Distribution

Simplygon process distribution works using pipelines and pipeline batches. Any pipeline and pipeline batch can be distributed directly through the API by using the run mode parameter in the run scene API call. Distribution is handled by the SimplygonBatch tool in a separate sandboxed process.

Paths

By default the batch tool is located using the SIMPLYGON_9_PATH environment variable. If you wish to place the executable in a custom location, use the SetSimplygonBatchPath setting on the pipeline to the path where the batch tool executable is located.

License

If you have a node locked license you must ensure that each machine that wants to act as a worker node in distribution must have its own license installed, since the license is unique for each machine. Otherwise the license will be included in the work data and the target machine does not need to have the license pre-installed.

Simplygon Grid

The easiest way to get distribution of pipelines and pipeline batches running is to use the Simplygon Grid. There is no need to setup coordinators or network details, just run the grid agent executable on any number of machines on the local network and everything is setup for distribution.

Running a distribution node

To start a client node run the SimplygonGridAgent.exe tool on the machine. There is no coordinator or network setup needed, the pipeline execution locates available processing nodes using mDNS/DNS-SD.

Bridging subnets

If your network is segmented and multicast UDP packets cannot traverse subnet boundaries you can bridge these subnets by allowing the batch tool to connect to a Grid agent on a different subnet over TCP/IP and routing discovery of hosts from that subnet back to the batch tool over the TCP/IP connection. This is done by setting the environment variable SIMPLYGON_9_GRID_HOSTS to a semicolon separated list of machines (either IP address or FQDN) running Grid agents on different subnets. This way you do not need to have every machine in the list, only one on each subnet that can act as the bridge during discovery. The bridge connection utilizes TCP/IP port 55001 which must be open in any firewalls.

Running as a Windows service

The grid agent can be started as a Windows service. To install the service, run the grid agent executable with the -InstallService argument. To uninstall the service, run the grid agent executable with the -UninstallService argument. Errors will be posted to the Windows event log. Note that services are run in session 0 and cannot display any UI to the logged in user.

Distributed pipeline execution

Distribution is enabled by passing the appropriate run mode to the pipeline run scene API

spReductionPipeline reductionPipeline = sg->CreateReductionPipeline();

// Process a scene from file directly using distribution
reductionPipeline->RunSceneFromFile( "input.obj", "output.obj", EPipelineRunMode::RunDistributedUsingSimplygonGrid );

// Or if you have a scene object, process it using distribution
reductionPipeline->RunScene( scene, EPipelineRunMode::RunDistributedUsingSimplygonGrid )

spReductionPipeline reductionPipeline = sg.CreateReductionPipeline();

// Process a scene from file directly using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunSceneFromFile( "input.obj", "output.obj", EPipelineRunMode.RunDistributedUsingSimplygonGrid );

// Or if you have a scene object, process it using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunScene( scene, EPipelineRunMode.RunDistributedUsingSimplygonGrid )

reductionPipeline = sg.CreateReductionPipeline()

# Process a scene from file directly using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunSceneFromFile( "input.obj", "output.obj", EPipelineRunMode_RunDistributedUsingSimplygonGrid )

# Or if you have a scene object, process it using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunScene( scene, EPipelineRunMode_RunDistributedUsingSimplygonGrid )

Distributed batch tool

Distribution can be enabled when invoking the batch tool (SimplygonBatch.exe) by passing the -Distribute parameter on the command line

SimplygonBatch.exe -Distribute <path/to/pipeline.json> <input.scene> <output.scene>
SimplygonBatch.exe -Distribute <path/to/pipelinebatch.json>

If you wish to integrate the batch tool in an asset processing tool and read progress for an UI, you can pass and additional parameters to the batch tool executable, -Progress. It will suppress the command line progress bar and instead print progress as a number between 0 and 100, one line at a time, to the standard output.

SimplygonBatch.exe -Distribute -Progress <path/to/pipeline.json> <input.scene> <output.scene>
SimplygonBatch.exe -Distribute -Progress <path/to/pipelinebatch.json>

How it works

The pipeline execution usees the batch tool (SimplygonBatch.exe) to do the distribution. The batch tool find a suitable node using mDNS/DNS-SD (multicast UDP port 5353), picks the node with the lowest overall load and sends/recieves files using TCP/IP (by default using an ephemeral port). Progress and errors are propagated back to the originating host.

Cascaded distribution

If a pipeline execution is distributed, and the pipeline is cascaded with multiple child pipelines, the execution of the child pipeline will be re-distributed to parallellize work as much as possible. This is handled internally by the pipeline execution.

Fallback

If the pipeline execution is unable to locate a suitable node for distributed execution it will fall back to local processing.

Network troubleshooting

In case the distribution batch tool has trouble distributing processing work you can run the SimplygonBatch.exe tool with a -Discover command line argument to make it list the remote grid agents it is able to find. If you are running agents on your local network and this call does not list any remote hosts, check that your network is not blocking multicast UDP packets between machines.

FASTBuild

Simplygon can use FASTBuild to distribute pipeline and pipeline batch execution. Setup of FASTBuild is outside the scope of this documentation, please refer to the FASTBuild documentation. You must make sure FBuild.exe tool path must be set in the search paths and that the FASTBUILD_BROKERAGE_PATH environment variable is set in the environment where you execute the Simplygon processing or SimplygonBatch tool.

Distributed pipeline execution

Distribution using FASTBuild is enabled by passing the appropriate run mode to the pipeline run scene API.

Progress

Due to limitations in FASTBuild there are no progress events when using FASTBuild distribution. The execution will block on the run call until processing has completed

spReductionPipeline reductionPipeline = sg->CreateReductionPipeline();

// Process a scene from file directly using distribution
reductionPipeline->RunSceneFromFile( "input.obj", "output.obj", EPipelineRunMode::RunDistributedUsingFastbuild );

// Or if you have a scene object, process it using distribution
reductionPipeline->RunScene( scene, EPipelineRunMode::RunDistributedUsingFastbuild )

spReductionPipeline reductionPipeline = sg.CreateReductionPipeline();

// Process a scene from file directly using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunSceneFromFile( "input.obj", "output.obj", EPipelineRunMode.RunDistributedUsingFastbuild );

// Or if you have a scene object, process it using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunScene( scene, EPipelineRunMode.RunDistributedUsingFastbuild )

reductionPipeline = sg.CreateReductionPipeline()

# Process a scene from file directly using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunSceneFromFile( "input.obj", "output.obj", EPipelineRunMode_RunDistributedUsingFastbuild )

# Or if you have a scene object, process it using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunScene( scene, EPipelineRunMode_RunDistributedUsingFastbuild )

Distributed using batch tool

Distribution using FASTBuild can be enabled when invoking the batch tool (SimplygonBatch.exe) by passing the -Fastbuild parameter on the command line

SimplygonBatch.exe -Fastbuild <path/to/pipeline.json> <input.scene> <output.scene>
SimplygonBatch.exe -Fastbuild <path/to/pipelinebatch.json>

Note that due to FASTBuild limitations, the batch tool cannot report any progress.

Incredibuild

Simplygon can use Incredibuild to distribute pipeline and pipeline batch execution. Setup of Incredibuild is outside the scope of this documentation, please refer to the Incredibuild documentation. The IBConsole.exe tool path must be set in the search paths in the environment where Simplygon is executing.

Multiple pipelines

Due to limitations in Incredibuild where only a single execution of IBConsole is allowed on a machine, calls to process multiple pipelines in multiple threads or processes will cause the IBConsole to block and execute the processin in a sequence rather than in parallell. If you plan on distributing multiple pipelines and scenes in parallell using Incredibuild you must use the pipeline batch API. A pipeline batch will allow Incredibuild to launch the processing of all pipelines and scenes in parallell, as it can be done in a single invocation of IBConsole

Distributed pipeline execution

Distribution using Incredibuild is enabled by passing the appropriate run mode to the pipeline run scene API.

Progress

Due to limitations in Incredibuild there are no progress events when using Incredibuild distribution. The execution will block on the run call until processing has completed

spReductionPipeline reductionPipeline = sg->CreateReductionPipeline();

// Process a scene from file directly using distribution
reductionPipeline->RunSceneFromFile( "input.obj", "output.obj", EPipelineRunMode::RunDistributedUsingIncredibuild );

// Or if you have a scene object, process it using distribution
reductionPipeline->RunScene( scene, EPipelineRunMode::RunDistributedUsingIncredibuild )

spReductionPipeline reductionPipeline = sg.CreateReductionPipeline();

// Process a scene from file directly using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunSceneFromFile( "input.obj", "output.obj", EPipelineRunMode.RunDistributedUsingIncredibuild );

// Or if you have a scene object, process it using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunScene( scene, EPipelineRunMode.RunDistributedUsingIncredibuild )

reductionPipeline = sg.CreateReductionPipeline()

# Process a scene from file directly using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunSceneFromFile( "input.obj", "output.obj", EPipelineRunMode_RunDistributedUsingIncredibuild )

# Or if you have a scene object, process it using distribution
reductionPipeline.RunScene( scene, EPipelineRunMode_RunDistributedUsingIncredibuild )

Distributed batch tool

Distribution using Incredibuild can be enabled when invoking the batch tool (SimplygonBatch.exe) by passing the -Incredibuild parameter on the command line

SimplygonBatch.exe -Incredibuild <path/to/pipeline.json> <input.scene> <output.scene>
SimplygonBatch.exe -Incredibuild <path/to/pipelinebatch.json>

Note that due to Incredibuild limitations, the batch tool cannot report any progress. Also note that due to the limit of a single IBConsole active process, launching multiple SimplygonBatch instances with Incredibuild distribution will cause any second process to block until the first process has completed, effectively executing the pipelines in serial rather than parallell.