Apple Qmaster 3 and Compressor 3 Distributed Processing Setup
K Apple Inc. Copyright © 2007 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement. The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of Final Cut Studio software may reproduce this publication for the purpose of learning to use such software. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this publication or for providing paid for support services.
1 Contents Preface 5 5 6 9 9 9 11 12 Introduction to Distributed Processing Using Distributed Processing to Increase Speed and Efficiency Basic Components of the Apple Qmaster Distributed Processing System QuickClusters Compressor AutoClusters How the Apple Qmaster System Distributes Batches About the Distributed Processing Setup Guide Apple Websites Chapter 1 15 15 Getting Started Quickly Quick and Easy Distributed Processing Chapter 2 21 21 23 25 27 29 Preparing a Network for Distributed Process
Chapter 4 41 42 42 50 53 54 58 59 59 60 61 65 Creating and Administering Clusters An Overview of Configuring a Cluster Configuring Service Nodes and Cluster Controllers Creating Clusters with Apple Qadministrator About QuickClusters Advanced Settings in the Apple Qmaster Preferences Pane Modifying and Deleting Clusters With Apple Qadministrator Monitoring Cluster Activity Accessing Activity Logs Setting Cluster Preferences Setting Passwords and Scratch Storage Recovery and Failure Notification Features
Preface Introduction to Distributed Processing Rendering a series of large files on one desktop computer is processing intensive and time consuming. You can increase speed and productivity by distributing processing across multiple computers. High-volume processing is sometimes addressed by carefully managing multiple computers; technicians set up batches of processing tasks for each computer, and then monitor their progress, collect and route the processed files, and start over again with new batches.
Computers that submit batches to the Apple Qmaster distributed processing system are called clients. A job is a processing task such as a Compressor preset-source pair, or a Shake file, or other file or commands, that use UNIX commands to specify settings such as rendering instructions and file locations and destinations. Network Batch of processing jobs Client computer Jobs are submitted. Processed files Apple Qmaster cluster Processing is performed by cluster.
 Apple Qmaster cluster, which contains:  Service nodes: The computers that perform the processing of batches submitted via Compressor or Apple Qmaster. A batch can include one or more jobs.  Cluster controller: The software, enabled on a computer by means of the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences, that divides up batches, determines which service nodes to send work to, and generally tracks and directs the processes.
Clusters When a client sends batches to the Apple Qmaster distributed processing system, all the processing and subsequent moving of any output files is performed by a group of Apple Qmaster–configured computers called a cluster. You can create one or more clusters of service nodes, with one cluster controller included in each cluster. Each computer in the cluster is connected to the other computers in the cluster through a network connection.
Cluster Controllers The cluster controller software acts as the manager of a cluster. The cluster controller directs the distribution of batches within the cluster. It has the ability to determine the best use of the cluster resources based on work and availability variables. (See “How the Apple Qmaster System Distributes Batches,” next, for more details.
Batches can be distributed to a cluster by the cluster controller in one or both of the following ways. (Apple Qmaster determines which way is the most efficient for specific batches, depending on the circumstances.) Â The batch is subdivided into data segments: For example, for a render batch, the cluster controller could divide the frames into groups (segments). Each segment would be processed in parallel on the service nodes in the cluster.
About the Distributed Processing Setup Guide The background information that introduces most of the basic concepts and terms related to using the Apple Qmaster distributed processing system is contained in this preface: “Introduction to Distributed Processing.” Â Chapter 1, “Getting Started Quickly,” on page 15, gets you going with a few very simple steps.
Apple Websites There are a variety of Apple websites that you can visit to find additional information. Apple Qmaster, Compressor, and Shake Websites To access the Apple Qmaster support page, go to: Â http://www.apple.com/support/appleqmaster To access the Compressor website, go to: Â http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/compressor.html To access the Compressor support page, go to: Â http://www.apple.com/support/compressor To access the Compressor discussion page, go to: Â http://discussions.info.apple.
For information about seminars, events, and third-party tools used in web publishing, design and print, music and audio, desktop movies, digital imaging, and the media arts go to: Â http://www.apple.com/pro For resources, stories, and information about projects developed by users in education using Apple software, including Compressor, go to: Â http://www.apple.com/education Go to the Apple Store to buy software, hardware, and accessories direct from Apple.
1 Getting Started Quickly 1 The Apple Qmaster distributed processing system has default settings that allow you to use distributed processing immediately. Whether you are using the distributed processing system for Compressor or Apple Qmaster, you can get up and running quickly with the following steps. Note: The Compressor distributed processing feature for Dolby Digital Professional (AC-3) and Final Cut Pro is limited to computers that have Final Cut Studio installed.
However, in most standard distributed processing networks, you will need to install Apple Qmaster software on every computer in the network. You can use the standalone Apple Qmaster Node Installer to install the Apple Qmaster software on additional computers on your network. a Locate the folder containing the Apple Qmaster software: Â If you are using Compressor, insert the Final Cut Studio installation disc and locate the “Apple Qmaster Node Installer” package (AppleQmasterNode.mpkg).
Additional Installation Tips m In order to use the Apple Qmaster distributed processing system to process Dolby Digital Professional audio, each node (computer) in your distributed processing network must have Final Cut Studio installed. m Shake users can create distributed processing clusters containing computers that do not have any Apple Qmaster software installed. See the Apple Qmaster User Manual for more information.
3 If the pane is locked, unlock it by clicking the padlock in the lower-left corner to enter the administrator name and password. 4 Click Start Sharing. This creates a QuickCluster with this computer as its controller, and an instance of processing services for each processor on the computer. Step 3: Add service nodes to the cluster On each computer that you would like to make a service node on your cluster, do the following: 1 Open System Preferences.
Step 5: Submit the batch 1 Depending on whether you are using Compressor or Apple Qmaster, do one of the following: a In the Compressor Batch window, click Submit, and in the resulting dialog, do one of the following: Â Use the Cluster pop-up menu to choose the cluster you created in Step 2. Â Leave the Cluster menu set to the default This Computer setting, and click the “Include unmanaged services on other computers” checkbox.
For more advanced information on creating and controlling clusters and services see any of the following: Â “Basic Components of the Apple Qmaster Distributed Processing System” on page 6 Â “Sample Setup for Part-Time Processing on Desktop Computers” on page 27 Â “The Interfaces in the Apple Qmaster Distributed ProcessingSystem” on page 31 Â “Apple Qmaster Pane in System Preferences” on page 33 Â “Apple Qadministrator” on page 35 Â “An Overview of Configuring a Cluster” on page 42 Â “Configuring Service Nod
2 Preparing a Network for Distributed Processing 2 A distributed processing network can consist of as few as one or two computers, while a high-volume network may include many computers, an Xserve and Xserve cluster nodes in a rack, and high-speed networking infrastructures. You can scale up a distributed processing system as your workload demands by adding features and devices to the network that supports it.
Example of a Minimal Distributed Processing Network A very small distributed processing setup could include as few as two computers:  One computer connected to the client and configured to act as both the service node and the cluster controller  One client computer Minimum setup for distributed processing Client Service node with cluster controller enabled Though simple, this setup is useful in a small-scale environment because it allows the client computer to off-load a lot of processing work.
Using Compressor AutoClusters The AutoCluster feature in Compressor gives you an easy way to take advantage of the distributed processing capabilities offered by Apple Qmaster without requiring a lot of knowledge about how clusters are configured, setting up file sharing, and so on.
If you select Yes in this pane, the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences will be configured as follows:  Share this computer as: Services only  Compressor service: Selected, unmanaged  Start Sharing: Started You can change any of these settings at a later time in the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences. For more information, see “Apple Qmaster Pane in System Preferences” on page 33 and Chapter 4, “Creating and Administering Clusters,” on page 41.
Other Possible Components of a Distributed Processing Network There are many ways to expand the capacity of a distributed processing network. You could include any of the following: Â High-speed switch and cables: A 100BaseT or Gigabit Ethernet switch and compatible cables to allow your data to move over the LAN at maximum speed. Â Multiple clients: Multiple client computers can use the services of the same cluster.
Example of an Expanded Distributed Processing Network For rendering, a network might include a number of client computers on a LAN, connected to a cluster using a high-speed switch. A rack of servers plus a shared storage device, acting as the cluster, would be an extremely strong rendering engine. The service nodes would each have a local copy of the relevant client application software so that they could process the rendering jobs.
Sample Setup for Part-Time Processing on Desktop Computers This section takes you through the basic steps involved in a sample setup for “part-time” distributed processing. You can use it to get an idea of the kind of distributed processing environment you want to create, and as a guide in setting up that environment. This setup is for an environment that uses desktop computers.
The steps that follow describe how to configure this desktop distributed processing environment. Before you get started, keep these essentials in mind: Â The cluster computers (cluster controller and service nodes) and the client computers (user workstations) need to be on the same local network (subnet). Â All the computers in the setup need Read and Write access to any volumes that will be specified as the source location or output destination for files, including Shake scripts.
Additional Steps For Part-Time Distributed Processing With Shake The following additional steps may be necessary for Shake users who cannot consolidate all of the necessary source files (Shake scripts, media files, etc.) on a single cluster storage volume. Step 1: Turn off the UNC (Universal Naming Convention) setting for Shake To make sharing and volume mounting work smoothly in this setup, you need to turn off the Shake UNC setting on each computer.
On each computer, you need to: Â Enter another computer’s name in the Connect to Server dialog. Â Choose the associated media volume (FireWire drive) as the volume you want to mount. Do this until all the computers are mounting all the media volumes in the cluster. Submitting Processing Jobs in the Sample Part-Time Distributed Processing Setup After you finish the final step above, each one of these computers can be used to submit jobs for distributed processing.
3 The Interfaces 3 Instead of one individual interface, the Apple Qmaster distributed processing system includes up to four different applications and utilities for configuring, monitoring, and managing services. This chapter introduces the following elements of the Apple Qmaster distributed processing system: Â The Interfaces in the Apple Qmaster Distributed Processing System (p. 31) Â Apple Qmaster Pane in System Preferences (p. 33) Â Apple Qadministrator (p.
In general, you use the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences to configure service nodes and cluster controllers, and to create simple clusters. System administrators use Apple Qadministrator for advanced cluster creation and control. Next, client users use Compressor or Apple Qmaster to submit batches of jobs for processing. Then, the Batch Monitor can be used by both administrators and client users to monitor batches.
Apple Qmaster Pane in System Preferences Use the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences to activate, create, or make changes to Apple Qmaster cluster-controlling and processing services (including passwords and scratch storage locations).
To open the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences: 1 Open System Preferences. 2 Click the Apple Qmaster button, located in the Other section. The Apple Qmaster pane appears.
Apple Qadministrator Use the Apple Qadministrator application to create and modify Apple Qmaster clusters. Apple Qadministrator can be used on any computer that is on the same network as the cluster you want to administer. With the administrative password (if one was created), you can also use Apple Qadministrator to see and modify existing clusters on the network. Use Apple Qadministrator to assemble clusters: Drag available service nodes to assign them to a cluster.
To open Apple Qadministrator: m Double-click the Apple Qadministrator icon in the Applications folder. The Apple Qadministrator window appears. If a password was created for the currently selected cluster, you will not be able to see or modify the cluster until you click the Lock button and then enter the password in the dialog that appears.
Client Interfaces: Compressor and Apple Qmaster Client computer users use either Compressor, or the interface called Apple Qmaster, to submit batches for processing.
Using Compressor Use the Cluster pop-up menu in the Compressor Batch window to choose a cluster for any given batch. For more information on submitting batches with Compressor, see the Compressor User Manual. To open Compressor: m Double-click the Compressor icon in the Applications folder. The Compressor default window layout appears. Using Apple Qmaster  For Shake processing batches, you can drag Shake files into the Apple Qmaster window.
To open Apple Qmaster: m Double-click the Apple Qmaster icon in the Applications folder. The Apple Qmaster window appears. Batch Monitor As an administrator, you can use the Batch Monitor to track the progress of all the batch activity for all the clusters on your network. You can see how close to completion each job is, along with other details, and you can stop, resume, or delete batches as well. If you are a client user, you can use the Batch Monitor to view and manage your own batches.
To open the Batch Monitor, do one of the following: m Use the Batch Monitor that automatically opens after you submit a batch with Compressor or Apple Qmaster. m Double-click the Batch Monitor icon in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder. m Click the Batch Monitor button in the Apple Qmaster window or in the Compressor batch window. m In Apple Qadministrator, choose Cluster > Show Batch Monitor. The Batch Monitor appears.
4 Creating and Administering Clusters 4 Once your network is set up and you have installed the necessary components, you are ready to create distributed processing clusters. As the administrator of your distributed processing network, you can set a number of cluster options and security controls. You may also want to know about failure notification and recovery features. This chapter covers the following: Â An Overview of Configuring a Cluster (p.
An Overview of Configuring a Cluster Assuming Apple Qmaster software is installed on all the computers that you plan to use as part of the cluster, there are three basic steps involved in configuring a cluster. Note: If you are an Apple Qmaster user and you want to create a cluster that includes computers that do not have Apple Qmaster installed, see the Apple Qmaster User Manual for instructions.
Configuring Service Node Processing Use the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences or Apple Qadministrator to set processing services on a computer. To turn on processing services: 1 Open the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences. 2 Optionally, you can configure a number of settings before you turn on the processing services. (See “Options in the Apple Qmaster Pane in System Preferences” on page 45.
Service Node Status Indicator in the Menu Bar By default, once a service node is enabled, an Apple Qmaster icon appears in the computer’s menu bar. The icon now changes color based on the service node’s current status:  Gray = Idle  Green = Processing  Red = Connection failure Click the icon to reveal additional information, including the service node’s IP address, port number, and capture status, as well as a link to the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences.
Options in the Apple Qmaster Pane in System Preferences You can configure any of the following settings before you turn on processing services. (In order for you to change any of the following settings, processing services must be turned off.) Setting the Name By default, a computer is identified on the network by its computer name (as it is entered in the Sharing pane in System Preferences).
Managed Vs. Unmanaged Services You have flexibility in how you build clusters for distributed processing with Compressor or Apple Qmaster. When you turn on processing services (See “Turning Cluster Controller Services On or Off” on page 48), you can choose to make them either managed services or unmanaged services (the default). Managed Services Managed services can be assigned to serve one particular cluster controller.
Enabling Unmanaged Services on QuickClusters Follow these steps to enable unmanaged services on QuickClusters. 1 Open the Apple Qmaster pane of System Preferences. 2 Select the “QuickCluster with services” button to create a QuickCluster. 3 Click “Include unmanaged services.” 4 Click Start Sharing. For more information on creating QuickClusters, see “Getting Started Quickly” on page 15 and “About QuickClusters” on page 53.
To turn off processing services 1 In the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences, click Stop Sharing. 2 In the dialog that appears, enter the number of minutes you want processing services to continue before shutting down, then click OK. The default is 0 minutes, but you can enter a different number in the field. If you enter any number greater than 0, a countdown appears next to the Cancel button.
To turn off cluster controller services: 1 Open the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences. 2 Click Stop Sharing. 3 In the dialog that appears, enter the number of minutes you want controller services to continue before shutting down, then click OK. The default is 0 minutes, but you can enter a different number in the field. If you enter any number greater than 0, a countdown appears next to the Cancel button.
To change the number of instances of processing services on a computer: 1 Open the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences. 2 Select the Compressor or Rendering service in the Services section. 3 Click the “Options for selected service...” button. 4 In the dialog that appears, choose the number of instances from the pop-up menu. Choose the number of instances from the pop-up menu. 5 Click OK. 6 In the Services section, select the Share checkbox for the service.
Step 1: Create a new cluster 1 Open Apple Qadministrator, and then do the following: a Click the Add ( + ) button. b Select Untitled Cluster and rename it. (The cluster name you create will also appear in the cluster pop-up menus in the Batch Monitor and Apple Qmaster.) Click the Add button, then rename the Untitled Cluster. 2 From the Controller pop-up menu, choose a cluster controller from those available on the network. Use this pop-up menu to choose a cluster controller.
Step 2: Assign service nodes to the cluster 1 If the Qmaster Service Browser is not already displayed, click the disclosure triangle to see it. Click this disclosure triangle to see available nodes. 2 Add service nodes to the new cluster by dragging them from the Qmaster Service Browser list at the bottom of the window, up to the cluster’s service nodes list.
About QuickClusters QuickClusters offer a simple and automated way to create and configure clusters, and an alternative to creating and configuring clusters manually with Apple Qadministrator. QuickClusters with enabled unmanaged support will auto-configure themselves and use any available unmanaged services on the same local network (subnet). QuickClusters listen for unmanaged service advertisements and may mark or remember any of them for later use.
Note: With an active QuickCluster, Apple Qmaster users can create extended node clusters, which contain one or more computers that do not have Apple Qmaster installed. See the Apple Qmaster User Manual for more information. About AutoClusters The AutoCluster feature in Compressor gives you an easy way to take advantage of the distributed processing capabilities offered by Apple Qmaster without requiring a lot of knowledge about how clusters are configured, setting up file sharing, and so on.
Advanced Service Settings Use these features to schedule service restarts and service availability. Restart all services every 24 hours The “Restart all services every 24 hours” checkbox ensures a robust distributed processing system. Refreshing the services periodically prevents increased virtual memory sizes and memory leaks in third-party software.
Note: You must enter valid days and times. The time cannot overlap into the next day in one entry. There must be two entries when the range ends after 12 A.M. For example, to set the schedule availability from 6 P.M. on Sunday to 8 A.M. on Monday, enter the following two entries: Â Sunday ON BETWEEN 06:00 P.M. and 12:00 A.M. Â Monday ON BETWEEN 12:00 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. Shared Cluster Storage Use these features to configure scratch storage for this computer’s cluster controller.
Use Network Interface Restrict distributed processing activity to a particular network interface card by choosing it from this pop-up menu. If you do this on a service node computer, use a different computer to submit Compressor jobs and batches. Enable Port Range With Apple Qmaster 3, you can define which ports Apple Qmaster uses for service advertisements with the Enable Port Range checkbox and text fields in the Network section of the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences.
Modifying and Deleting Clusters With Apple Qadministrator Using Apple Qadministrator, you can change and delete clusters. Once a cluster is configured, you can use Apple Qadministrator to deactivate and reactivate the processing services on a computer in the cluster, to add a service node to the cluster, or to remove a service node from the cluster. Note: Unless Apple Qadministrator and the QuickCluster are on the same computer, QuickClusters are not visible in Apple Qadministrator.
3 Click Apply Now. Note: To turn off the service node or cluster controlling services on any computer within a cluster, see “Configuring Service Node Processing” on page 43 and “Turning Cluster Controller Services On or Off” on page 48. To change a cluster’s name in Apple Qadministrator: 1 In the Cluster list, double-click the cluster name. 2 Type a new name, then press Return. 3 Click Apply Changes. To delete a cluster in Apple Qadministrator: 1 In the Cluster list, select the cluster you want to delete.
Setting Cluster Preferences You can use Apple Qadministrator Preferences to configure several aspects of Apple Qadministrator. To set cluster preferences: 1 Open Apple Qadministrator. 2 In the Cluster list, select the cluster for which you want to set preferences. 3 Click Preferences. Click Preferences to display the Preferences pane. 4 Set any of the following preferences: Queue  Maximum number of jobs in the queue: Enter the maximum number of batches that can be queued up at one time for this cluster.
Setting Passwords and Scratch Storage You can create several different types of passwords for the Apple Qmaster distributed processing system. All these passwords are optional; you can use the system without creating them. Â Cluster administrator password: A password required for modifying a cluster in Apple Qadministrator, and for modifying the status of the cluster’s batches in the Batch Monitor. See “Setting Cluster Administrator and User Passwords,” next.
Setting a Service Password for Including a Computer in a Cluster If you want to control who is able to include a specific service node or cluster controller in a cluster, you can create a password called a service password for the computer. Note: A service password can be stored in a user’s keychain. To set a service password: 1 On the computer designated as the service node or cluster controller, open the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences.
3 Click Advanced to open the Advanced pane. Click Set to open a dialog for choosing a new storage folder. 4 Click the Set button next to the Cluster Storage field. 5 Navigate to the folder in the dialog, select it, and then click Choose. Note: If you are using the default This Computer setting in the Cluster pop-up menu in the Compressor Batch window, and you choose Cluster Storage as the destination, the output file will be copied to the Source location.
Adjusting Cluster Storage Settings Follow the steps below to change scratch storage settings for a cluster. To change cluster storage settings: 1 On the cluster controller, open the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences. 2 If any Apple Qmaster services are enabled on this computer, click Stop Sharing to temporarily turn them off. Note: Do not attempt to change the cluster storage settings while the cluster is turned on. 3 Click Advanced to open the Advanced pane.
Cleaning Up Cluster Storage If you are using cluster storage, and an error occurs, partial files may be left on the designated cluster storage location. Check the designated cluster storage location to make sure no partial media files are left there. If you find partial media files, delete them and submit the job again. Cluster Storage and QuickTime Reference Movies Strictly speaking, only actual QuickTime movies (not QuickTime reference movies) are supported for distributed processing.
If a batch fails When the service is running, but one batch fails to process, a service exception occurs. When this happens, the cluster controller resubmits the batch immediately. It resubmits the batch a maximum of two times. If the job fails on the third submission, the distributed processing system stops resubmitting the job. In the Batch Monitor, the job is moved to the History table, where the status column indicates that a failure occurred.
Command-Line Usage A Appendix A If you are accustomed to doing your work from Terminal shells, and need or prefer to run the distributed processing system from the command line with minimal use of application interfaces, this appendix is for you. The appendix includes the following topics: Â Installing Apple Qmaster from the Command Line (p. 67) Â Shell Commands for Configuring Service Nodes and Cluster Controllers (p. 68) Â Shell Commands for Submitting Compressor Jobs (p.
4 Optionally, do one of the following to start the Apple Qmaster processes:  Enter this command: sudo SystemStarter start Qmaster  Restart the remote computer. 5 Repeat these steps for each computer in your distributed processing network. You can also install Apple Qmaster using Apple Remote Desktop. Just select a node, click Install Package, and select the standalone installer package (AppleQmasterNode.mpkg). The copy and installation process is done automatically.
Command options This table provides information about each of the enabling and disabling service-node and cluster-controlling services on a computer. Preference command option Description [-cluster] Turns cluster-controlling services on or off. [timeout min] [servername name] [quickcluster on | off ] [unmanagedservices on | off ] [unmanagedmulticapturethreshold sec] [networkinterface allinterfaces | ] [-service Rendering] Turns UNIX Rendering services on or off.
Example of -batchfilepath: Compressor -clustername "This Computer" -batchfilepath "/Volumes/Hermione /SavedCompressorBatches/FreeChampagne.compressor" Once the job is submitted successfully, this command displays the batch ID (identifier) and job ID (identifier) in the shell, and you can monitor the progress of a batch in the Batch Monitor. Command options This table provides information about each of the command options for submitting jobs.
Example of Compressor Command XML The code below is an example of XML code for submitting a Compressor command. Notice that because it needs to be entered as one command line, every character after -options that isn’t alphanumeric must be preceded with a backslash (\). ./Compressor -clusterid tcp://127.0.0.1:51737 -batchname myBatch -jobpath /Volumes/Source/ShortClips/NTSC24p.mov -settingpath /Users/stomper10 /Library/Application\ Support/Compressor/PhotoJPEG.
Command options This table provides information about each of the command options for submitting jobs. 72 Submission command option Description [-clustername ] Use to specify the name of the cluster to which you want to send the job. Using the cluster name, Apple Qmaster looks for the cluster on the network in order to use it. [-batchname ] Use to specify a name for the batch so that you can easily recognize it in the Batch Monitor.
Example of Shake Command XML The code below is an example of XML code for submitting a Shake command. Notice that because it needs to be entered as one command line, every character after -options that isn’t alphanumeric must be preceded with a backslash (\). /Applications/Apple\ Qmaster.app/Contents/MacOS/Apple\ Qmaster -clustername elvis -command "Shake" -options \
Command options This table provides information about each of the command options for monitoring batches. Monitoring command option [-clustername ] Use to specify the name of the cluster to which the job was sent. [-password ] User password for the cluster specified by ID or name. [-clusterid ] Optionally, you can use -clusterid to enter the cluster ID and port number instead of using -clustername.
Using Scripts to Run Apple Qmaster, Compressor, and Batch Monitor To simplify your use of the command line, you can add command-line-friendly scripts to /usr/bin. Each script sets an ENV variable for location, then executes the binary. Using the following scripts would be useful if you frequently use the command line for submissions or automated submissions. You do not need to specify the full path and you can add frequently used ENV variables and options to speed up the submission process.
Batch Monitor Script Example #!/bin/csh -f # # set env var, BATCHMONITOR_LOCATION if not set # if ${?BATCHMONITOR_LOCATION} == 0 then pushd `dirname $0` >& /dev/null setenv BATCHMONITOR_LOCATION "/Applications/Utilities/Batch Monitor.
Troubleshooting B Appendix B If you are having trouble with your Apple Qmaster distributed processing system, look here for answers to your questions. The appendix includes the following topics: Â Exporting from Final Cut Pro and Distributed Processing (p. 77) Â QuickTime Reference Movies (p. 80) Â Cluster Settings for Extended Transcoding Sessions (p. 80) Â Cleaning Up Cluster Storage (p. 80) Â Using Apple Qmaster 2 with an NFS Server (p. 80) Â Apple Qmaster Distributed Processing and Xsan (p.
To export a Final Cut Pro sequence directly to Compressor for distributed processing: 1 Make sure Final Cut Pro is installed on each computer in the cluster that you intend to use for distributed processing. Each installation of Final Cut Pro requires a product serial number. For information about volume licenses, go to http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio.
10 Choose the intended cluster from the Cluster pop-up menu in the lower-left corner of the Batch window. 11 Click Submit. To export a Final Cut Pro sequence as a QuickTime reference movie and submit it to Compressor for distributed processing: 1 Make sure all of the source media files and render files for your Final Cut Pro project are on a hard disk that can be shared (mounted) by all the computers in the cluster that will process the job.
QuickTime Reference Movies Strictly speaking, only actual QuickTime movies (not QuickTime reference movies) are supported for distributed processing. If you submit a reference movie for distributed processing, make sure media files specified in the reference movie are available to each node of the Apple Qmaster cluster. In other words, put the media on the shared (cluster storage) volume.
Restart Apple Qmaster and Xsan computers in the following order: 1 Turn off the cluster controller by clicking Stop Sharing in the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences. 2 Restart the Apple Qmaster cluster controller computer. 3 Wait for the Xsan volume to mount on the desktop. 4 Click Start Sharing in the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences to restart the controller. Xsan Compatibility Xsan 1.
A activity logs 66 administrator email address 60 administrator mode, Batch Monitor 40 administrator password Apple Qadministrator 35 cluster administrator 51, 61 Apple Qadministrator creating clusters 50–52 deleting clusters 58, 59 failure notification 66 modifying clusters 58–59 monitoring cluster activity 59 notification emails to 66 opening 36 overview 35–36 passwords 35 QuickClusters 58 setting cluster preferences 60 setting passwords 61–62 Apple Qmaster alternatives to 68 failure notification 66 insta
batches listed in 60 cluster status information 60 command line options 73 log files 66 opening 40 overview 39–40 tracking batch activity 39–40 user mode 40 Batch Monitor command 73–74 C cables, high-speed 25 clients batches and 8 as cluster controllers 22 described 6 multiple 7, 25 overview 7 passwords 61 as service nodes 22 subnet 7 cluster administrator password 51, 61 cluster controllers changing 58 choosing 51 clients as 22 configuring 42–50 configuring with shell commands 68–69 described 7 distributi
E email notification 60, 66 F failure notification 60, 66 files log 66 Maya 38 sharing 29 temporary 62–63, 64 H history, batch 60 History table 60 I installing Compressor/Apple Qmaster 28 J jobs command line options 69 jobs. See batch jobs L lock icon 52 log files 66 M mail server 60 managed services 46 manual, about 11 Maya batches 38 media storage volumes 29 N networks. See Apple Qmaster networks P passwords 61–62 administrator.
creating 43 described 7 dual processors 49–50 enabling/disabling 68–69 illustrated 7 inaccessible 8 multiple 25 overloaded 8 overview 8 passwords 62 processing services 47–48 processing stops unexpectedly 65 turning off processing services 48 turning on processing services 43, 48 Service Options dialog 50 service passwords 61, 62 Services pane 48 Shake installing distributed processing 29 media file locations 30 script locations 30 source files 28 startup .
