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.
This problem was reported by several studios, including 525 Studios
and Turner Broadcasting. I told each studio to open a case with
Maya support; each case was 'resolved' as a known bug.
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
or via the 'runas' command, 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).
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