Working with Server Groups
 
 
 

A server group is a named collection of render nodes that is treated, for the most part, as if it were a single node. By default, jobs are submitted by creative applications to the Backburner network as a whole. It is the Backburner Manager that determines the specific render nodes to which they are sent, based on job type and node availability. However, certain Autodesk applications can be configured to submit jobs to a specific server group.

Server groups can be used to implement a job-processing strategy. For example, consider a facility with two Visual Effects and Finishing applications, and a render farm consisting of eight Burn nodes, four of which are GPU-enabled. In such a situation, you might create two server groups, one each for the non-GPU and GPU-enabled Burn nodes. By assigning each Visual Effects and Finishing workstation to a different server group, you can reserve the GPU-enabled Burn nodes for the workstation with higher priority or more demanding jobs.

It should be understood that server groups do not restrict your ability to assign render nodes to particular jobs as you see fit. When a creative application is configured to submit its jobs to a server group, additional nodes can be assigned to it, automatically, or manually, once the job is on the network. Conversely, you can always remove individual nodes from a job, regardless of their relationship to a server group.

Use the following procedures to create or delete a named collection of render nodes, called a server group, and to assign a server group to a job.

NoteTwo kinds of server groups can be created, local groups and global groups. In almost all cases, you will want to create global server groups only. Local groups serve a particular purpose for 3ds Max, under a specific Backburner configuration. The configuration in question has 3ds Max, the Backburner Manager, and the Backburner Monitor all installed and running on the local machine. In this case, a local group is a shortcut to a list of render nodes individually selectable from within the 3ds Max application. In all other cases—and for all other Autodesk applications—create global groups, as described in this section.
NoteFor information on configuring a creative application to submit jobs to a server group, see the User Guide for the application of choice. To configure a Visual Effects and Finishing application to submit its jobs to a server group, set the optional BackburnerManagerGroup keyword in the application's init.cfg file. See the Burn Installation and User Guide. For Smoke for Mac OS X, this can be done in the Smoke Setup UI.

Server Group Customization

Customizing server group behaviour is made possible by way of two key options. First, you can configure a server group to automatically make use of non-group render nodes that are sitting idle. That is, when you have configured the creative application to submit jobs to a named server group, the Backburner Manager will send the job to any available non-group render nodes too. Second, by default, the nodes in a server group are available to all jobs submitted to the Backburner network. You can configure a server group to give priority to the jobs submitted to it specifically. Once configured, when the Backburner Manager receives a job for a server group, non-group jobs are immediately suspended, freeing up the nodes for the “server group” job.

To create a server group:

  1. Right-click All Servers in the server list and choose Global Group from the popup menu.

    If the option is greyed-out, connect to a Backburner Manager, and then try again.

    The Server Group dialog appears.

  2. Configure the behaviour of the group as desired.
    Item Description
    Name The name of the server group as it will appear in the UI.
    Weight

    Adjusts the priority of jobs assigned to the server group.

    Jobs assigned to a high-weight server group are given higher priority than jobs assigned to lower-weight groups. In fact, a job assigned to a high-weight group may be rendered ahead of non-group jobs—even if the non-group jobs have higher priorities at the job level.

    Can Use Idle Non-group Servers Enable to allow the Backburner Manager to temporarily assign idle non-group render nodes to the group.

    Enabling this option increases the rendering power of the group.

    Suspend Non-Current Group Jobs

    Enable to allow the Backburner Manager to suspend the processing of non-group jobs running on group nodes, when a new job is submitted specifically to the group.

    Enabling this option allows a render node group to automatically switch from non-group jobs to new group jobs.

  3. Add render nodes to the group by selecting them in the Available list and clicking Add.

    The render nodes are added to the group.

    TipYou can add render nodes directly from the Server list area by dragging and dropping them onto an already existing group.
  4. Once you are satisfied with your choices, click OK to commit the changes.

    The render node group is added to the Global Groups list.

To assign a server group to a job:

  1. Select the job(s) of interest in the Job list.
  2. In the Server list, right-click the server group and choose Assign Group to Selected Jobs.

    The server group is assigned to the job.

    • If nodes in the group are busy, they complete their currently-assigned jobs before working on the new job to which you have assigned them. Otherwise, they begin working on the new job immediately.
    • If the “Suspend current non-group jobs” option is enabled for the group, all nodes in the Server group drop their current rendering job and begin processing the assigned job immediately.

To shift a server group between two jobs:

  1. Select all jobs in the Job list.
  2. In the Global Groups list, right-click the render node group to be reassigned and choose Remove Group From Selected Jobs.

    Each render node in the group ends its current assignment and becomes available for other jobs. If Suspend current non-group jobs option is enabled for the group, the jobs are dropped immediately.

    NoteServer groups are subject to the same job assignment and completion rules and restrictions as individual render nodes. See Shifting Nodes Between Jobs.
  3. In the Job list, select the job to which you want to assign the group.
  4. In the Server list, right-click the server group and choose Assign Group to Selected Jobs.

    The render node group is assigned to the new job and begins rendering.

    If Can use idle non-group servers is enabled for the group, the Backburner Manager adds nodes to the group temporarily, as they become available from other jobs.

To delete a server group:

  1. In the Global Groups list, right-click the render node group of interest and choose Delete Group.
  2. When prompted to confirm your action, click Yes.

    The group is deleted from the Server list. The render nodes themselves remain untouched, and can be assigned to other groups, as needed.