# Avoiding the Split Brain

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/avoiding-the-split-brain/128746>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [April 19, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/avoiding-the-split-brain/128746 "2018-04-19T16:19:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5

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**Author:** ![aslamy1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/aslamy1/32/26607_2.png) [@aslamy1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/aslamy1)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 7:13am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/avoiding-the-split-brain/128746/5 "2018-04-20T07:13:08Z")

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The problem is not that a server goes down completely. but when the servers can not communicate with each other. Both can be master.

If I add discovery.zen.ping\_timeout to 60s, the chance of Split Brain will be very low. If they can't communicate for more than 60 seconds, probably one has completely gone down.

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_[View the full topic](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/avoiding-the-split-brain/128746)._