Describe the working of a quorum-based protocol with the help of suitable example.
Answers
In a distributed database system, a transaction could be executing its operations at multiple sites. Since atomicity requires every distributed transaction to be atomic, the transaction must have the same fate (commit or abort) at every site. In case of network partitioning, sites are partitioned and the partitions may not be able to communicate with each other. This is where a quorum-based technique comes in. The fundamental idea is that a transaction is executed if the majority of sites vote to execute it.
A quorum is a minimum level of interest or attendance required before an official meeting or action can take place. Companies often stipulate the quorum required among shareholders to make decisions, spelled out in the corporate charter.