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  • #2293956

    3D Studio Backburner

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    by albert franco ii ·

    Backburner on a Dual CPU System
    We have installed Backburner 2 (from 3D Studio Max) on a Dual Opteron Machine. The performance is less than expected. One instance with CPU affinity set to both CPUs only uses a maximum of 52% of total CPU availability, while it uses 100% of one CPU when affinity is tied to either one of the two.

    We want to explore using two instances of Backburner. One tied to CPU0 and the other tied to CPU1.

    Has anyone done this? What are the exact steps we need to take to accomplish this?

    Please don’t waste my time saying it can’t be done. I want to know what tricks we must use to trick the software into allowing two servers on the same machine. If you can’t do it, please don’t answer, if you can, then I have 10000 points for you!

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    • #2701813

      Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

      by albert franco ii ·

      In reply to 3D Studio Backburner

    • #2705294

      Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

      by sleepin’dawg ·

      In reply to 3D Studio Backburner

      3D Studio is not totally reliant on CPU usage as it looks to shed load to a graphics processor. If your workstation has one of the more recent 8X AGP’s installed 50-55% CPU usage can not be considered unusual. A lot will also depend if the load is raster or vector. How much memory is installed per CPU is another question that needs answering. I am assuming you are talking Unix or Linux or Solaris or anything but Windows. Using Novell use Idntitity Manager 2 .

      • #2705293

        Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

        by sleepin’dawg ·

        In reply to Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

        I must have been asleep at the switch. I’ve just reread your question and if I understand correctly you wish to have two SERVERS address each CPU indepently on one work station – one server for CPU 0 and one for CPU 1. The norm is workstations to servers. I’ve done the latter but not the former but see no reason why some sort of modification to a server program couldn’t be used on the workstation to manage this although I do find it an unusual idea. There’s really no reason why it can’t be done but since it’s an Opteron box it is not going to be unduly overworked.

      • #2714922

        Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

        by albert franco ii ·

        In reply to Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

    • #2704656

      Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

      by albert franco ii ·

      In reply to 3D Studio Backburner

      Sleepy Dog: In your comment (but not your answer) you have captured the idea. For some reason the backburner can not make full use of 2 processors while it appears to do well with 1. So, we think the trick is finding a way to run 2 instances of backburner, each one tied to a different CPU. If you know someone that has done this I would love to hear how they did it.

      For what it’s worth the box has 4GB RAM (2GB per CPU) and a 4 disk stripped RAID. The grafics adapter is AGP 8X and has a 256bit engine and 512MB DDR333 RAM. It should be a LOT faster. It rips on the benchmarks, but severely disappoints in Backburner.

    • #2715049

      Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

      by paulvs1_ ·

      In reply to 3D Studio Backburner

      If your workstation has one of the more recent 8X AGP’s installed 50-55% CPU usage can not be considered unusual. A lot will also depend if the load is raster or vector. How much memory is installed per CPU is another question that needs answering. I am assuming you are talking Unix or Linux or Solaris or anything but Windows.

      • #2714923

        Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

        by albert franco ii ·

        In reply to Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

        You’re wasting my time. The details that ask for are present in the question and the comments. It is obvious by you response that you have no idea how to correctly answer this question or you don’t know how to read.

        For the future: PLEASE BE PROFESSIONALS AND ONLY ANSWER IF YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM AT HAND!!!

    • #3301973

      Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

      by jaqui ·

      In reply to 3D Studio Backburner

      Backburner, being a network rendering manager, is designed to limit it’s resource consumption through use of the hyperthreading available in the cpus, probably also threads itself.

      this means that unless you go into your windows system controls and set the usage allotment higher, you can’t get more use of the cpus with backburner.
      you should be able to tell windows to allow backburner up to 90% of cpu time with both cpus being allowed. ( system itself needs some time. )

      it is not a fault, it is a feature to not consume all server resources.

      • #3301970

        Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

        by jaqui ·

        In reply to Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

        this would be a means to use more cpu time with only one incedence of the server running.
        which accomplishes the intent, if not the focus of the question.

      • #3188482

        Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

        by albert franco ii ·

        In reply to Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

        Poster rated this answer.

    • #3188481

      Reply To: 3D Studio Backburner

      by albert franco ii ·

      In reply to 3D Studio Backburner

      This question was closed by the author

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