leader election
compound.compound. the process in a computer network where one computer is chosen to be the boss or coordinator for the others. This helps the group of computers work together without getting confused.
compound. the process in distributed computing of designating a single node as the organiser or coordinator of tasks among a group of nodes. This mechanism ensures that only one node performs specific management actions, preventing conflicts and maintaining consistency across the network.
The system started a leader election after the main server crashed.
When the primary database node failed, the remaining nodes initiated a leader election to choose a new coordinator.
Efficient leader election algorithms are critical in distributed systems to ensure high availability and to prevent 'split-brain' scenarios where multiple nodes believe they have authority.
A compound of the Old English lǣdere, meaning one who guides, and the Anglo-Norman eleccioun, derived from the Latin ēligere, to choose.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly used in the context of distributed systems and network protocols.
Last updated July 22, 2026