1. Create a VM


At first you have to create a VM in your cloud provider without using the rrCloudmanager at all.
And then you have to remote connect to this VM.

So far we have a description for Azure:

Create VM in Azure




2. Setup System



Windows 

Linux
  • If you are using Windows Server and need the browser, then you have to change a setting.
    By default, the Server Manager should be opened after you log in. If not, open it.
    Select your server from the menu on the left and change the IEE settings in the far right column.
  • Set the Windows update policy to urgent updates only.
  • Optional: Enable Admin shares, ping, ...
  • Optional: Disable Windows stuff you do not need.
  • Optional: Set a small swap drive for system apps.
    Edit the /etc/waagent.conf file and set following three parameters:
    ResourceDisk.EnableSwap=y
    ResourceDisk.SwapSizeMB=2048

  • Optional: Create an additional user with the commands
    adduser myuser
    passwd myuser
    Add it to the admin group with:  
    usermod -aG wheel myuser

  • Please see Linux/Dependiecies for packages that needs to be installed.




3. Install Apps



Now install all the apps that you need.
(All apps that not setup in RR as shared exe or shared plugin)





How to copy files to the VM?

There are a few ways to get files onto the VM:

  • Download files from the Internet directly on the VM. 
  • Linux: Use an application that can copy files via SSH (SFTP).
  • Windows: Use the remote desktop drive share (see above)
  • Windows: Enable the admin shares on the VM and copy everything to //machine/d$



Use the temp drive!

You have a few options to get your installer files to the VM.
If you copy the installer to the VM, you might want to use a temp drive if it is provided.
If you extract installers (Like Autodesk), extract it to the temp drive as well.
This keeps the system drive less cluttered and clean.

Azure always offers a temp SSD drive.
This drive is located in D: (\\<IP>\d$)  on Windows   and    /mnt/resources on Linux.

Note: DO NOT change the temp drive location on Azure. RR uses it while rendering!




GPU Image:

If your source image was already a GPU image, then please be sure the driver installation completed.
Check the Device manager if the GPUs are listed and the task manager (tab details) if the process drvinst.exe in still running.




GPU Image:

If your source image was already a GPU image, then please be sure the driver installation completed.
Check the Device manager if the GPUs are listed and the task manager (tab details) if the process drvinst.exe in still running.


4. Install the RR cloud service

Windows

Linux

Royal Render v9
  • Create a folder on the local drive for the service: C:\Program Files\rrService\
  • Copy the following files from from [RR]/bin/win64 into the newly created folder:
    rrCloudService.exe
    rrKillWait.exe
    rrLazyPeasant.exe
    VC_redist_...exe
    7zra.dll
    libcrypto-1_1-x64.dll
    libssl-1_1-x64.dll
    Qt5Core.dll
    Qt5Network.dll
    rrShared.dll
  • Open a console with cmd.exe (as admin) and cd "C:\Program Files\rrService" into the directory.
  • Execute rrCloudService /install
  • If it complains that it misses some MSVC....dll, then run VC_redist_...exe and try again.
  • Create a folder on the local drive for the service and a subfolder for the libs
    sudo mkdir /usr/local/rrService
    sudo mkdir /usr/local/rrService/lib
  • Copy the following files from from [RR]/bin/lx64 and [RR]/bin/lx64/lib into the newly created folders:
    rrCloudService
    rrKillWait
    rrLazyPeasant
    lib/7z.so
    lib/libcrypto.so.1.1
    lib/libQt5Core.so.5
    lib/libQt5Network.so.5
    lib/librrShared.so.1
    lib/libssl.so.1.1
  • Allow at least all admin users to access the files/folders.
    Change the owner to the group wheel (admins on CentOs) with the commandline
    sudo chown -R root:wheel /usr/local/rrService
  • Add the executable right with the commandlines
    sudo chmod -R +x /usr/local/rrService
  • Execute
    sudo /usr/local/rrService/rrCloudService /install


Note: The service will do some changes to a system once a new or this VM is booted 

  • It opens the firewall ports to allow   ping,  ssh/rpd, Azure batch ports, Royal Render ports, windows only: file and printer sharing (includes Admin shares //machine/c$)
  • Linux: Allow SSH login via user accounts (Azure Batch disables this)


The service can/will do the following changes if connected to the rrCloudManager. 

  • Mount drives (according to rrConfig / Paths and drives )
  • Match the time zone with rrCloudManager
  • Joins the domain (according to rrConfig / Cloud )
  • Adds the rrService user to the local admin/wheel group (rrService user is set in rrConfig / Cloud )
  • Adds the rrCloudManger and the additional servers to the host file  (additional servers are set in rrConfig / Cloud ) 
  • Adds the local VM Admin account (rrConfig / Cloud ) for Azure Batch VMs
  • Of course it starts the rrClient





4.  Capture Image


Continue with the section  >> Capture Image 



5. Cleanup



After you have copied the image a storage, you may cleanup the resources in your cloud that are not required any more.
E.g. the VM you used to create this image.