Known Maya Issues

Maya Licensing Problem Under Windows, The "exit 128" Bug

    REPLICATION
    -----------
    It appears (under windows only) one can't run maya as different
    users on the same machine, even though maya licenses are available to
    do so.

    Situation: When a Windows NT or 2K machine is rendering maya via command 
    line, and a different user tries to render maya on the same machine remotely,
    the render command exits without an error message, but returns a 128 exit code.

    To replicate, in one DOS terminal window:

	render <all args> 

    ..it starts rendering normally.
  
    In a new DOS window, while the above command is still rendering:

	runas /user:DOMAIN\someuser cmd   (logging in as a new user) 

    and in the new DOS window type: 

	render <all args> 

    immediately returns back to the command line with no errors... 

	echo %ERRORLEVEL% 
	128 
  
    One can't even get usage information on the render command with 
    "render -help".  Instead maya immediately returns to the command line 
    with no output whatsoever.

    It appears that when a render is going, another user-login cannot run 
    a render. 

    STATUS
    ------
    All cases opened with Alias/Wavefront report this as a bug.
    A/W confirmed it's a problem with the license system only on 
    Windows platforms.

    WORKAROUNDS
    -----------
    Alias Wavefront has not suggested solutions or workarounds
    in any of the cases, that I am aware, to date 01/29/2002. 
    The earliest case I'm aware of was made by 525 studios, June 2001,
    case #68182. Another was opened by Turner, case #81526.

    However, it's pretty clear that any one of these are possible
    workarounds:

	    o Don't try render on machines that are being used
	      interactively. Many people take this approach, using
	      'onrush' to disable/enable the processor.

	      When cpus are to be made available for use, they
	      first exit out of maya.

	      Since rush runs all renders as the same user, there's
	      no problem with two different people's jobs taking
	      on one dual proc machine.

    -- OR --
	    o Have the render script automatically detect the
	      exit 128 error, and offline that processor, and requeue
	      the frame.

    -- OR --

	    o Have all windows users login as the same user
	      (eg. a 'render' user), and also have rush run as this
	      user. This is ugly in general, unless your production
	      is already operating this way. You'd be surprised how 
	      many productions I've seen where everyone is logged in
	      as Administrator, as a shortcut around administration
	      overhead.

    -- OR --

	    o Create a wrapper script that causes maya to run
	      as a certain user. This can be done, I am told,
	      with the 'SU' command that comes with one of the
	      Windows resource kits. It can also be done with
	      the WinNT 'runas' program, but you must answer its
	      prompt for a password. (with the SU program, I'm told
	      the password can be suppled on the command line, and
	      thus tied into the wrapper script).

	      This lets people login with their own names, and have
	      their own desktops, while maya runs as a consistent
	      user. Again, rush needs to run as that same user.

    -- OR --

	    o Use linux/unix, which doesn't appear to have this
	      problem. There are a few companies I know actively
	      running redhat workstations with maya, using FireGL2
	      cards for fast graphics, and Redhat 7.1 and 7.2 with 
	      patched 2.4.17 kernels (latest stable release).