License "unsubscribe"

[G-Vision]

Hey people,

i've got yet another question about the licenses.

When using a dongle locally it's possible to plug/unplug the dongle. This would allow someone else to use the dongle when i'm not using vray (while modelling for instance). This plug/unplug can be done at any time and doesn't need a restart of max. That works...

When getting the license remotely: is there a way to "unplug" this remote license? Or in other words: when is this license used? I assume the first moment i open up the render-settings dialog, or when rendering. But the license isn't "given back" to the license server for other people to use when i close the render-dialog, right? To return the license to the server, i'd have to shut down max. Am i totally wrong here?

Klaas

[vlado]

There are two kinds of licenses: a render license, and an UI license. The render license is engaged when rendering starts, and is released when it ends. The UI license is engaged when you open the Render Scene dialog, and released when you close it. In other words, simply opening 3ds Max does not immediately engage a license.

Best regards,
Vlado

[G-Vision]

Thank you Vlado for the swift reply. This means Vray is very "lean" in terms of licensing. That's great.

If i may ask about the two types of licenses: does this mean that every paid license is split up in two parts? I could render with one license on computer 1 and do some render settings on computer 2 with the same license?
And as you said, when the license isn't needed anymore (either making render-settings or rendering) the license is returned to the license-server, ready to be used for another user. This happens without restarting max, so no hassle.

Adding one more thing: where does this leave the material editor? The material preview is obviously rendered by vray (when asked to do so) and as such needs the rendering part of the license. Does opening the material editor and editing a Vray-material need the UI-part of the license?

happy sinterklaas!
Klaas

[vlado]

If i may ask about the two types of licenses: does this mean that every paid license is split up in two parts? I could render with one license on computer 1 and do some render settings on computer 2 with the same license?

This is correct, yes.

And as you said, when the license isn't needed anymore (either making render-settings or rendering) the license is returned to the license-server, ready to be used for another user. This happens without restarting max, so no hassle.

Yep, this is correct, too.

Adding one more thing: where does this leave the material editor? The material preview is obviously rendered by vray (when asked to do so) and as such needs the rendering part of the license. Does opening the material editor and editing a Vray-material need the UI-part of the license?

The material editor only needs a rendering license, not the UI one.

Best regards,
Vlado

[trick]

And how about Backburner rendering? At my office I have a workstation and a renderfarm, but for the evenings and weekends I also have a workstation at home where I can do some overtime or try things out, when my farm is pushing frames. I really would like to have the possibility (as a single user) that Backburner rendering would not need the dongle, or you could at least buy a cheaper Backburner only dongle. I am considering to get a second license just for this situation, but as a single user this is a bit expensive. Especially since I could also solve this by setting up a VPN between office and home.

[G-Vision]

Vlado: thanks for the quick reply. It's all clear now.

Trick: if i recall correctly the rendernodes don't need a separate dongle. They just need to communicate with the license server. So after starting up these rendernodes you could unplug the dongle and take it home with you. Make sure these rendernodes don't reboot though.

Klaas

[trick]

... So after starting up these rendernodes you could unplug the dongle and take it home with you...

I doubt if that's the case. Of course you don't need a dongle on each node, but I thought you sure need one on the license server. Each time a job is rendered it checks that license server, otherwise it would make no sense, since I could have jobs with and without VRay as renderer: the check would be only when VRay is required as renderer, and that can not be known in advance !!!

[vlado]

Klaas is right; the render slaves do not require a license as such - they only need to be able to connect to a working license server. So once you start the server, you can plug the dongle out and leave it working. Note that this will work for network rendering only; without the dongle, the license server will refuse any UI/render licenses from an interactive 3ds Max session.

Best regards,
Vlado

[trick]

Klaas is right; the render slaves do not require a license as such - they only need to be able to connect to a working license server. So once you start the server, you can plug the dongle out and leave it working. Note that this will work for network rendering only; without the dongle, the license server will refuse any UI/render licenses from an interactive 3ds Max session.

Best regards,
Vlado

This is really really good. Until now I always left dongle on the office for backburner rendering. So now I can take my VRay work home while the farm renders frames I never was that happy with leaving the dongle at the office at night.

[vlado]

Well, it is somewhat dangerous in that if the license server stops for some reason (power cut etc), it will not be able to start again without the dongle.

Best regards,
Vlado

[trick]

Well, it is somewhat dangerous in that if the license server stops for some reason (power cut etc), it will not be able to start again without the dongle.

Best regards,
Vlado

I'll take my chances...thanks.

[G-Vision]

Workstation or Rendernode

I'd like to add yet another question about the licenses.

In our office we have rendermachines and workstations. The rendermachines just render through backburner day and night. The workstations are used during the day and are added to the backburner system at night. We won't have a dongle for every workstation, since not everybody uses Vray all the time. So we use the license server to distribute our licenses where needed.

We know now that the rendermachines only need a connection to the license server, no dongle required. The workstations need a full license to be able to work on it during the day. But as stated above, there's no 100% license coverage. This is just fine during the day. At night when we add the workstations to the backburner queue, we'd like all the workstations to be able to render. I guess this isn't possible, because we don't have enough licenses to run vray on each workstation. This would mean that, although a rendermachine doesn't need a dongle to render, the workstations do need a dongle each at night to render.

The question: is it possible to turn the workstation to a rendernode at night and not need dongles for every machine? Maybe by logging in as a different user?

Greetings,

Klaas

[RErender]

I'd like to add yet another question about the licenses.

In our office we have rendermachines and workstations. The rendermachines just render through backburner day and night. The workstations are used during the day and are added to the backburner system at night. We won't have a dongle for every workstation, since not everybody uses Vray all the time. So we use the license server to distribute our licenses where needed.

We know now that the rendermachines only need a connection to the license server, no dongle required. The workstations need a full license to be able to work on it during the day. But as stated above, there's no 100% license coverage. This is just fine during the day. At night when we add the workstations to the backburner queue, we'd like all the workstations to be able to render. I guess this isn't possible, because we don't have enough licenses to run vray on each workstation. This would mean that, although a rendermachine doesn't need a dongle to render, the workstations do need a dongle each at night to render.

The question: is it possible to turn the workstation to a rendernode at night and not need dongles for every machine? Maybe by logging in as a different user?

Greetings,

Klaas

The workstations should not need a full license to render in network mode. Have you tried it and had issues or just surmising?

[G-Vision]

No, we haven't tried it yet. The guys who decide would like to know what will happen before installing or changing stuff. So my question is purely hypothetical.
If i understand it right you're saying that any workstation without a dongle, can function as a rendermachine if the renderjob comes from the network (for instance through backburner) and if that machine can connect to the license server. In other words, if the machine recieves a renderjob from the backburner-manager, the machine renders in network mode.

This is exactly what we're looking for. Any practical issues we can solve afterwards. I'd just like to have the theory in place.

Klaas