Management and scheduling of a distributed rendering method and system

• US 7,062,527 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tyrrell, III, D'Arcy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Strange, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US09/609,045
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/223, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A computerized method for rendering images includes receiving a render job having at least one render frame and an associated job profile and inserting the render job into a job queue. The method also includes advancing the render job in the job queue as other render jobs are removed from the job queue, distributing the render frames via a communications medium to at least one of the plurality of render servers based at least in part on the job profile, and rendering the render frames. The method also includes forwarding the rendered render frames to a network storage system.

Claims

1. A computerized method for rendering images, comprising:

for each of a plurality of render hosts associated with respective render servers coupled to a network, collecting system information associated with the render host;

broadcasting a search message across the network to locate a database application operable to maintain a database comprising system information associated with each of the plurality of render hosts;

receiving from the database application a response to the broadcast search message;

for each of the plurality of render hosts, transferring the system information to the database application via the network;

receiving a rendering job having at least one render frame and an associated profile, the rendering job being associated with a motion sequence of graphic images;

distributing the render frames via a communications medium to at least one of the plurality of render servers based at least in part on a comparison of the job profile to the system information stored on the database; and

rendering the render frames by the at least one of the plurality of render servers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

communicating changes in the system information associated with each render host to the database application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the changes in the system information associated with each render host include changes in the availability status of one or more render slots associated with the render server associated with the render host.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically checking the status of the database application; and

locating a new database application if the database application has a particular status.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

communicating changes in the system information associated with each render host from the associated render server to the database application; and

wherein the changes in the system information associated with each render host include changes in the availability status of render slots associated with the render server associated with the render host.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast search message is a UDP broadcast message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the return message is a UDP P-to-P message.

8. A system for managing a distributed rendering system, comprising:

a first application located on a particular one of a plurality of hosts coupled to a network, wherein the first application is operable to;

collect system information associated with the particular host;

broadcasting a search message across the network to locate a database application operable to maintain a database comprising system information associated with each of the plurality of hosts;

receive from the database application a response to the broadcast search message; and

transfer the system information associated with the particular host to the database application via the network;

wherein the system information comprises availability status of one or more render slots associated with the particular host.

9. A system for managing a distributed rendering system, comprising:

a first application located on a particular one of a plurality of hosts coupled to a network, wherein the first application is operable to;

collect system information associated with the particular host;

broadcasting a search message across the network to locate a database application operable to maintain a database comprising system information associated with each of the plurality of hosts;

receive from the database application a response to the broadcast search message;

transfer the system information associated with the particular host to the database application via the network;

a render server stored on respective ones of the plurality of hosts.

10. A method of managing information, comprising:

providing a first application located on a particular one of a plurality of hosts, the first application collecting system information associated with the particular host;

broadcasting a search message across the network to locate a database application operable to maintain a database comprising system information associated with each of the plurality of render hosts;

receiving from the database application a response to the broadcast search message;

transferring the system information associated with the particular host from the first application to the database application via the network;

communicating changes in the system information associated with the particular host from the first application to the database application via a communications medium;

wherein the changes in the system information associated with each render host include changes in the availability status of one or more render slots associated with the first application.

11. A method of managing information, comprising:

providing a first application located on a particular one of a plurality of hosts, the first application collecting system information associated with the particular host;

broadcasting a search message across the network to locate a database application operable to maintain a database comprising system information associated with each of the plurality of render hosts;

receiving from the database application a response to the broadcast search message;

transferring the system information associated with the particular host from the first application to the database application via the network;

periodically checking the status of the database application; and

locating a new database application if the database application has a particular status.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating changes in the system information associated with each render host from the first application to the database application via a communications medium; and

wherein the changes in the system information associated with each render host include changes in the availability status of render slots associated with the first application.

13. A method of managing information, comprising:

providing a first application located on a particular one of a plurality of hosts, the first application collecting system information associated with the particular host;

broadcasting a search message across the network to locate a database application operable to maintain a database comprising system information associated with each of the plurality of render hosts;

receiving from the database application a response to the broadcast search message;

transferring the system information associated with the particular host from the first application to the database application via the network;

wherein the first application is a render server operable to render a rendering job.

14. A method of managing information, comprising:

providing a first application located on a particular one of a plurality of hosts, the first application collecting system information associated with the particular host;

broadcasting a search message across the network to locate a database application operable to maintain a database comprising system information associated with each of the plurality of render hosts;

receiving from the database application a response to the broadcast search message;

transferring the system information associated with the particular host from the first application to the database application via the network;

wherein each of the plurality of host stores a render server operable to render a render job.