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:
- 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.
- 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.
|
- 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.
- 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:
- Select the job(s) of interest in the
Job list.
- 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:
- Select all jobs in the Job list.
- 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.
- In the Job list, select the job to which
you want to assign the group.
- 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:
- In the Global Groups list, right-click
the render node group of interest and choose Delete Group.
- 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.