Return-Path: Received: from mail-vc0-f181.google.com ([209.85.220.181] verified) by media-motion.tv (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2.10) with ESMTP-TLS id 4897254 for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:10:57 +0100 Received: by mail-vc0-f181.google.com with SMTP id n11so7141533vch.26 for ; Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:14:09 -0800 (PST) X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=google.com; s=20120113; h=from:mime-version:content-type:subject:date:in-reply-to:to :references:message-id:x-mailer:x-gm-message-state; bh=3H77wZpdfUW43r/VHV41yBYLeFwoZClR/jCVCa4Vo68=; b=EgaEUn9+/TPdUKm7bFphS8XkSbuQ4uAC6NVvj34oQEOxLkuKdGhvCP5+uBOdNcY1RD CBPdEgSWAWSa0c8Yy/+njQhmPHN+dGPN+A5cP7rPJVaxQ5Ny40x2v5m6WXx+/MiHQlYu 05Kn03r0xzNZE2LT+NDthZDn/XD3ZwVWaAX4NBpNMozBnhaPvf7yNU5Q58nDZFuVaOG6 CPsJtTDIrfHACcNtNW/1IEPj9SAEe5zkQJkt2gvKy+BpICTBFw+zc0eCTlkuGLSAPVT2 W6Yp/ne8MxqYwacv9RtWqm7oHgfGwhBnWMhtCb1dlngf6BHc+vlbvKL1+iYbu2LMlf60 BAIg== Received: by 10.58.67.199 with SMTP id p7mr22981705vet.40.1352754849719; Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:14:09 -0800 (PST) Return-Path: Received: from [10.0.0.137] ([65.223.58.66]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id a10sm7533755vez.10.2012.11.12.13.14.04 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=OTHER); Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:14:08 -0800 (PST) From: Phil Spitler Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1283) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_80B83AE1-F14C-4471-8294-DEBB3D103EE7" Subject: Re: [AE] Semi OT: Yet another mac mini render farm thread Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:14:03 -0800 In-Reply-To: To: "After Effects Mail List" References: Message-Id: <3289EA1D-C9BE-4565-9C7C-1415EEAB5E99@bonfirelabs.com> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1283) X-Gm-Message-State: ALoCoQkO8HWTqbMlyzFLY/u5sFGu5lXPxER98liRkiFju/D6O3ec8sPDiae3ntSgqXgmB8VUXBRz --Apple-Mail=_80B83AE1-F14C-4471-8294-DEBB3D103EE7 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 We used Smedge as our render manager and it works great with Maya, C4d, = Houdini and AE. We currently have 12 nodes running 24/7 and after hours all our = workstations become available too, this works really great for us. We were also thinking next time we want to add some nodes we would try = the Mac Mini. Phil Phil Spitler | Creative Technologist | Bonfire Labs | t : = 415.394.8200 m : 415.571.3139 Website | Facebook | LinkedIn On Nov 12, 2012, at 1:10 PM, rendernyc wrote: > could always pick one up and test it for 30 days. if its not up to = snuff you can return it >=20 >=20 > On Mon, Nov 12, 2012 at 4:02 PM, Nathan Shipley = wrote: > > for a mac based render manager check = http://www.braverabbit.de/playground/?page_id=3D716 >=20 > I've used Pipeline earlier this year for Maya renders at a Mac shop. = Works nicely. Takes away most of my concerns about the actual render = management part of things. >=20 > > 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. >=20 > True. If I went this way, I'd mainly be thinking about something = simple and on the smaller end that I could set up here in my studio and = expand if needed. Frequently I could use a few more machines cranking = on a 3D render. For heavy rendering jobs, I usually just use Render = Rocket (cloud rendering) and work that into the budget. But there are = enough times that it would be helpful to have some extra juice that I'd = consider spending $2 - $3,000 for some more machines here. The plusses = versus a PC setup being that everything else I have is already OSX, = they're small, they're quiet, low power consumption, they'd network = together easily. >=20 > Enticingly, the Geekbench score recorded for the late 2012 i7 Mini = (11,656) is almost as good as the 2010 2.4 GHz 8-core Mac Pro I'm using = (14,158 as my workstation). By that metric, adding three Mac Minis to = my setup would be like having more than two additional Mac Pros to = render with for about $2500. >=20 > One of my main concerns would be about reliability if they're pegged = at 100% CPU usage for extended periods of time without some additional = cooling/ventilation... >=20 > - Nathan >=20 > On Mon, Nov 12, 2012 at 2:41 PM, Teddy Gage = wrote: > 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. >=20 > 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 = factor is here versus building something from the ground up, piece by = piece (probably PC based for cost). >=20 > 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 goes on under the hood of these farms=85 >=20 > Have been exchanging emails with the owner of this company: >=20 > http://h-sq.com/products/minirack/index.html >=20 > 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 (not sure what that is), but they were all being taxed 100% = of the time and seemed to run fine=85 >=20 >=20 > -- > tony romain | principal/creative director >=20 > trance > motion graphic animation and design > 323 651 1114 > www.trancedesigns.com >=20 > 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 >=20 > 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. = The 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 >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 > --=20 > danny princz >=20 > exposedideas.com --Apple-Mail=_80B83AE1-F14C-4471-8294-DEBB3D103EE7 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 We = used Smedge as our render manager and it works great with Maya, C4d, = Houdini and AE.

We currently have 12 nodes running = 24/7 and after hours all our workstations become available too, this = works really great for us.

We were also = thinking next time we want to add some nodes we would try the Mac = Mini.

Phil


signature1 Phil = Spitler  |  Creative Technologist   |  Bonfire Labs  |  t : 415.394.8200  m : = 415.571.3139

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn

On Nov 12, 2012, at 1:10 PM, rendernyc wrote:

could = always pick one up and test it for 30 days. if its not up to snuff you = can return it


On Mon, Nov 12, 2012 at 4:02 PM, Nathan Shipley = <nshipley@gmail.com> wrote:
> = for a mac based render manager check http://www.braverabbit.de/playground/?page_id=3D716<= div>
I've used Pipeline earlier this year for Maya = renders at a Mac shop.  Works nicely.  Takes away most of my = concerns about the actual render management part of = things.

> =  = 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.
=
= True.  If I went this way, I'd mainly be thinking about something = simple and on the smaller end that I could set up here in my studio and = expand if needed.  Frequently I could use a few more machines = cranking on a 3D render.  For heavy rendering jobs, I usually just = use Render Rocket (cloud rendering) and work that into the budget. =  But there are enough times that it would be helpful to have some = extra juice that I'd consider spending $2 - $3,000 for some more = machines here.  The plusses versus a PC setup being that everything = else I have is already OSX, they're small, they're quiet, low power = consumption, they'd network together easily.
=
Enticingly, the Geekbench score recorded for the late 2012 = i7 Mini (11,656) is = almost as good as the 2010 2.4 GHz 8-core Mac Pro I'm using = (14,158 as my workstation).  By that metric, adding three = Mac Minis to my setup would be like having more than two additional Mac = Pros to render with for about $2500.
=
= One of my main concerns would be about reliability if they're pegged at = 100% CPU usage for extended periods of time without some additional = cooling/ventilation...
=
= - Nathan

On = Mon, Nov 12, 2012 at 2:41 PM, Teddy Gage <teddygage@gmail.com> wrote:

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" <tonyr-aelist@trancedesigns.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?  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 goes on under the hood of = these farms=85

Have been exchanging emails with the owner of this = company:


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 (not 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

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 = 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. The 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




--
danny = princz

exposedideas.com

= --Apple-Mail=_80B83AE1-F14C-4471-8294-DEBB3D103EE7--