1. Setup rrCloudConnector

  • Start rrConfig, tab rrCloud
  • Either create a new rrCloudConnector or use an existing rrCloudConnector.
    If you use an existing non-Batch rrCloudConnector, then you should delete its resource group via the portal first. (Wait until it was deleted)
  • Set the max VMs to some low value like 5.



VM Image:

You can 

  • use an image that you had created. 
    This image does not require to have RR installed. 
  • use one of our images  (They have RR installed)




We provide some ready-to-use images for a rrCloudConnector.
They can be used for all render jobs that use RR Shared Executables (Which do not require apps to be installed locally)

E.g. Arnold Standalone or Nuke, if you have setup Nuke as Shared Executable.

Important Note:   Smaller images create faster and boot up faster.  (We recommand the 30GB or 60GB total VM size)


OS

Installed

rrCloudConnector Settings

CentOS 7.3

27GB free

(30GB total)
  • rrCloudService
  • mc (Midnight commander)
  • Lib packages that are required to run Maya,  Nuke, Houdini, Modo and join an Active Directory/domain are installed.

VM Storage:                   royalrenderpublic

VM storage SAS token:   (none, enter nothing)
VM Image filename:         Empty-Linux.vhd

Windows 2016

16 GB free

(30GB total)
  • rrCloudService
  • Windows Component cleanup executed
  • All Windows Server Feature installers are removed
  • NVidia K80 Drivers
  • Total Commander  c:\totalcmd\TOTALCMD64.EXE

VM Storage:                   royalrenderpublic

VM storage SAS token:   (none, enter nothing)
VM Image filename:         Empty-Win2016-30GB-K80.vhd

Windows 2016

46 GB free

(60GB total)
  • CloudService
  • Windows Component cleanup executed
  • All Windows Server Feature installers are removed
  • NVidia K80 Drivers
  • Total Commander  c:\totalcmd\TOTALCMD64.EXE

VM Storage:                   royalrenderpublic

VM storage SAS token:   (none, enter nothing)
VM Image filename:         Empty-Win2016-60GB-K80.vhd

Windows 2016

108 GB free

(120GB total)
  • CloudService
  • Windows Component cleanup executed
  • All Windows Server Feature installers are removed
  • NVidia K80 Drivers
  • Total Commander  c:\totalcmd\TOTALCMD64.EXE

VM Storage:                   royalrenderpublic

VM storage SAS token:   (none, enter nothing)
VM Image filename:         EmptyEmpty-Win2016-120GB-K80.vhd

Windows 2016 Core

23 GB free

(30GB total)
  • CloudService
  • Windows Component cleanup executed
  • All Windows Server Feature installers are removed
  • NVidia K80 Drivers
  • Total Commander  c:\totalcmd\TOTALCMD64.EXE

VM Storage:                   royalrenderpublic

VM storage SAS token:   (none, enter nothing)
VM Image filename:         Empty-Win2016Core-30GB-K80.vhd









2. Create VM via rrCloudManager 

  • Start the rrCloudManager application.
  • Click on the top right "Connect".
  • Select the rrCloudconnector tab you just setup in rrConfig.
  • Enable the checkbox "Advanced" at the bottom.
  • Un-Check "Auto configure".
  • Check "Create Manually" and "Start Manually" and set both to 1.
  • Press <Start> to start the Cloud Connector.



3. Modify the image

  • Wait until the VM status is "Running" and has an IP.
    Wait 3 more minutes to give the OS some time to setup.
  • File copy connection:
    Linux: Right-Click on the VM and File Browser connection.  Browse to  /mnt/resources to copy files into this temp folder.
    Windows: Connect to the VM temp drive by entering \\<IP>\d$ into a Windows explorer and use the credentials you have set in rrConfig for the VM admin pass.
  • Right-Click on the VM and choose RDP/SSH session.
  • Install/modify the image as you like.



Use the temp drive!

You have a few options to get your installer files to the VM.

In any case you should ALWAYS copy the files to the VMs temp SSD drive.
The drive is located in D: on Windows   and    /mnt/resources on Linux.
If you extract installers (Like Autodesk), extract it to the temp drive as well.
This keeps the system drive less cluttered and clean.

Note: DO NOT change the temp drive location. RR uses it while rendering!



GPU Image:

If your source image was already a GPU image, then please be sure the driver installation completed.
Check the Device manager if the GPUs are listed and the task manager (tab details) if the process drvinst.exe in still running.

RR installed?

In case this image does not have the rrCloud applications installed, please see II C. Create New Image, step 3



4.  "Capture Image"


Continue with the section  >> "II C. Create New Image" / "3. Install the RR cloud service" to use the latest version of the rrCloudService.


Afterwards, continue with the next step 5:


5.  "III. Capture Image"


Continue with the section  >> III. Capture Image 


Afterwards, continue with the next step 6:



6. Delete Resource Group


  • After you have copied the image into a storage that is not in the resource group of the rrCloudConnector, login at the portal.
  • Delete the resource group of the rrCloudConnector.
  • Open rrConfig. Either delete the rrCloudConnector or change the image to match your new image.