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Renderfarm.fi gets ready for 2012!

Submitted by prodigal_son on Sat, 2011-12-31 17:05
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We're happy to announce that we have now succesfully turned a page and finished the complete update of our server back-end. It was a rather gruelling task that took nearly two weeks to finish, but it brings us many of the improvements that we talked about with Jesse at this year's Blender Conference presentation:

 

 
 
Nathan explains in detail:
 
For some longer time we've been thinking of upgrading our back-end version of BURP to the latest. For our admins it brings some very important updates and improvements for managing the sessions that are running on the farm. We had scheduled to start the upgrade of the backend on December 20th, Janus had also promised to be available if any big issues would pop up. I had already prepared the development image we use with the latest BURP code and compiling it into a WAR-package was simple enough.
 
Jesse started the process by kicking off a Gentoo system update. Not very long into the update a fatal compile error got our hands all sweaty, as it told us that libc was completely broken. Fortunately a rerun of the update fixed this, but it also made sure that our adrenaline levels climbed high.
 
After initial deployment of the latest WAR-package it became obvious that some fixes on the farm were needed, especially where our frontend communicates with BURP. Fortunately a new XMLRPC API made the changes fairly easy, although on the other hand it was a break away from the old API we had in used (created last year by Olivier Romand). It took quite a while to get all the correct parts tied into each other. To be honest it was harder than initially expected. Jesse and Janus did most of the Apache/Tomcat configuration, while I continued working on the Uploader.
 
Then we ran into some mysterious problems. It turns out that the long type isn't officially supported in XMLRPC, and I had to spend some time on figuring out a working solution. The first quick fix provided by Janus worked, but not in all situations, and there were still places where long was being used.
 
I added some missing XMLRPC API to make sure the Uploader could be updated correctly too (the improvements will be committed to bf-extensions SVN soon). Just today the final few fixes (overlooked accidently yesterday) were made, ensuring that the service is again fully up and running! So, update of BURP included updating: Gentoo, Tomcat, Apache config files, fixing BURP XMLRPC code and the glue between our frontend and BURP.
 
Now that the update is finished and we're back to rendering, we can start focusing our efforts on making the new functionality as accessible as possible. We are planning to do this gradually by first testing their functionality with some actual production cases. Apart from this we'll have to also give consideration to how we will grant the right to use some of the features as they are potentially resource hogs (such as OpenEXR rendering, which can take tens of megabytes of storage per finished frame).
 
Apart from gaining some awesome new features, we can also put more effort into enabling Cycles support on Renderfarm.fi. This is turning out to be the single most requested feature in the farm's history. We hope to run preliminary tests in January, with at least limited support by February. Full implementation, as how we see it, would be a kind of a bucket rendering method which would enable amazing Cycles renders to be done in a completely distributed fashion. Let's cross our fingers the method we're putting our money on will work out!

Finally but not at all least importantly: We wish you all a Happy and Renderful New Year 2012! :-)

The Renderfarm.fi posse for 2011: Julius, Jesse, Nathan, Janus, Eero & Davis 

Help BURP render Big Buck Bunny in 3D, HDR, 60FPS and 4K!

Submitted by prodigal_son on Sun, 2011-08-28 00:09
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Our open source back-end BURP has been in constant development since 2004 when Janus Bager Kristensen (jbk) first conceived the original Big and Ugly Rendering Project. At the time yours truly was still focusing on a totally different field (wireless networks and indoor positioning) and it was only three years later, in 2007, that I thought somebody should set up a volunteer computing service for rendering (I was actually originally inspired reading an article about Star Wreck, but that's another good story I'll save for later:). Starting background research on the topic for what I thought then was an original idea I have to admit I felt a bit disappointed when I found out that it had already been achieved. I soon heartened though and it's now been nearly four years since the first time I called up jbk and we started collaborating.

Since starting up Renderfarm.fi in 2008-2009, I decided that we would focus on making distributed rendering as accessible as possible. Meanwhile Janus, a coder by heart, decided to keep BURP firmly focused on development. In fact to this day, from a technical stand point, BURP represents the cutting edge of what our shared technology can do, while Renderfarm.fi represents a fusion between the technology and usability. While many have asked why we started a second project in the first place instead of collaborating on one, we always felt acting in two separate projects has enabled us to explore the novel concept of open rendering (or publicly distributed rendering as we sometimes call it) much more effectively. It is my belief that this choice has increased our chances of making open rendering into a credible, yet accessible technology for solving the universal dilemma of rendering power.

Finally I get to the cool stuff. I would like to invite everybody to join us in completing the BURP Sunflower challenge and help render Blender Foundation's fantastic 2008 short Big Buck Bunny in no-less than 3D, HDR (High Dynamic Range, something we contributed to the source code), 60FPS and 4K! All you need to do is to create an account on BURP and attach the project through your existing BOINC client (the same you use for Renderfarm.fi, just point it at http://burp.renderfarming.net). Keep in mind that you can keep both project attached at the same time. By joining BURP you will help us test the next-generation technologies that will eventually become accessible right here on Renderfarm.fi and directly from within your installation of Blender. These improvements include, among other things, a much higher memory stamp (64BIT), library and HDR support. Now how cool is that? See you there!

Renderfarm.fi @Assembly 2010 5.-8. of August 2010

Submitted by prodigal_son on Fri, 2010-07-16 12:05
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As Assembly 2010 draws closer I thought It would be appropriate to publish our initial program for our stand. For those wondering what Assembly is about, Wikipedia (in its seemingly infinite wisdom) offers this description of this fine event's history:
 

Assembly2010

The first Assembly was held from July 24th to July 26th 1992, in Kauniainen. It was organized by the Amiga demo groups Complex and Rebels, and the PC demo group Future Crew. The staff grew into a large non-profit group of individuals known as Assembly Organizing. Through the 1990s, Assembly grew so large that even exposition halls no longer sufficed, and only the largest of sports arenas met the partygoers' needs. In 1999 they rented the largest sports arena in the country, Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, with over 5000 visitors and 3500 computers on the ice rink.

 

The Renderfarm.fi / Laurea University of Applied Sciences stand will be entertaining some very interesting guests this year, as during the extended weekend we will actually host both Janus Bager Kristensen (alias jbk, Main Developer for our back-end, BURP) and Kalle Max Hofmann (of Snowblind and Vampyre Princess 3D fame). Apart from this meaning a lot of good development work with BURP guru Kristensen, we're also excited about having a established movie maker like Kalle as our visitor. Well what is he doing there, you may ask? You'll need to stay tuned for more news - we've been slowly working away on some nice stuff that will be announced at the event. Finally, but not certainly not the least we will also be hosted in the ArtTech 2010 seminar held yearly in conjunction with Assembly 2010.
 

 
 

Enough said, see all related info and the full program and a bigger version of the official poster on our Assembly 2010 page!