[ WORK IN PROGRESS ] [ BETA release v0.5 ]
https://github.com/oomer/bellarenderfarm documents the installation steps to get a Deadline renderfarm working. After writing this I felt that this hours long process could be streamlined to a few minutes.
oomerfarm wrangles the deployment of the Deadline renderfarm "stack" down to around 20 minutes and overlays a virtual private network to simplify network scaling. This infrastructure is primarily aimed at the lone artist.
A renderfarm takes a workload, distributes it over a network and provides:
- freedom to continue working on your computer by dispatching cpu intensive workloads to the "farm"
- a GUI to track job submissions, success, progress and failures.
- Perform post-render operations like convert frames to video or merge co-operative renders.
- The network topology of the included VPN, allows working from home or the coffee shop.
- The same topology avoids lock-in to any particular cloud computer vendor allowing you to shop for the best hourly rates.
- A renderfarm is complicated and oomerfarm doesn't make it simpler but it does wraps up this complexity by boiling it down to 4 bash scripts
- Computer A => MacOS or Windows or Linux computer
- Computer B => a Linux server on 24/7:
- Doesn't render, just runs file server and dispatches jobs
- [RECOMMENDED] run a a cheap $20/year server like these
- OR run on a mini pc at home and port forward [42042] on your router
- Computer C-Z => cpu or gpu heavy Linux machines:
- [RECOMMENDED] rent hourly computers like these
- OR Add your own computers
Each bash script
-
run becomesecure.sh on Computer A to begin the rollout of your VPN
-
run bootstraphub.sh on Computer B
- Alma/Rocky 8.x Linux
- this becomes your centralized Deadline renderfarm hub with:
- file server to save scenes and textures
- render queue database
- virtual private network
-
run bridgeoomerfarm.sh on Computer B to connect to the hub
- a personal desktop/laptop, to connect to your private oomerfarm. Install Deadline client software https://awsthinkbox.com to get a GUI ti submit jobs.
-
Rent cloud computers and run bootstrapworker.sh on each to get the renderfarm churning. Here is a timelapse at 2x speed, spinning up 3 Google instances. In real time it took 5 minutes per instances.
These 3 steps create a working renderfarm but not When you are ready for a permanent oomerfarm, run becomesecure.sh on your desktop/laptop to create bespoke private keys to secure your castle.
- So there you go: 4 bash scripts, all starting with the letter b to empower your personal renderfarm.
- becomesecure.sh
- bootstraphub.sh
- bootstrapworker.sh
- bridgeoomerfarm.sh
Guide for a test drive renderfarm