BackBurner license issues...

[Anonymous]

I have one standalone license of Maya 2012 and am using Backburner as the render manager. I started using Backburner a little over 30 days ago with trial installs of Maya w/Backburner on 4 other computers. 3 days ago, I started getting 211 errors on 3 of the 4 trial installs. The 211 error saying that I don't have a valid license installed. The 4th computer was added to the mix a week ago.

I should also add that we were using IPv6 until the day the errors started. IT in its infinite wisdom made a sudden policy change and I was automatically forced back into using the IPv4 protocol.

From the AutoDesk docs and what I've read online, trial installs should be all I need on the other computers. I don't know if the IP change has anything at all to do with the errors either. I can't find anything on the web or on AutoDesk's site about this particular issue. IT also has complete control over the farm also, so my hands are tied as well. I have to relay any info I get to them.

[Anonymous]

Trial installs are fine for 3ds Max, but for Maya you need a network license. Each render node is going to pull a batch render license.

[Anonymous]

Does that mean every instance, the single standalone seat or the only the trial installs?

[Anonymous]

If you're rendering with mental ray for Maya, you'll need a network license if you want to render on other machines.

[Anonymous]

So, according to http://download.autodesk.com/global/docs/maya2014/en_us/

"Each Maya license allows you to render in Maya interactively on one machine and run batch rendering on five machines. You can therefore perform mental ray for Maya rendering on up to 6 machines."

It does not specify anywhere in the network rendering section of the user guide that you need to have a license server set up. 

Can we somehow have autodesk clarify this?

[n8skow]

[Anonymous]

right, so that seems to contradict the prior line about a single license allowing you to batch render on 5 additional machines. 

[Anonymous]

When Backburner says the Exit code is 211, it means that the render nodes cannot find the scene file they are supposed to be rendering. So that most likely started because of the IP change. Do a Ping on each of the machines to make sure they are all communicating properly.

When it says you don't have a valid license installed, you mentioned you have a single standlone license. To use a render farm with Maya you have to have a Maya Network License. The standard Network License comes with one seat of Maya, five seats of Mental Ray and five seats of Turtle. It is all managed by the Network License Manager(NLM), which you will need to install on master server. Whenever any Autodesk software is run on your network it will refer to the NLM to make sure you have a license. Simply keep Maya installed on each server and once you get the NLM set up, as long as the computers are all communicating with each other properly, it will work.