What are you using for a Render Farm

[TheAllusionisst]

My question is to find out what people are using for successful network configurations for render farms. I have had just a basic workgroup type network at home, what ever computers are on can talk to on another, but no dedicated server. This appears to be the root of my problems, reliable paths and communication seem to erratic and sometimes things will work as expected and sometimes not.

 

I was thinking of revamping/restructuring my system with a dedicated server with all my materials, etc. resideing their and definitive mapped drives/paths for reliable collabrotive renders in Max and XSI for example. However, I kind of like having the system where I only need have the computer I am using on and the others off if need be, so before I go to all the trouble of switching to a true network I wanted to get an idea of what others were doing, or if you know, what the production houses are doing.

 

Items like if you are using a dedicated server, what OS are you using, I currently have a mix of Win 2000 Pro and Windows XP Pro, could be part of the problem! LOL

 

I like the thought of being able to use slightly outdated computers to help speed the rendering process out without worrying about trying to keep up with latest fasted multiple CPU work station, if I can use multiple Dual core and Dual processor computers that I already have vs trying to keep up with the latest Quad or Eight core workstation, I would prefer it. So this is an information gathering mission of sorts.

 

So tell me your setup! Yes I have read a bunch of the post around here on the subject, I am looking for a definitive (if possible) yes peer to peer workgroup network works "if", or a dedicated server is necessary for reliable integration and I suggest you use OS 'X' (PC or Linux). Thanks for your time.

[mtutaj]

first of all my question would be, what software are you currently using? I am using Max with Finalrender and combustion here. I have the following render nodes (dual core, Amd X2 system and a few Amd 64 systems). I have a linux server with 2 sets of raid drives, currently on a Gigabit network. I am going to add a second linux server soon, Currently using Backburner and FR's DR. but am looking at going to Deadline. Some people have gotten Backburner Mangaer running on Wine on a linux server. I would love to figure that out, but am still tring to figure out the bugs.

 

Let me know if you need any other info.

 

Mike

[TheAllusionisst]

Thanks for the reply. First off I would like to try and set something up so that all the software I use that has distributed rendering capabilities to work, so most compatible system would be my goal. Software using would be Max 9 and if Backburner is the best solution I will use it, I used it with Viz 2006 with mixed results. Vray 1.5, MentalRay and Maxwell are used with Max. XSI Essentials 5.11 and MentalRay along with Vue Infinite/Extreme are also programs I would like to distribute rendering over. Of course my software toolbox is quite big and growing and no need to list them all, I just want to try and set up the most compatible system and figured a dedicated server would aleviate the path name descrepancies to resources like textures.

 

Computers are two dual core AMD Anthalon FX 64's and a Dual CPU Xeon, I have more single core cpu computers around and one could be a server, but I figured the three mentioned would be best used for rendering power.

 

Post Editing stuff is pretty simple such as Affter Effects so that isn't a real concern for distributed processing, but in the future I may need to look into something more advanced.

 

As for Server OS, I had originally thought Win 200 Server or Win 2003 Server since I am familiar with it, but would consider Linux, just worried about another learning curve and compatiblity with Windows. So if you are suggesting Linux, what flavor, in addition if using Linux are you using 'Wine' or similar, it doesn't sound like it by your statements.

 

So basically, if Linux is what you suggest what flavor/version do you suggest and do you see a problem using a slightly slower computer for the server, but still use a Gigabit network and dual raid hard drives? Thanks again for your time, just trying to get something set up that works most the time! LOL

[voltaire_ira]

we have a small renderfarm that consists of 8 dual processor-dualcore opterons, all 64bit. we render using backburner for rendering animations.

 

we have a dedicated server but it uses the OEM XP OS.thats the problem right now since i can only accept 5 concurrent connections at a time( 5 dualcore-dual processors).right now im configuring a dedicated server but thinking of going for win 2000 server or LINUX.

 

As for paths for materials and objects, what we usually do is collect and update all textures using max "resource collector" at the utilities panel. What it does is collect all bitmaps and place all of them in one specified folder. it also updates the paths of the bitmaps in the material editor automatically.

then once all materials are in one directory, we Archive the file using Max archive tool in the file menu. what it does is collect al files related to the project and palce them in an archive following the directory structure of all of the paths. very useful as a backup since you can open the file in any computer just by extracting the archive.

[mtutaj]

my current file server is Red hat 9, though I just installed Fedura Core 5 into a server for someone recently and plan on using that for my new file server. Cpu is a AMD 1.3 Ghz processor. with 1gig of ram. I have 3 mapped drives off of the server. O: output, M: maps, and R: data. R and M is on one drive Raid, and the O: is on the other drive Raid set. I haven't had any mapping issues since I have gone this route.

 

Wine is also installed onto this system, but have not gotten Backburner manager running. That was the only reason for installing Wine. I know that Autodesk has a linux version of BB manager, but it is for their higher riange products.

 

I also have an older dual PII-500 system that I am running apache and ftp thru. This is nice since I can view my BB processes thru the web. In addition, I am testing out using Hamachi, which is a VPN client, to be able to send BB jobs to a remote office which has their own BB manager and BB servers running. So far this has worked pretty well, but the only problem that I have had was to do with the sometimes large file sizes, including textures, thru the web.

 

I am hoping to add a few quad core systems as render nodes, if a couple of the jobs we have been promised come thru.

 

The biggest key that I have found, is map out your current workflow, and a workflow that you might have to use for a very large job.

 

if you go the linux route. let me know, I can help you along.

 

Mike

[Charles Gaushell]

We used to use a Linux server but couldn't find anyone that could provide reliable service the few times we had problems. We now run a Small Business Server with about 70 computers on it. 55 are dual core Dells with XP Pro. Most of the others are various p4s with xp pro. Only a few windows 2000 pros.

 

We are a Lightwave house and use ButterflyNet Controller to dole out the rendering tasks. Works well for the most part.

[mtutaj]

In the 7 years I have used Linux, I have only 2 occasions that I have had an issue, but had it up and running in a few hours. One of the times the boot drive got fried, but install the os on a new drive, both raids were hardware raids, so I mounted them and was back up and running. I also have linux file servers running in a few architectural offices. knock on wood, havn't had to do any support in years. last one for a client was last year, was able to walk the client thru installing a new power supply and they were back up and running. I am no way a Linux guru, but I have installed NT, w2k, SBS servers, and knew alot more about them then linux. but being a small office, I didn't want to be dishing out all this money for cals, and server software. so I took the dive into LInux. From my experience, it runs so much faster then windows on the same system. The second biggest reason for me was virus protection. the majority of viruses out there infect Windows. with the windows servers, I always had to be ontop of the latest service packs, and fixes.

 

 

As for support, I usually get all my info straight from the web.

 

if I needed a PDC (primary domain controller) I would lean towards Windows, but would try it first on linux. (One of my goals on the next server) and if you needed just a file server, I would go linux first.

 

My next step with my setup is also going to be tring to integrate Deadlline into the mix. This seems to be BB on steroids.

[voltaire_ira]

mtutaj,

 

can i use ubuntu Linux as a file server? im going to install it on a amd64 x2, can i use RAID setup with linux,since the libraries are currently in a different server/render node (bad decision)..

so i'll be transferring the harddrives to the other server. My only worry is I might screw up the raid and erase all the data...

 

any resources i can find for linux will greatly help.

thanks

[mtutaj]

Yes you can use ubuntu, you'll have to install samba as well to share with windows.

 

Let me make sure I understand this. You currently have drives set up in raid. (what os) and is it hardware of software raid? if the system is currently no linux then no, if it is linux but software raid, then I would say no as well.

 

For the simplest and safest way, I would do it with fresh drives, and copy the data over thru the network. I would back up all the data either way.

[voltaire_ira]

what is samba?

do you need it to run window applications on linux?

[mtutaj]

http://www.samba.org

 

it is the program that allows you to view the file structure on the linux machine from your windows machine.

 

Wine is what is used to try to run some windows applications. Wine is something I am tring to use to get Backburner Manager running, but have had no luck and not a lot of time so far to put towards it. At this point I would advise to run windows apps on windows machines.

 

Mike

[TheAllusionisst]

Thank you guys for all the information, it helps to learn from other's trial and error and not pursue a dead end. It is also to here what distrubuting renderer apps you are using, I will check into Deadline http://software.franticfilms.com/content/support/deadline/plugins/3dsmax/submission2/content.html

and the different flavors of Linux as well as the domain controllers mentioned http://www.howtoforge.com/samba_setup_ubuntu_5.10

 

The one real question I have with Linux is if there are any steps necessary for file and directory structure necessary when using it in conjunction with Windows systems? When I get the time to acutally try and set everthing up, you may here from me again Thanks again for the information.

[mtutaj]

I think your headed into the right direction. Feel free to contact me if you need any additional help. Go ahead and contact me on IM if needed.

 

Mike

[TheAllusionisst]

Thanks, I will keep that in mind.