Return-Path: Received: from mail-la0-f41.google.com ([209.85.215.41] verified) by media-motion.tv (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2.10) with ESMTP-TLS id 4897201 for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:38:28 +0100 Received: by mail-la0-f41.google.com with SMTP id p5so4550834lag.28 for ; Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:41:42 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=Ot6h+Hm0+oZN4tYKUxmIEJRry3ffCgy7gpdqG7KQxJo=; b=Kn0+lWZOEv7JT1NHo5h3OyUZ2o+9+H0lx4qOOEqO5SQ9r4mW6yK3lkpAkoS/w0VUk4 OJ1JtDTsP/YaudRCKSUxHcoZP1FnOpzJJYkao32zkFn++vJzzptyKdUrg9aUowf0sF6D vKIxHMO15pfCQ0PY8dW6LlmZdZDN0zPBs3MMGJ5r8f9B8+navI/BzD4ne35tsFxqRio6 dwlcc3vP9NuoEsgEDD36aP0fVWeZsvaOlq6+Oe2WlrF/8MAStNoZI78mRtf4F8pjO0U9 GzC3iihQgmVWHpRcIz3S4NJMoanigz69WJX6XvmYNyJPA0jyrXhTf9XGrlyNcps/J/qd KIQQ== MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.152.106.237 with SMTP id gx13mr19073888lab.46.1352752901760; Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:41:41 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.112.44.67 with HTTP; Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:41:41 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.112.44.67 with HTTP; Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:41:41 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:41:41 -0500 Message-ID: Subject: Re: [AE] Semi OT: Yet another mac mini render farm thread From: Teddy Gage To: After Effects Mail List Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=f46d040716132da4cf04ce52549c --f46d040716132da4cf04ce52549c Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I really don't remember. This was about five years ago and we were trying to network together ten Mac pros plus SCSI ram modules and a hugely expensive and unstable RAID. Probably not the best example and I bet its a ton easier these days. However, there's probably a reason you don't hear about this setup more often. It's certainly a lot more expensive per core than an equivalent PC setup would be. On Nov 12, 2012 3:20 PM, "Tony Romain" wrote: > I think where I'm at is trying to figure out what the main limiting facto= r > is here versus building something from the ground up, piece by piece > (probably PC based for cost). > > Do you have a sense of specifically what the networking issues were? For > cinema rendering, my understanding is that once the net render files have > been distributed amongst the nodes, their really isn't a ton of network > traffic, except for the rendered frames being copied back over to the > server. However, I may be wrong on this=85 I don't know a ton of what go= es > on under the hood of these farms=85 > > Have been exchanging emails with the owner of this company: > > http://h-sq.com/products/minirack/index.html > > to see if he's heard any anecdotal info from any of his clients. He > hand't heard anything specific other than describing one server set-up he= 'd > heard of that utilized 160 mac minis for some type of test automation (no= t > sure what that is), but they were all being taxed 100% of the time and > seemed to run fine=85 > > > -- > *tony romain* *|* *principal/creative director* > > *trance* > *motion graphic animation and design* > 323 651 1114 > www.trancedesigns.com > > From: Teddy Gage > Reply-To: AE list > Date: Monday, November 12, 2012 12:05 PM > To: AE list > Subject: Re: [AE] Semi OT: Yet another mac mini render farm thread > > My main concern would be the networking back end. Unless you have an > applescript wizard on hand you may run into some problems, even with a > networked rendering package like deadline. We tried to do something like > this at a place I was working a few years ago and it was rage-inducing. T= he > frustrating thing was "it should have worked" but it just didn't. There > were always problems. maybe if you installed win 7 pro in bootcamp on all > of them. but I guess that would defeat the purpose. Things have probably > come along since then however > --f46d040716132da4cf04ce52549c Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I really don't remember. This was about five years ago a= nd we were trying to network together ten Mac pros plus SCSI ram modules an= d a hugely expensive and unstable RAID. Probably not the best example and I= bet its a ton easier these days. However, there's probably a reason yo= u don't hear about this setup more often. It's certainly a lot more= expensive per core than an equivalent PC setup would be.

On Nov 12, 2012 3:20 PM, "Tony Romain"= <tonyr-aelist@tranced= esigns.com> wrote:
I think where I'm at is trying to figure out what= the main limiting factor is here versus building something from the ground= up, piece by piece (probably PC based for cost).

Do you have a sense of specifically what the networking= issues were? =A0For cinema rendering, my understanding is that once the ne= t render files have been distributed amongst the nodes, their really isn= 9;t a ton of network traffic, except for the rendered frames being copied b= ack over to the server. =A0However, I may be wrong on this=85 I don't k= now a ton of what goes on under the hood of these farms=85

Have been exchanging emails with the owner of this comp= any:


to see if he's heard any anecdotal info from any of= his clients. =A0He hand't heard anything specific other than describin= g one server set-up he'd heard of that utilized 160 mac minis for some = type of test automation (not sure what that is), but they were all being ta= xed 100% of the time and seemed to run fine=85



From: Teddy Gage <teddygage@gmail.com>
= Reply-To: AE list <AE-List@media-motion.tv>
Date: Monday, November 12, 2012 12= :05 PM
To: AE list <AE-List@media-motion.= tv>
Subject: Re: [AE] Semi OT: Yet ano= ther mac mini render farm thread

My main concern would be the networking = back end. Unless you have an applescript wizard on hand you may run into so= me problems, even with a networked rendering package like deadline. We trie= d to do something like this at a place I was working a few years ago and it= was rage-inducing. The frustrating thing was "it should have worked&q= uot; but it just didn't. There were always problems. maybe if you insta= lled win 7 pro in bootcamp on all of them. but I guess that would defeat th= e purpose. Things have probably come along since then however
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