win7x64/max2011 DR nightmare

[KiboOst]

ok, thanks, I will ad this rules on every machine.
Thanks to make my day Vlado !!!

[KiboOst]

I also need to deactivate ipv6 protocol to get it working ! Seems Za free block ipv6, and maybe, when protocol is active (even not used), vrayspawner check on ipv6 before ipv4, and then don't find it !

[vlado]

Ok; none of our code uses IPv6 explicitly, but one never knows what happens under the hood...

Best regards,
Vlado

[KiboOst]

Still not working at all, really a pain to find the cause. Will work harder on this problem and post a solution when I have one :/ Doesn't seems only related to ZA.

[KiboOst]

No Idea, we´re running exact the same system and it works like a charm...

regards,
Ingo

Do you have install the 2011 max hotfix ? I have not, 13.0 from DVD.

I also same behavior without ZA on any machine. Really hard to debug !!!

[KiboOst]

0.0.0.0 is just a system IP address that always means "this machine". We do use it in a few places (it is how a listening port is open on the render servers to wait for DR requests).

Best regards,
Vlado

Do you use any other IP ?
All my machines are 192.168.0.xxx and 192.168.0.0-255, 0.0.0.0, 127.0.0.1 are fully authorized in ZA

[vlado]

I don't think so; but other than that, the port numbers that we use for DR are 20204 and 20205.

Best regards,
Vlado

[KiboOst]

Ok, still there with my problems and got some time, so I really need to make it working.

win7 x64, max2011x64, vray 1.5sp5 for all machines. Everyone with shared paths and plugins folders, on a 2008r2 domain.

It is definitely NOT a firewall problem (have run a full battle of test without any firewall anywhere)
What I get now :
connected to host
server xxxx: scene loaded:starting render
server xxx:starting frame0

here, everyone render the prepass.
And once prepass done, here goes the problem :
sending 840004bytes of irradiance map to xx
sending 840004bytes of irradiance map to xy
sending 840004bytes of irradiance map to xz
sending 840004bytes of irradiance map to xx
sending 840004bytes of irradiance map to xx
sending 840004bytes of irradiance map to xx

=> only ONE node receive entire irradiance map ! other nodes take time to come back, and finnally renders, but there buckets are black, without GI
if I don't us xx to render, same thing happens with another spawner taking entire ir map, but not the others.

When rendering in ir map bucket mode, of course all works fine ...

Any idea ?

[bob-cat]

Couple of things:

- make sure spawner nodes are loged into as administrator.
- If you are sending this off to DR through backburner, try it without.
- try saving a IR map and try rendering with the loaded saved map.
- try a fresh scene with a teapot.
- try brute force only.
- is there any other versions of max on the machines - see my thread in the sticky above.

[KiboOst]

Couple of things:

- make sure spawner nodes are loged into as administrator.
- If you are sending this off to DR through backburner, try it without.
- try saving a IR map and try rendering with the loaded saved map.
- try a fresh scene with a teapot.
- try brute force only.
- is there any other versions of max on the machines - see my thread in the sticky above.

- Since when spawner need admin rights ? It is in production user session, with needed rights to access everything it need. Just like it has allways been with all previous version of vray.
Will try anyway, could be a trail
- Nope, we did with previous vray version with success, but even didn't tried as dr alone doesn't work (all machines works great through BB anyway on normal jobs)
- will try that, should works
- My test scene actually is a sphere+greeble, with vray glass material to slow render, and gi. no maps at all
- brute force works as there is no sending of gi map
- no other version of max or vray, all machines are fresh install win7/max/vray only (renderers). max and vray as renderer license (max not authorized then, in demo mode)

Thanks for your help. We did have use of counting a lot on DR, and can't using it anymore is really a pain.

[bob-cat]

Windows 7 has a slightly different way of handling login accounts. Even if you think you are logging in as adminstrator you do not have full control over the computer.
I'd be interested in knowing what your "User account control setting" are.
In the control panel's "seach bar" type uac, and select the "change the User Account Control settings".
It would be a good idea to set this at "never" on the dr nodes and see if this has any effect.

Cheers

[KiboOst]

Windows 7 has a slightly different way of handling login accounts. Even if you think you are logging in as adminstrator you do not have full control over the computer.
I'd be interested in knowing what your "User account control setting" are.
In the control panel's "seach bar" type uac, and select the "change the User Account Control settings".
It would be a good idea to set this at "never" on the dr nodes and see if this has any effect.

Cheers

Yes this is how I've installed every machine, uac at never level for admin and users. It is also set via gpo on the servers to be sure it never change.

[bob-cat]

Ok heres another joy I had setting up Windows 7, which may be affecting it:

Had to manually assign an ip to every win7 computer, I guess you already have it setup this way?

[KiboOst]

Yes, I've allways been on fixed IP. I've check dns servers, all is good. I have anyway no dhcp server nowhere on the entire network. nslookup on clients are ok.
I've also recently disable LLMNR via gpo, to see if it change something, have to test.

Strange is, a few days ago, I tested smartsniff to sniff ip traffic on the network, between client and server. And when I use smartsniff, all machines receive the ir map !!! I shutdown smartsniff, and only one machine receive it again. So maybe smartsniff keep tcp port open or on a more stable way than spawners, dunno.

[bob-cat]

Ok, how are you typing your DR servers into the setting of Vray, ip or computer name?
I have typed there actual ip address as there name, don't know whether that makes any difference.
And I guess your selecting Resolve adresses?