Deadline 3 SP1 repository not rendering jobs

[anon46639289]

We have an Ubuntu 8.10 server running the Deadline 3 SP1 repository, and none of the jobs are running when we queue them up.

We’re getting one error within the log file from the repository itself:

ERROR: Non-activation-capable daemon activation invoked with non-client-request event type

What broke ?

We were fine on Deadline 3.0, but something seems to have gone amiss with 3.0 SP1

[rrussell]

I googled that error message, and it appears to be related to the license server (I got a bunch of FlexLM hits, although they mention that the error shouldn’t interfere with normal operation). Is that what you’re referring to? The repository itself doesn’t produce logs, since it’s just a bunch of files and folders. If the license server is down, then the slaves won’t run without a license, so could that explain why your jobs aren’t running?

If your license server and your slaves are running fine, can you check a few things:

1. That the jobs being submitted aren’t being submitted to a pool or group that your slaves haven’t been assigned to.
2. That the jobs aren’t producing errors.
3. That the slaves aren’t printing out any error messages to their logs when searching for jobs.

This is the first we’ve heard of this problem, so it might just be a configuration issue.

Cheers,

• Ryan

[anon46639289]

I got the repository / FlexLM daemon outputting to a custom log file… Haven’t checked the slaves.

Here’s what the jobs were producing:

Constructor: CleanerXL
Exception Details

RenderPluginException – Exception during render: An error occurred in RenderTasks(): Error in RenderExecutable(): Cleaner XL render executable was not found in the semicolon separated list “”. The path to the render executable can be configured from the Plugin Configuration in the Deadline Monitor. (FranticX.Processes.ManagedProcessAbort) (Deadline.Plugins.RenderPluginException)

at Deadline.Plugins.ScriptPlugin.RenderTasks(Int32 startFrame, Int32 endFrame, String& outMessage)

RenderPluginException.Cause: JobError (2)

Exception.Data: ( )

Exception.TargetSite: Void RenderTask(Int32, Int32)

Exception.Source: deadline

Exception.StackTrace:

at Deadline.Plugins.Plugin.RenderTask(Int32 startFrame, Int32 endFrame)

at Deadline.Slaves.SlaveRenderThread.RenderCurrentTask()

[rrussell]

So it looks like you just need to reconfigure the Cleaner XL plugin and set the render executable again. The update you installed should have maintained this data, but for whatever reason it didn’t. I tested installing the update here, and it worked fine, so it must have been a one-off issue. To configure the plugin, open the Monitor and enter super user mode, then select Tools -> Configure Plugins and select the CleanerXL plugin from the list on the left. You can set the render executable here.

Cheers,

• Ryan

[anon46639289]

Still causing errors

Exception Details

RenderPluginException – Exception during render: An error occurred in RenderTasks(): Error in RenderExecutable(): Cleaner XL render executable was not found in the semicolon separated list “”. The path to the render executable can be configured from the Plugin Configuration in the Deadline Monitor. (FranticX.Processes.ManagedProcessAbort) (Deadline.Plugins.RenderPluginException)

at Deadline.Plugins.ScriptPlugin.RenderTasks(Int32 startFrame, Int32 endFrame, String& outMessage)

RenderPluginException.Cause: JobError (2)

Exception.Data: ( )

Exception.TargetSite: Void RenderTask(Int32, Int32)

Exception.Source: deadline

Exception.StackTrace:

at Deadline.Plugins.Plugin.RenderTask(Int32 startFrame, Int32 endFrame)

at Deadline.Slaves.SlaveRenderThread.RenderCurrentTask()

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Scheduler Thread - Plugin loaded in 0.02 seconds.
Constructor: CleanerXL
0: Task timeout is disabled.
0: Loaded job: 165_new_batch - combatzone_wetlesbiansweekend_05.mpg (999_050_999_4183770e)
0: INFO: StartJob: initializing script plugin CleanerXL
0: INFO: Handling stdout that matches regex “ERR:."
0: INFO: Handling stdout that matches regex "—.Progress:.([0-9])% completed. —”
0: INFO: About: Cleaner XL Plugin for Deadline
0: Plugin rendering frame(s): 0
0: INFO: Cleaning up Cleaner XL job queue
0: INFO: Stdout Handling Enabled: True
0: INFO: Popup Handling Enabled: True
0: INFO: Using Process Tree: True
0: INFO: Hiding DOS Window: True
0: INFO: Creating New Console: False
Scheduler Thread - Render Thread 0 threw an error:
Scheduler Thread - Exception during render: An error occurred in RenderTasks(): Error in RenderExecutable(): Cleaner XL render executable was not found in the semicolon separated list “”. The path to the render executable can be configured from the Plugin Configuration in the Deadline Monitor. (FranticX.Processes.ManagedProcessAbort) (Deadline.Plugins.RenderPluginException)

at Deadline.Plugins.ScriptPlugin.RenderTasks(Int32 startFrame, Int32 endFrame, String& outMessage)

[rrussell]

According to the error message, the path for the Cleaner XL render executable is still blank. When I run a Cleaner XL job and Deadline can’t find the executable, it prints out this:

Error Message
Exception during render: An error occurred in RenderTasks(): Error in RenderExecutable(): Cleaner XL render executable was not found in the semicolon separated list “C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Cleaner XL 1.5 Trial\Cleaner XL.com;C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Cleaner XL 1.5\Cleaner XL.com”. The path to the render executable can be configured from the Plugin Configuration in the Deadline Monitor. (FranticX.Processes.ManagedProcessAbort) (Deadline.Plugins.RenderPluginException)
at Deadline.Plugins.ScriptPlugin.RenderTasks(Int32 startFrame, Int32 endFrame, String& outMessage)

After you update the path in the plugin configuration, make sure to press OK to commit the changes. Then, go to \your\repository\plugins\CleanerXL and open up CleanerXL in a text editor and check if the CleanerXL_RenderExecutable= setting is actually being set. If it’s not there might be some permission issues that are preventing the Monitor from writing to this file. Note that you can change this setting manually if necessary. For example, you could set the render executable setting to be this (of course you would specify the path(s) that are valid for you):

CleanerXL_RenderExecutable=C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Cleaner XL 1.5 Trial\Cleaner XL.com;C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Cleaner XL 1.5\Cleaner XL.com

Hope this helps!

• Ryan

[anon46639289]

CleanerXL.param file

[CleanerXL_RenderExecutable]
Type=multifilename
Label=Render Executable
Default=C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Cleaner XL 1.5 Trial\Cleaner XL.com;C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Cleaner XL 1.5\Cleaner XL.com
Description=The path to the Cleaner XL executable file used for rendering. Use a ; to separate alternative paths.

Seems to be fine.

[rrussell]

My apologies, I had meant to type in CleanerXL.dlinit as the file to check. Take a look in this file to see what the CleanerXL_RenderExecutable setting is.

[anon46639289]

It wasn’t set in the dlinit file. I’ve now put it in. For some reason the stock standard Linux SP1 install doesn’t have it set.

[anon46639289]

We’re still getting the same error in the daemon log file:

0:00:31 (frantic) ERROR: Non-activation-capable daemon activation invoked with non-client-request event type

It does it every day at the same time. We’re also getting excessive network noise from the daemon in communicating to the clients on the farm and wondered if there was any way to increase the S/N ratio.

[rrussell]

This seems to be a bug with FlexLM, so I’m not sure if there is much we can do about it:
community.acresso.com/archive/in … 68887.html

According to the thread above, they’re aware of the problem, so maybe it will be fixed in a future FlexLM release. According to the following thread, it shouldn’t affect normal operation of the license server:
www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.w … -8&lang=en

Cheers,

• Ryan