ENHANCED FENCING SCHEME FOR CLUSTER SYSTEMS WITHOUT INHERENT HARDWARE FENCING

Techniques for providing a fencing scheme for cluster systems without inherent hardware fencing. Storage nodes in an HA cluster communicate with one another over communication paths implemented through a variety of mechanisms, including drives and network connections. Each storage node in the HA cluster executes a fencing enforcer component operable to enforce actions or processes for initiating fencing of itself and/or initiating self-fencing of another storage node in the HA cluster determined to be malfunctioning. By providing for richer communications between storage nodes in an HA cluster and a richer set of actions or processes for fencing a malfunctioning storage node including self-fencing, the malfunctioning storage node can be made to exit the HA cluster in a more controlled fashion. In addition, a remaining storage node in the HA cluster can more safely take on the role of primary storage node with reduced risk of data corruption on shared resources.