oomerfarm: Simple bash scripts to deploy a personal renderfarm

[ WORK IN PROGRESS ] [ BETA release v0.6 ]

oomerfarm deploys a Deadline renderfarm in about 20 minutes including a VPN to make networking secure for a lone artist.

Renderfarm benefits

A renderfarm takes a workload, distributes it over a network and provides:

1. freedom to continue working on your computer by dispatching cpu intensive workloads to the "farm"
2. a GUI to track job submissions, success, progress and failures.
3. Perform post-render operations like convert frames to video or merge co-operative renders.

oomerfarm benefits

• The network topology of the included VPN, allows working from home or the coffee shop.
• The same topology avoids lock-in to any particular cloud computer vendor allowing you to shop for the best hourly rates.
• A renderfarm is complicated and oomerfarm doesn't make it simpler but it does wraps up this complexity by boiling it down to 4 bash scripts

---

Required Equipment

• Computer A => MacOS or Windows
• Computer B => a Linux 24/7 server:
  • Doesn't render, just runs file server and dispatches jobs
  • [RECOMMENDED] run a a cheap $5/mth server
  • OR run on a mini pc at home and port forward [42042] on your router
• Computer C-Z => cpu or gpu heavy Linux machines:
  • [RECOMMENDED] rent hourly computers like these
  • OR Add your own computers

---

Run scripts

1. bash becomesecure.sh in your Desktop/Laptop terminal to create bespoke VPN credentials ( Win users need https://git-scm.com)

2. Put encrypted keys on Google Drive and share publicly

3. bash bootstraphub.sh on Computer B

   • Alma/Rocky 8.x 9.x Linux [Recommened]
   • Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04
   • this becomes your centralized Deadline renderfarm hub with:
     • file server to save scenes and textures
     • render queue database
     • virtual private network

4. bash bridgeoomerfarm.sh on Desktop/Laptop connects to hub

   • Install Deadline 10.4.0.10 client software https://awsthinkbox.com for renderfarm GUI
   • client installs cli( use gui once you become more experienced due to choice complexity )

MacOS CLI install

curl -O https://thinkbox-installers.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Releases/Deadline/10.4/2_10.4.0.10/Deadline-10.4.0.10-osx-installers.dmg

hdiutil attach Deadline-10.4.0.10-osx-installers.dmg

cd /Volumes/Deadline-10.4.0.10-osx-installers

sudo ./DeadlineClient-10.4.0.10-osx-installer.app/Contents/MacOS/osx-x86_64 --mode unattended --connectiontype Direct --repositorydir //Volumes/DeadlineRepository10 --slavestartup false --unattendedmodeui minimal

Windows CLI install ( avoids ambiguity when using GUI installer )

From cmd, git-bash or powershell

curl -O https://thinkbox-installers.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Releases/Deadline/10.4/2_10.4.0.10/Deadline-10.4.0.10-windows-installers.zip

unzip Deadline-10.4.0.10-windows-installers.zip

Open powershell, as administrator

cd to oomerfarm directory ( same as command line above )

./DeadlineClient-10.4.0.10-windows-installer.exe --mode unattended --connectiontype Direct --repositorydir //hub.oomer.org/DeadlineRepository10 --slavestartup false --unattendedmodeui minimal

5. Rent cloud computers and run bash bootstrapworker.sh. Here is a timelapse at 2x speed, spinning up 3 Google instances.

Summary

6. Four bash scripts, all starting with the letter b to empower your personal renderfarm.
   • becomesecure.sh
   • bootstraphub.sh
   • bootstrapworker.sh
   • bridgeoomerfarm.sh

---

Step by step guides

Deadline Manual

FAQ