Apple Compressor (4.0) - Manual (Page 230)

Chapter 8 Use Apple Qmaster to set up a distributed processing system 230
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On: This setting indicates that the services are available for all 24 hours of that particular day.
(This is the default setting for all seven days of the week.)
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Off: Makes the service unavailable on that day of the week.
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On Between: Allows you to enter the period of time the service will be available.
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Off Between: Allows you to enter the period of time the service will not be available.
3 Enter any constraining time periods in the appropriate start time and end time fields.
Note: You must enter valid days and times. The time cannot overlap into the next day in one entry.
There must be two entries when the range ends after 12 a.m. For example, if you want service
availability from Sunday night to Monday morning, you could set up the Sunday schedule to be on
between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. and to be on for Monday between 12:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.
4 To save the settings, click OK.
5 To apply the changes to this computer, click OK.
Important: If you’re making changes to existing settings and this computer is already providing
processing services, clicking OK immediately resets this computer’s services. If this computer is
also the cluster controller, any current jobs are terminated.
Use virtual clusters to make the most of multicore computers
You can adjust the number of instances of a processing service, essentially creating virtual
clusters on individual computers. For processor-intensive work, having multiple instances may
increase speed and efficiency, depending on the processing application. Too many instances,
however, may actually decrease speed and efficiency.
A general rule for choosing the number of instances is to allow 2 GB of memory for each
instance. If you have a computer with 8 GB of memory that offers eight instances in the pop-up
menu, choosing four instances should provide good results. This number can vary widely though,
depending on whether that computer is also being used for other duties.
Note: By default, the Apple Qmaster system creates one rendering service instance for each
processor. Rendering services are for Shake (with Apple Qmaster), Autodesk Maya, and other
UNIX command-line programs, as opposed to Compressor services, which are solely for
Compressor distributed processing. Consult the documentation that came with the application
to see if using each processor individually is ideal.
Change the number of instances of processing services on a computer
1 In Compressor, choose Apple Qmaster > Share This Computer.
2 Select Compressor or Rendering in the Services section, and then click its Options button.
3 In the dialog that appears, choose the number of instances from the pop-up menu, and click OK.
Choose the number
of instances from
the pop-up menu.
4 Click OK in the Apple Qmaster Sharing window.