Right-click and select .
Dedicated to handling witness traffic communicating with the vSAN cluster data nodes.
: Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal using your registered account. Navigate to Downloads : On the left-hand sidebar, select My Downloads .
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The vSAN Witness Appliance is a pre-configured virtual machine running ESXi that is packaged as an Open Virtualization Format (OVF) or Open Virtualization Appliance (OVA) template. Unlike standard ESXi hosts, the witness appliance does not store virtual machine data components. Instead, it only stores metadata, specifically cluster witness objects.
The VMware vSAN Witness Appliance is a critical component for organizations implementing two-node vSAN clusters or Stretched Clusters. It functions as a neutral third party, maintaining cluster quorum and storing metadata to prevent "split-brain" scenarios without requiring a full ESXI host at the remote site.
The vSAN Witness Appliance is a critical component for specific vSAN cluster configurations, including and two-node clusters (also known as Remote Office/Branch Office or ROBO). It serves as a tie-breaking mechanism, providing quorum when network partitions occur between data sites. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough for downloading and deploying the vSAN Witness Appliance, covering everything from initial download to advanced troubleshooting and best practices. Right-click and select
Inside the expanded view for your chosen version, scroll down to the section labeled:
The appliance runs on a special, free embedded Linux/ESXi license provided by Broadcom. You do not need an extra paid ESXi license for it.
To download the , you must access the Broadcom Support Portal (formerly the VMware Customer Connect portal). The appliance is distributed as a standard OVA file and is essential for configurations like 2-node clusters or stretched clusters to prevent split-brain scenarios. How to Download from the Broadcom Portal Navigate to Downloads : On the left-hand sidebar,
In a standard vSAN cluster (three nodes or more), data replication and availability are managed through a distributed voting system. If one node fails, the remaining nodes can still form a quorum. However, in a two-node cluster—designed for cost-effective redundancy at a single site or across two locations—there is no third node to break a tie.
If you are setting up a or a vSAN Stretched Cluster , you’ve likely realized you need a "tie-breaker" to maintain quorum in case of a site failure. That is exactly what the vSAN Witness Appliance does.
Choose a size (Tiny, Small, Medium, Large) based on the number of VMs you plan to protect. For homelabs or small environments, Tiny or Small is usually sufficient.
The is a specialized virtual machine (provided as an OVA file) that acts as a tie-breaker for vSAN Stretched Clusters or 2-node configurations. Since the Broadcom acquisition of VMware, the download process has moved to the Broadcom Support Portal . How to Download the vSAN Witness Appliance