Could not connect to host, target machine refused...

[tricky]

Yet more DR problems!

Workstation is Windows 7 x64. i7 2700k + 16GB RAM
3 x Slaves are XP64, i7 2600k + 16GB Ram

All running Max 2009 x64 with 'vray_adv_22002_max2009_x64'.

I'm having problems where if I send a DR job, the slaves are giving the following error:-

warning: Could not connect to host 192.168.0.151: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it

(IP of course is different for each slave)

This is driving me f-ing mad!

UAC turned off the workstation. Firewalls turned off everything. Tried running spawner manually rather than as a service but no luck. The thing is, it seems to work for a while, but then suddenly fails and I can't seem to get them going again. Where should I be looking?

[Morne]

have you tried restarting your file server? Once in a bluemoon windows doesnt release previous connections and then you get max connections maxing out. Saw a patch for this somewhere on Microsoft's site over December. Can't remember if it was for server os or just xp.

[tricky]

Will give it a go. This seems so random. Any idea how to find how many CALs are in use (or how many we even have on our server)?

[Morne]

Go to Server Management Console and there you can see how many CALs are showing under Licensing.

or
administrative tools > license manager

[timmatron]

Tricky did you ever find a solution for this? I just switched to a new workstation and now trying to use my old workstation for DR and am getting the same error. Got it working briefly the other day and thought it would be fine from then on but the problem is back. I'm using Windows 7 on both systems. DR used to work perfectly going the opposite way.

[joelly3d]

I had the same issue. Notes from ChaosGroup Read as follows:

First, make sure that the all of the nodes participating in the DR are accessing the V-ray license server.
To end this go to:
Start > All programs > Chaos Group > V-Ray ..> Licensing > Administration > Change V-Ray client license settings
and as a primary license server type the IP address of the machine having the dongle
You can check the licenses by typing
http://ServerIP:30304/getstatus
where ServerIP is the IP address of the above mentioned computer.
if everything is OK with the licenses launch the DRspawner on every render server.

If you still experience the same problem please send us:
-vraylog file from the render client (the computer from which the rendering is started)
-vraylog and VRSpawner from the render servers that are participating in the DR
(those file could be found in %Temp%)

-----

Upon checking DRspawner log. I noticed it was calling max 2011, even though the spawner was 2013.
0: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:19] ========================== Starting new session ==========================
1: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] Got this module name: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\vrayspawner2011.exe
2: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] Got this INI file name: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\VRaySpawner.ini
3: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] *** ALERT! Could not open INI file: "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\VRaySpawner.ini". Using defaults.
4: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] --
5: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] Dumping current settings...
6: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] VRaySpawner temp dir: "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\network"
7: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] Application name (MAX/VIZ): "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\3dsmax.exe"
8: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] --
9: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] Process id is 3584 (0xe00)
10: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:20] Executing ""C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\3dsmax.exe" -server C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2011\network\vraydummy2011.max"
11: [2011/Jun/30|09:41:32] ========================== Ending session ==========================


Now to look into how to correct it. Any ideas?

[vlado]

Have you checked if Windows firewall or some other firewall/antivirus program might be blocking the connection?

Best regards,
Vlado

[joelly3d]

Yes, even with both machines firewalls off entirely it fails, says connection refused. It looks more like the 2013 spawner is calling 2011 which is no longer installed, and it fails. Not sure how, probably a bad registry key. I am troublshooting this today. Will report back.

[vlado]

Hm, if you open the Services applet in the Control Panel, is it possible that the spawner for 2011 is set to start automatically, rather than 2013?

Best regards,
Vlado

[joelly3d]

Found the problem, don't know how to fix it.

0: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] ========================== Starting new session ==========================
1: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] Got this module name: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2013\vrayspawner2013.exe
2: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] Got this INI file name: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2013\VRaySpawner.ini
3: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] *** ALERT! Could not open INI file: "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2013\VRaySpawner.ini". Using defaults.
4: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] --
5: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] Dumping current settings...
6: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] VRaySpawner temp dir: "C:\Users\DBRYAN~1.POW\AppData\Local\Temp"
7: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] Application name (MAX/VIZ): "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2013\3dsmax.exe"
8: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] --
9: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] Process id is 7768 (0x1e5
10: [2012/Jun/29|14:26:13] Executing ""C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2013\3dsmax.exe" -server C:\Users\DBRYAN~1.POW\AppData\Local\Temp\vraydummy 2013.max "

It should be referencing this location: "C:\Users\dbryan.POWERCREATIVE\AppData\Local\T emp" but windows (or something) is referencing the wrong path.

Trying to find where to switch DBRYAN~1.POW with dbryan.POWERCREATIVE in the registry relative to this command.

[vlado]

Go to the Services applet, right-click on the V-Ray spawner service, and change the user name under which the service runs.

Best regards,
Vlado

[joelly3d]

PROBLEM SOLVED: Here's what the deal was....

Apparently there was some whack registry keys. I think this is because of our network setting and how it creates user folders. The problem stems from windows firewall. Even with firewall off, the machine was refusing my connection (impossible!). I manually went in and allowed incoming and outgoing exceptions in advanced firewall settings for port 20204. I do not remotely understand why this would be blocked, even if firewall is off, but manually allowing these corrects the problem.

Long story short: Create an incoming and outgoing firewall exception for port 20204 even if you do not use a firewall.

Thanks for replying Vlado, you gave me good hunting ground.
-Joel

[snivlem]

PROBLEM SOLVED: Here's what the deal was....

Apparently there was some whack registry keys. I think this is because of our network setting and how it creates user folders. The problem stems from windows firewall. Even with firewall off, the machine was refusing my connection (impossible!). I manually went in and allowed incoming and outgoing exceptions in advanced firewall settings for port 20204. I do not remotely understand why this would be blocked, even if firewall is off, but manually allowing these corrects the problem.

Long story short: Create an incoming and outgoing firewall exception for port 20204 even if you do not use a firewall.

Thanks for replying Vlado, you gave me good hunting ground.
-Joel

On the slave or the machine with the licence? I'm having the same issue it seems.

[Zdravko]

You need to allow exceptions in the firewall on both machines.

[fourthand11]

I am having the same type of problem where it looks like the render is being sent to my slave computer but it errors and tells me it is actively being denied, also listing the render as completed in the error box. Then resends and fails over and over again.

I would like to try what you did. Where did you get that port number? Is that the same for every computer?

PROBLEM SOLVED: Here's what the deal was....

Apparently there was some whack registry keys. I think this is because of our network setting and how it creates user folders. The problem stems from windows firewall. Even with firewall off, the machine was refusing my connection (impossible!). I manually went in and allowed incoming and outgoing exceptions in advanced firewall settings for port 20204. I do not remotely understand why this would be blocked, even if firewall is off, but manually allowing these corrects the problem.

Long story short: Create an incoming and outgoing firewall exception for port 20204 even if you do not use a firewall.

Thanks for replying Vlado, you gave me good hunting ground.
-Joel