1. A method of data processing, comprising: in response to a stimulus indicating configuration of a second node into a cluster of a plurality of nodes including the second node and a different first node that initiates the configuration of the second node into the cluster: the second node determining whether or not the second node has a universally unique identifier (UUID) and, if not, the second node internally generating its own persistent self-assigned UUID without input from another node; the second node searching a centralized cluster configuration database residing on a trusted shared data storage device accessible to all of the plurality of nodes for a temporary identifier associated with the second node; and in response to the second node locating the temporary identifier of the second node in the cluster configuration database, the second node writing its self-assigned UUID into the cluster configuration database and joining the cluster.