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PC renderfarm


Diego
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Hello everyone, is a query for PC users, the problem is that the slave machines remains in "writing image" status and does not pass to the next frame.

I wanted to know if any PC user has experienced something like this and if you have managed to solve.

Windows 7

EIAS 9.1

Thanks

Diego

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Hi Diego,

Are you using PC Master and PC slave? Or Mac Master PC slaves?

I have had a problem for a long time with full PC setup but not Mac Master to PC slaves.

 

There is definitely a problem (bug?) with full PC Rama. I have sent emails regarding this but no result / answer on this.

 

It happens on every project at random times so seems like a bug. Any project does it so it is fairly simple to test for, just have to keep sending files until it happens. 

I have addressed this with Tomas a while back but it seems they don't have a PC setup to test on.

 

To answer your question though, yes I have this problem, no I do not have an answer.

 

Good luck solving and please let me know if you do because I think I have tried everything over the last 12 months.

 

Best.

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Hi Thomo,

In my studio I use Mac as master and PCI as slaves and it works perfect for years.

I am now helping in Hamburg Planetarium and here they have the master and the salves on PCs they are having several problems.

I've convinced them to buy a Mac to use as master, let's see what happens.

Thanks for you help

Diego

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Hi Thomo,

In my studio I use Mac as master and PCI as slaves and it works perfect for years.

I am now helping in Hamburg Planetarium and here they have the master and the salves on PCs they are having several problems.

I've convinced them to buy a Mac to use as master, let's see what happens.

Thanks for you help

Diego

Hi Diego,

Yes I had a Mac as Master and PC as slaves for years as well and all was fine.

I have moved to an all PC setup due to the rising costs of powerful Macs and I use a lot of other software that does not run on Macs and I'm not going to boot in and out of bootcamp every time I want to use a PC only based application it's just not feasible for my work.

 

Besides all that I was told EIAS worked on PC just as well as it does on Mac. It is plain that that is not the case and that PC users are at a huge disadvantage using EIAS compared to mac users.

I've had this rant on other forums but it annoys me that software developers are busy addressing new features for new releases when clearly they have not fixed all the problems with the current release and have no intention of doing so.

 

So what would be a good work flow to use my PC for my EIAS work and then "pass" off the project to a simple, base level Mac as Rama master rendering?

Would I do this as a rama "file" or have to open the whole project on the Mac each time?

I'd even be prepared to buy another licence from EIAS for a simple solution. I don't have a Mac anymore but I would get one if this was feasible.

 

Any suggestions (or future fixes) much appreciated.

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Hi

 

Well this is interesting as I have never had a rama problem with a PC master and that is even using mac and pc as slaves. 

 

I've had 2 previous set ups with Mac masters - one worked after trying a couple of things and one didn't, but thinking about it, I may have forgotten to try out the previous fix as I just jumped straight onto using a pc master again as it was the faster machine.

 

The fix that worked for Mac master to Pc slave - create static ip adresses for the machines, give it a try.  This may even fix Pc master problems....let me know how it goes.

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Yep, using 9.1 and all has been fine since v8.

 

By the way mate, I'm not sure you have realised - this is Al, I did some modelling for you over in Siem Reap a few years back.....how's it going these days?

 

I'm the same as you, I can't justify the price tag for the powerful macs anymore!  It's a surprise to me you're getting problems with PC rama, as I had it down as a more solid way around than with a mac master!

 

Let's try to get to the bottom of it......are you on windows 7?

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Years ago all my computers were mac, I started to need more render speed then a friend lent me a PC with an i7 and I was surprised how fast it renders, then I realized it was much cheaper, fast and stable to render with Pc's, even many of the problems I had with my mac renderfarm disappeared on PC. I currently work creating scene with Mac computers and render with 10 x i7 PCs, I use a Mac Nehalem as Renderama machine.

All I know is that EIAS developers are doing wonders with the program now with 64 bits has much more capacity, speed and quality remains unsurpassed, that's the reason because the Hamburg planetarium development team have chosen EIAS 9.1 for their full dome projects which are rendered in 60 fps and 8k.

Thanks

Diego

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Some other things to check through in case you havent - turn off windows firewall and make sure your internet security is not blocking the programs.  I use Norton and all works fine.

 

Try just a master machine to one slave using an ethernet cable, if this works it may be your router/hub.  I found a switch box worked better than a router.

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Yep, using 9.1 and all has been fine since v8.

 

By the way mate, I'm not sure you have realised - this is Al, I did some modelling for you over in Siem Reap a few years back.....how's it going these days?

 

I'm the same as you, I can't justify the price tag for the powerful macs anymore!  It's a surprise to me you're getting problems with PC rama, as I had it down as a more solid way around than with a mac master!

 

Let's try to get to the bottom of it......are you on windows 7?

Hi Al, No I didn't realise it was you! That was a great coincidence back then that we met in Siem Reap of all places and both using EIAS, great to hear you are still doing so.

All is good at my end, I'm based mostly in Thailand now with the Australian business as well. What about you?

 

It is very encouraging you are not having the Rama problems on PC, I'd pretty much put it down to PC.

I have tried everything that has been suggested before but I think I will start "problem solving" from what you say.

New switch, re-install, fixed IPs and see if I can nail the problem down. I'll keep you posted.

 

Yes I am on Win7 Ultimate, what's your setup?

I am also having problems with new GeForce Cards and HDRI maps, another post here as well.

 

Thanks for getting in touch.

 

Best,

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi

 

Well this is interesting as I have never had a rama problem with a PC master and that is even using mac and pc as slaves. 

I've had 2 previous set ups with Mac masters - one worked after trying a couple of things and one didn't, but thinking about it, I may have forgotten to try out the previous fix as I just jumped straight onto using a pc master again as it was the faster machine.

The fix that worked for Mac master to Pc slave - create static ip adresses for the machines, give it a try.  This may even fix Pc master problems....let me know how it goes.

 

I am still getting Rama problems. I'm aware of the "re-set" trick but my problem is definitely a bug. Generally Rama works well, the problem I have seems to happen if Rama has been sitting open for a while or after several jobs being sent to it. Basically the Rama master gives no indication that it is doing anything, the slaves "hang" on sending the rendered strip back. If I then close and re-open Master is shows some of the strips have been rendered. A re-start of master and slaves and all is ok.

So this is not a huge issue in terms of actually have Rama working, the issue is that I have to be at the computer to restart Rama. I was doing a lot of Amazon rendering having setup a render farm on there. It works really well but Rama has this problem and ends up spending the night in a state of limbo until it is re-set
 
 

[/indent]

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All I know is that EIAS developers are doing wonders with the program now with 64 bits has much more capacity, speed and quality remains unsurpassed, that's the reason because the Hamburg planetarium development team have chosen EIAS 9.1 for their full dome projects which are rendered in 60 fps and 8k.

 

I agree the EIAS team are doing wonders Diego.

Please take my comments in the light they are intended, as constructive criticism.

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A couple more explanations of what happens that may help.

 

1- It seems that Rama Master drops communication with slaves (even running on the same machine) after a period of time sitting idle.

    Sending a job to Master at this point produces no result and no activity on slaves or master.

 

2- After several render jobs consecutively  Rama master drops communication with the slaves during rendering. This causes the slaves to "hang" on sending the last frame or strip back to the master.

    Master shows at first that it is sending files then sits displaying as though nothing has been rendered. Closing master and re-opening shows that it has rendered some frames / strips and then stopped. So master renders some of the file but does not display that it has, until it is closed and re-opened.

 

This seems to be the 2 most common problems with PC to PC Rama. It does not happen on Mac to PC or Mac to Mac. PC to Mac I cannot test anymore so I don't know.

 

As said before, a restart of master and slaves and all is back to normal. Until the next time it happens.

 

I hope that helps at least explain the problem.

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Is anybody taking note here?

Rama does not work on PC!!!

 

Is this just going to be left out and totally ignored?

 

Please test it and see for yourself.

 

Can't sell it if it ain't working, surely!

 

Somebody at least respond please.

 

Sincerely.

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Hi Thomo, for an error or bug can be corrected must be sent to developers an example in which this problem occurs. For PC Renderama error is especially difficult to reproduce because you have to define the machine from which you are sending Renderama and slave machines, operating systems, versions, the kínd of projec you are trying to render ETC. Meester-Smeeth has a PC configuration that has not had any problems. I've been to Hamburg with the Planetarium Team and had different problems like you Renderama crashes and endless writing frames status were immediately resolved as soon as we put a Mac machine for Renderama master. I still have not been able to define under what specific conditions Renderama fails on PC. If you want your problem fixed, please, have to be very specific to send programmers the conditions under which the error occurs, so they can reproduce this problem and find a solution. Programmers are the first who want to provide users with good solutions.

Thanks

Diego

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Hi Diego,

I am aware what has to be provided in order for a bug to be resolved.

Meester Smith has the same problem. In my previous post I quoted him from a private email conversation we had.

 

I have explained the problem directly to EIAS before this thread in another thread.

 

The problem is reproduced by continually sending projects, any projects, via Rama PC to PC.

 

I honestly don't know how it is possible to deliver that information any more clearly.

 

My frustration lies in the point that this issue does not even prompt a response form EIAS as to whether it is being addressed or not.

I can only assume the lack of response indicates it is not.

 

Thanks

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Hi Tomas!

1 year ago this issue was raised and then it was "later" also.That was before you started with your "complex issue(s)".

Rama is separate.

It doesn't work correctly. It is in fact almost useless as the product it states to be. Sorry but this is true.

 

I have no doubt these are difficult problems to solve. You solved it for Mac. Solve it for PC please. Complex issues aside it must be solved first as part of the package.

What I truly cannot fathom is that you have sold an incomplete product and have no qualms. On top of that you continue to do so.

 

Truly, tell me when you are going to fix it.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi to Everyone.

This problem with PC Rama has been around for too long.

I understand that Tomas and the team are now ready to solve this issue.

Thanks Tomas.

Please describe your concerns and errors until we find the bug!

 

Please!

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Thomo,

Now is the moment to solve this issue about the endless "writing status" on PC master and PC render farm.

I had this problem a few months ago working in Hamburg Planetarium. Now in my studio I have not been able to reproduce the same problem, I have a render farm with 10 x i7 PCs under Win7.

I did two days of testing on PC Rama, I used up to six renders queued and interrupted them and activate them back, using heavy projects that I already knew had given me errors in Hamburg but I have not managed to reproduce the problem of endless "writing status" I had in Hamburg.

It looks like this problem only occurs under certain conditions and depending on the network operating system and processor you use, in my case with i7 and Win7 this problem does not manifest.

Please can you do some tests and see if in your renderfarm there are some conditions to isolate the problem?

As I said before now is the perfect time for developers to solve this problem but we need to tell them specifically under what conditions the problem occurs.

Thanks

Diego

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