Microsoft Knowledge Base

• Softimage 3D for IRIX, versions 3.5, 3.51

SUMMARY

Setting Up Distributed Rendering:

1. Add the following entry in the /etc/services file of each machine you want to use in a network render.

      mi-ray   7001/tcp    ray.irix5
   
      This defines a TCP service on each machine, the service number is
      user-defined and has to be the same on all machines (we recommend 7001).
   
   

2. Add a line similar to the following in the /usr/etc/inetd.conf file of each machine you want to use in a network render. It should all be on one line.

      mi-ray   stream   tcp   nowait   nobody
      /usr/softimage/path_to_mental_ray_exec
      /usr/softimage/path_to_mental_ray_exec -server [-threads n]
   
      This line defines how each rendering server responds to a request on the
      mi-ray service. If the machine has multiple processors use the
      -threads n option replacing n with the number of processors. The fifth
      word is the user ID that will execute the command. We recommend you use
      "nobody", but make sure this user is defined in the /etc/passwd file
      with a valid GID. Replace path_to_mental_ray_exec with the correct path
      to the mental ray executable (ray.irix5). This is usually a shell script
      that sets the LM_LICENSE_FILE variable then executes ray.irix5. The most
      common name is ray.irix5.sh. After this file has been modified type the
      following command:
   
      /etc/killall -v -HUP inetd
   
   

3. You must have a .rayhosts file in your home directory that lists all the rendering servers (one hostname per line).

Troubleshooting Network Rendering

• If a machine does not load, enter the -log option (with ray.irix5 command). This creates a log file for each machine called for a network render.

  Example: Modify the SI_MI_TRACER environment variable so that it looks

              like the following:
  
     setenv SI_MI_TRACER '/usr/softimage/mental_ray/bin/ray.irix5 -log on'
  
  

• Messages such as "cannot connect to license server", means that you did not enter the correct FLEXlm server in the ray.irix5.sh script. Messages that refer you to the SYSLOG file or the /usr/etc/inetd.conf file usually indicate that they are misconfigured.
• The message "ray daemon not running on machine" usually means that the TCP service number specified in the /etc/services file is not identical on each machine.
• If a machine will not load for a network render with mental ray, try the following to see if the machine is responding:

  1. If host goldfish won't load enter the following command:

        telnet goldfish mi-ray
  

        The following message appears: Escape character...
  

  2. Press the Enter key. You should see the following:

        ray.irix5 error: read before acc
        Connection closed by foreign host.
  

        If you don't see this, there is a problem with the path for ray.irix5
        in: /usr/etc/inetd.conf file.
  

  3. If this is the case, verify that the path and the location of

        ray.irix5 are correct.
  

REFERENCES

If you have any questions concerning the information contained in this article, contact support@softimage.com by e-mail.