Partial network partition splits quorum
You run a 5-node distributed datastore across AZ-a, AZ-b, AZ-c. At 02:00 you see a confusing pattern: writes succeed but some reads return stale data, leader elections flap, and two nodes each believe they're a valid quorum member while a third logs 'cannot reach' for one peer but not the others. Dashboards: AZ-a↔AZ-b connectivity is fine, AZ-a↔AZ-c is fine, but AZ-b↔AZ-c packet loss is ~70% — a PARTIAL partition where only one link is degraded, not a clean split. No deploy; cloud provider reports a 'networking event' in one AZ. How do you triage and mitigate?
What a strong answer looks like
Stop the bleeding first (mitigate), then form hypotheses from real signals. Separate root cause from symptom, communicate status as you go, and close with what prevents a repeat.
0:00 of about 45 min
Which questions mattered is sealed until you submit. Telling you now would just be handing over the edge cases.
Run or narrate your approach, then ask the coach.