1Y0-A26 · Question #113
Scenario: An administrator manages six XenServer hosts in a resource pool in which high availability is enabled. The administrator is notified that host fencing occurred. Which two reasons could be…
The correct answer is C. The shared storage repository was disconnected. D. There was a XenServer management network outage. See the full explanation below for the reasoning.
Question
Scenario: An administrator manages six XenServer hosts in a resource pool in which high availability is enabled. The administrator is notified that host fencing occurred. Which two reasons could be causing the issue? (Choose two.)
Options
- ACPU utilization reached 90%.
- BThe resource pool is overcommitted.
- CThe shared storage repository was disconnected.
- DThere was a XenServer management network outage.
How the community answered
(24 responses)- A13% (3)
- B4% (1)
- C83% (20)
Community Discussion
5
Ola B.Mar 11, 2026Host fencing in XenServer HA happens when the pool master loses contact with a host and has to assume that host is dead, then forcibly restarts its VMs elsewhere. The shared storage repository disconnection (C) triggers fencing because HA uses a heartbeat mechanism through shared storage, so if a host loses access to that storage, the pool treats it as a failed node. A management network outage (D) cuts the heartbeat traffic between hosts and the pool master, which again causes the master to fence the unresponsive host to protect VM availability. CPU hitting 90% (A) or the pool being overcommitted (B) are performance concerns but they do not trigger the fencing mechanism, so the correct answers are C and D.
Imani T.Mar 17, 2026Took this one on my first attempt at the 1Y0-A26 and almost got baited by B because I had just come from studying overcommitment scenarios, but HA fencing triggers when a host loses contact with shared storage (C) or loses heartbeat over the management network (D), not because you are running hot on resources. Real talk, I had a lab box fence itself on me the week before the exam because I accidentally unplugged the wrong NIC during a cabling cleanup, so D jumped out at me immediately when I saw this question.
Toby R.Mar 19, 2026Good catch on B being the trap, though worth noting that for 1Y0-A26 specifically they also tested the scenario where both the management network heartbeat AND storage heartbeat are lost simultaneously, which is when the host tries to self-fence but can get into a split-brain situation if your HA configuration is not tuned right.
Toby R.Mar 12, 2026Got C and D right away, the storage and network outage scenarios were practically word for word on my exam.
Ola B.Mar 14, 2026Good call on C and D, but spin up a quick lab and simulate those failover conditions yourself so the underlying mechanics stick when they rephrase the scenario on a retake or harder exam.