A computerized method useful for node cluster formation and management in a distributed database system includes the step of providing a set of database nodes in a database cluster. Each node of the set of database nodes comprises a cluster management module, a heartbeat module, and a globally unique node identifier. The cluster management module manages cluster membership by maintaining a succession list. The succession list comprises a list of all current members in the database cluster. The heartbeat module communicates a pulse message to every other node in the set of database nodes. The method includes the step of maintaining, with each heartbeat module of each database node, an adjacency list.