Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems include a first virtual infrastructure manager (VIM) determining that the first VIM is to be an active manager of a plurality of virtual machines running on a plurality of host devices and that a second VIM is to be a standby manager of the plurality of virtual machines. The first VIM selects a first host device from the plurality of host devices to serve as a passive witness node in arbitrating active and standby roles between the first VIM and second VIM. The first host device runs one or more virtual machines and is managed by the active manager. The first VIM selects a first host device by confirming that the first host device is available to each of the first VIM and the second VIM. The first VIM writes a file on the first host device indicating that the first VIM is the active manager.