Pixar's Tractor

Distributed Processing Solution for RenderMan and Other Applications

Tractor Overview

Tractor 1.0 is Pixar's totally new, next generation, distributed processing solution for rendering and other network intensive applications. Derived from years of experience in managing the computational demands of the worlds largest render farms, Tractor is specifically engineered to address the extreme scalability and performance requirements of multi-core networks of tens of thousands of processors and more. Functionally, Tractor consists of three primary components:

  1. The Tractor-Engine maintains the central job queue and dispatches tasks.
  2. The Tractor-Blade is a Python based execution server running on each remote node.
  3. The Tractor-Dashboard is a customizable web browser user interface providing centralized control of the Tractor-Engine.

Tractor's streamlined architecture is designed for rapid deployment, delivering very high performance with a queuing engine capable of dispatching over 500 tasks per second. Tractor utilizes proven, open web standards and is highly customizable. Systems administrators can easily add Python extension modules to Tractor-Blades and customize the specifics of how various tasks are executed.

Features

    1. Engineering focus on high-throughput job distribution for large farms.
    2. Simplified "plug-and-play" blade deployment on any size farm.
    3. Web UI for ubiquitous access.
    4. Simplified scripting and control using web technologies.

 

Does RenderMan Studio include Tractor?

Yes. Each seat of RenderMan Studio includes one Tractor license.

Does RenderMan Pro Server include Tractor?

No. As a server application Tractor is available separately for RenderMan Pro Server. For each job you plan to run as the same time, you will require a license of Tractor. Note that a Tractor license is included with each seat of RenderMan Studio.

How does Tractor compare to Alfred?

Tractor is intended to replace Pixar's existing Alfred and Alfserver products. In addition it is a cost effective standalone solution that can be deployed to control a wide variety of non-render tasks such as physics simulations or compositing tasks.

Because Alfred and Alfserver are still committed to production, Tractor will be phased in to replace these products over an extended transition term ending on June 30st 2012. Tractor has a significantly simpler licensing model:

  • With Alfred, each individual user desiring to control remote render tasks from a personal workstation needs to acquire a separate Alfred license. Likewise an Alfserver remote execution server license has to be installed on every network client to which those tasks are submitted.
  • In contrast, Tractor uses a simpler "task centric" licensing model that regulates the number of tasks running simultaneously across the entire render farm, independent of the number of users or the total number of spooled jobs. Any number of the plug-and-play Tractor-Blade servers can be started, only those that are actively executing tasks are counted.

For more information, check out the Tractor FAQ

How do Alfred and Alfserver users transition to Tractor?

Because of Tractor's simplified task centric licensing model, the transition plan provides all Alfred and Alfserver licenses on current maintenance with the option of a "like for like" free conversion to Tractor at any time within the transition term ending on June 30th 2012. This option can be exercised at any time during this term and is not reversible. Alfred and Alfserver will remain supported over this period at the end of which both products will be no longer supported or sold.

The simplest way to relate "like for like" to your current license entitlement is that 1 Alfred license translates to 1 equivalent Tractor license. Likewise 1 Alfserver license translates to 1 equivalent Tractor license. It does not matter if Alfred and Alfserver were purchased as standalone products or included as part of RenderMan Studio, RenderMan Artist Tools or RenderMan Pro Server. In all situations the free "like for like" principle applies. For example:

  • 1 RenderMan Studio and 100 RenderMan ProServer licenses will transition to 101 Tractor licenses.

  • 10 Renderman Studio and 200 RenderMan Pro Server licenses will transition to 210 Tractor licenses.

  • 1 RenderMan Studio license will transition to 1 Tractor license.

  • 10 standalone Alfred licenses and 5 standalone Alfserver licenses that were separately purchased will transition to 15 Tractor licenses.

Only licenses on current maintenance qualify for the free transition to Tractor, which from its inception is intended to be a standalone product with an independent release schedule, allowing Pixar to deliver timely product updates for greater operational flexibility. For further information on the transition plan and how it impacts your existing entitlement please email rendermansales@pixar.com.

 

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