Understanding Raft by Building a Minimal Consensus Cluster

This article builds a minimal three-node Raft cluster in a single process, demonstrating the core mechanisms of leader election, log replication, and commitment. The implementation is intentionally small, but it captures the essentials of Raft. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for building a robust distributed consensus system. To apply this knowledge, focus on the core protocol and then add features such as persistent storage and recovery logic.