3D Studio Max, Lightwave and Cinema4D making a favourite software for animator all around the world to create time and space in 3D mode that usually we seeing such a thing. in our environment. Processing phase from wire modelling to perform space 3D completely with material, light environment, shadow and so on need such process that we call by rendering. Unfortunetely rendering process need to consume big power computing for accelerator. Building a farm rendering such as clustering server needs a lot of cost and space. My close friend came to me to talk to solution of his problem. A goal is simple, he want to make a machine that fit in his home but not using big space and cost for rendering accelerator. A small site from search engine told and make me such idea to build simple cluster server for his problem.
The first step is to found out server rack for storing CPU unit. Not for along time, we heard a news from telecomunication local company sole an unused rack server. After negotiating, we came back with “COMVERSE” rack complete with server utility :
1. 5 pcs CPU Rack
2. 1 PDU (Power Distribution Unit)
3. 1 KVM (Input selector for mouse & keyboard controlling)
4. 1 Monitor server (LCD 17″)
5. 1 HDD Rack up to 20 pcs SCSI 320
6. 1 Network switch 1000 mbps up to 20 client
Spesifikasi
Mounting modification is needed by CPU Rack for fit with ATX desktop mounting motherboard. Finally we can build 3 from 5 CPU that we used for cluster server with spesification :
ID Name “Neurona”
Intel Dualcore 2160, @3Ghz
Biostar Tforce P35D2
GF 7100
2 x 1GB Team Elite PC 6400
HDD Controller : Adaptec 29160
2 x Seagate SCSI 36Gb 10K RPM
Codegen 450WID Name “Neuronb”
Intel Dualcore 2160, @3Ghz
Biostar Tforce P35D2
GF 7100
2 x 1GB Team Elite PC 6400
HDD Controller : Adaptec 29160
2 x Seagate SCSI 36Gb 10K RPM
Codegen 450WID Name “Neuronc”
Intel Dualcore 2160, @3Ghz
Biostar Tforce P35D2,
GF 7100
2 x 1GB Team Elite PC 6400
HDD Controller : Adaptec 29160
2 x Seagate SCSI 36Gb 10K RPM
Codegen 450W
At side looking, that taller from ordinary man.
PDU (Power Distribution Unit) and DC Power is completely self assembling with 50V 20AH specification voltage.
3 from 5 pcs server rack that ready to begin operation.
KVM monitor for server setting
And for workstation operator to spread job specification :
ID Name “Scythe”
Intel C2D E8400 @3.6Ghz, cooled by T.T BigTyphoon VX
DFI DK P35 T2RS
2×2Gb Team Dark PC8500
Point of View Geforce 9800GTX +
WD 80Gb AAJS (OS), WD GP 500GB, Seagate SATA 320Gb
Silverstone Zeus 650W
2x CRT IBM 17″
Installation and testing.
After third Neuron mobo setup into the rack, we decide to compare performance with 2 different operating system. Windows XP 32 SP2 and Windows Xp SP2 64 bit is most environment experiment rightnow. Windows optimization and local area networking has done with 3th party software such as Wake On Lan, Server monitoring pro, VNC server and Windows XP Manager.
In overclocking practically can made the system hang, freeze or sometimes BSOD. We doing test stability by running Orthos approx 18 hours continues before the system getting ready.
Here is a screenshoot from Scythe workstation with Windows XP Sp2 32bit, look like 8 dot core is working well.
3D Max 9 and Mental Ray plugins is a next step testing and we try to compare those in the different OS environment with FlyOver scene mental ray benchmark test.
Workstation 32Bit + 3 Server 32 Bit
Render 1 Workstation : 00:11:54
Render 1 Workstation + 3 Server : 00:06:48Worksation 32 Bit + 3 Server 64 Bit
Render 1 Workstation : 00:11:54
Render 1 Workstation + 3 Server : 00:05:46
Conclusion
1. With full base Win32 rendering, 4 CPU running together can save time 306 sec or 43% from total time single workstation
2. With mix environment where is Workstation “Sythe” still using 32bit and then all “Neuron” using 64bit environment we can save time until 368 sec or 51% from single workhorse workstation.
3. Performance differential between 2 different OS for 3D Max and Mental ray is more optimize at 64 bit platform at 14.7% or 62 sec more quickly.
Responses to “3D-Max Farm rendering”
Leave a Reply