Rendering on two computers

[Jiri.Matys]

Hi,

I have a few questions about rendering on two computers:

1. I think I will need to extend my dongle to render on two computers, right? Do I need more dongles or extend the existing one to render on two computers separately? I mean render one scene on one computer and another scene on second computer? Or render on one and work on second?
2. Probably I will connect second computer through wifi only on my router. Is it ok for DR rendering and rendering with backburner?
3. Is there any other thing I have to know?

Thanks.

[tashko.zashev]

1. I think I will need to extend my dongle to render on two computers, right? Do I need more dongles or extend the existing one to render on two computers separately? I mean render one scene on one computer and another scene on second computer? Or render on one and work on second?

Your existing Dongle licenses can be upgraded with additional number of render node licenses for an example. In order to render simultaneously on two machines then you will need two render node licenses. To work with V-Ray settings and materials a separate license is required - Interface license. So 1 Interface license + 2 render node licenses allows you to work (Settings, materials...) on one machine (doesn't matter if its render node #1 or #2) and render not both simulations. Please contact our sales team for more details about prices and available options.

2. Probably I will connect second computer through wifi only on my router. Is it ok for DR rendering and rendering with backburner?

This should work for both rendering modes, just make sure that all routers are on same subnet.

3. Is there any other thing I have to know?

More information about the V-ray 3 licensing policy :
http://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/V...ense+Agreement
Section > 1.2.1. For THE PRODUCT except VRscans plug-in


Let me know if you have any additional questions.

[Ihno]

1: My Vray workstation licence came with 3 render licenses. I think you wouldn't have to buy an extra license.
And if I remember right, I was able to work on 2 machines... maby more but didn't try that.
Chaos will extend your existing dongle, your secound computer will than get its license via local nework.

2: I wouldn't recommend that. You'll want the DR to transfere your assets to the secound computer. I think wifi will slow that down

3: A network drive or a shared folder is needed to be able to use backburner to render animations on several machines without DR.
For that kind of network rendering it would be good to have a 3. machine (which can be quite weak) to run the Backburner Manager on it.

[Jiri.Matys]

So probably I connect it through cable. But I realize another thing:

My main computer is in bedroom, where I work. So sometimes I will render on both computers and sometimes work on first and render on second, which will be in different room. But I wanna sleep at night so what I want is render on second computer, but turn off first computer. How I set this up with dongle in first computer?

[tashko.zashev]

There is a few options
*) Attach the dongle to the machine that will be always ON. So you will be able to access your license when you need it. V-Ray will looking for a license server (and dongle) each time you are working on settings or you are rendering. So the machine that holds your license (license server and dongle) should be ON.
*) Install the V-Ray license server on both machines and move the dongle to the one you need to be ON. For this approach you will have to edit your License server IP address each time you move the dongle.

How I set this up with dongle in first computer?

Move the dongle on the second PC and install the V-Ray license server there. Then on the first machine add the IP address of the second machine using the V -Ray license client configuration utility
http://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/V...+V-Ray+License

[Ihno]

In that case you'll have to plug the dongle in the secound computer.
The first one will get its license from it as long as it runs.
And you'll have to setup Backburner and run the manager on the secound computer if you want to submit render jobs with the first computer, without touching the secound one.

In order to ensure clarity: There are basically 2 ways for nework render with 3ds Max: DR and Backburner.

With DR all computers work simultanaly on one frame, the V-Ray DR Spawner has to run on every note except your workstation.
You can save the output and the assets locally and your computer will spread it to the other notes.

With Backburner every computer renders one frame after another on its own.
For this you have to run the Backburner manager on one computer and the Backburner server on every node.
With your workstation you submit renderjobs to your Manager and the Manager will spread them to the other nodes.
As long as the manager runs, there will be no need to keep the workstation running.
I wouldn't recommend to render on that manager computer because if it crashes your entire farm will stop Rendering.
But you could run the manager and the Server on one computer if you want.
For this kind of rendering every node has to have access to your assets and the output path, this is why you'll have to have some kind of network drive.

In your case:
You could run the backburner manager, server and the V-Ray license server on your secound computer.
Also you can setup one of its hard drives as a network drive.
Than you'll be able to render just on that computer without need to keep the workstation running:
Also you'll be able to render with DR or backburner on both computers simultaneously.
But you'll have to keep that secound computer running while you work, no matter if you need it for rendering or not.
It'll be needet as network drive and V-Ray License server.
And if you render on both computers with backburner and that secound computer crashes, the first one will stop rendering too.
But this is maby the right way to go.

If you want to add more nodes in the future I would recommend to buy a third one which has power saving hardware (dosen't need to be high end) and huge hard drive space.
You could run the backburner manager on it and use it as network drive to share files and save your renderings on it.
Also you could spread your V-ray license with it.
This one can be allways running without a bad suprise on your electricity bill because of its power saving hardware.
And you dont need to be afraid that the farm could stop rendering in the middle of the night because the manager crashed while rendering.
If you have that one, you'll be able to easily add more computers to your little farm.

You can check your license to clarify how many rendernote licenses you've got:
http://localhost:30304/getstatus
As Tashko Zashev wrote, you'll need 2 rendernode licenses.

[Jiri.Matys]

Thank you, really help me a lot!

[Jiri.Matys]

I bought NAS and next week I will have a second computer. But I am not sure about one thing: I put all textures, ies, proxy.... to NAS so both computers can find it. And here it is - should I put scene .max files to shared folder too? Or can I leave it on HDD on one computer?

[Ihno]

Hi,
the max files(just the main scene file not xrefs!) dont need to be on the NAS. Both, backburner and distributed rendering will take care of that.
I like to have my max files near ther assets because its easier to find everything later though.

[Jiri.Matys]

Ok, thanks for the fast reply.

So you have scenes with textures and other files on shared drive?

[Ihno]

I save my whole work on our server.
We've a big and nightly backuped network drive where every client get his own folder and we create project folders in that client folder.
Its like: Z:/ClientName/ProjectName/Scenes,Textures,Rendering,Vpost and so on.
Also there is an archive folder for things that I use for several projects like ies and osl files, purchased models, skys and so on.

But you can do that how you like to. Technically you just need to make shure every computer finds all assets.
So if you have Z as NAS drive letter on your workstation, you've got to make shure that its Z on every render node.

[Jiri.Matys]

OK, thanks. Trying to figure out how to do this in the best way so I dont have to change it in the future.

[Jiri.Matys]

I have another problem.

I set up all computers and distributed rendering. Render on main computer withut any problem. Render on second computer only (untick Use local host in DR) without any problem. Render on both computer together not working, show only bucket of main computer. Where is a problem?

I look at licenses and it show Interface licenses: Total 1; Render licenses: Total 1. So can I render on two computers together?

[tashko.zashev]

How many Render node licenses you have (V-Ray Render Node 3.0 )?
One Render node license allows one machine to be used for rendering. In order to render on both machines simultaneously (DR for an example) 2 render node licenses are required.

[Ihno]

I look at licenses and it show Interface licenses: Total 1; Render licenses: Total 1. So can I render on two computers together?

Thats a question for the officials but im afrait you'll need a secound render license. I've got 8 render licenses and 1 ui and well, I can render on 8 computers.
Edit:And the officials where faster