required. The witness for a two node cluster is different then a witness for 2 complete clusters for disaster recovery. the witness for a two node clusters can be in the same datacenter.There is no "standalone AHV’, this is a misconception lots of people have. AHV is only available on nutanix hci, so a CVM (a nutanix cluster) is always required for AHV. You can run the witness for a two node clusters on every type of hypervisor where the download is available for. (ahv and esx)Again, there is no standalone AHV.It is AHV and/or ESX. For AHV this means any nutanix cluster you already have running. For ESX this is any vmware/broadcom environment you already running.Normally a two node cluster is only deployed if there is a normal nutanix cluster running in the main datacenter, and then the witness is placed there. 2 node clusters are typically not being used as the main cluster.Here you can find all information for the witness vm:https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/list?type=software&filterKey=software&filterVal=Witness%20Service%20(formerly%20Witness%20VM)So to make this easier, get yourself a three (3) node cluster which is the minimum for proper Nutanix cluster without all the hussle a 2 node cluster brings you.

1. Witness VM deployment requirements

2. Supported Witness hosting platforms

3. Licensing requirements

4. Supported hardware and software

5. Practical deployment examples

6. Deployment and operational guidance

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