Author Topic: Saving large Max files over network  (Read 3837 times)

2020-09-18, 19:33:27

danio1011

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Hi all,

We are restructuring our network and have moved to 10gbe, which has allowed us to move pretty much everything to a central server without any real speed loss.  One issue we've run into though is now that we're trying to save our .max files to a network location, we start to get 'Error writing to files' as they near 500mb and we try to save the scene.

Does anyone have any solutions to this?  I notice the Max help files basically just say 'yeah sometimes things get screwed up, Max isn't a Network based piece of software so no guarantees.'  Paraphrasing of course :)  Do folks mostly just store assets over the network but then keep your project folders local?

Thanks for any tips or shared experiences!
Daniel

2020-09-24, 16:21:10
Reply #1

Jpjapers

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Hi all,

We are restructuring our network and have moved to 10gbe, which has allowed us to move pretty much everything to a central server without any real speed loss.  One issue we've run into though is now that we're trying to save our .max files to a network location, we start to get 'Error writing to files' as they near 500mb and we try to save the scene.

Does anyone have any solutions to this?  I notice the Max help files basically just say 'yeah sometimes things get screwed up, Max isn't a Network based piece of software so no guarantees.'  Paraphrasing of course :)  Do folks mostly just store assets over the network but then keep your project folders local?

Thanks for any tips or shared experiences!
Daniel

Every studio ive worked at has saved project files centrally on a server and that system doesnt require any additional setup, it just works. The files were regularly over 1gb so im not sure where your issue lies but i suspect its not within 3DS Max. Possibly somewhere in your network configuration.

2020-09-24, 18:21:12
Reply #2

danio1011

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Ok thanks for the data point, good to know.  I'd love to get everything on the server, local scene storage is such a headache.  I wonder if the issue is the file server is running Windows 10 Pro and needs to be enterprise or server.

Thanks for the info!
Daniel

Edit:  This is the help file I was referring to.  It mentions the same error I get and the first cause mentioned is saving large (over 500mb) files over a network... :/

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Error-3ds-Max-Error-writing-to-file-when-saving-over-a-network.html
« Last Edit: 2020-09-24, 18:28:09 by danio1011 »

2020-09-24, 19:40:48
Reply #3

Frood

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I wonder if the issue is the file server is running Windows 10 Pro and needs to be enterprise or server.

Depends how many "users" connect to it. The number of connections matters. There is an artificial limit set to workstation windows versions. When you render with 20 nodes on a workstation (e.g. windows pro) and different credentials are involved, maybe "real" users work on it additionally, you reach that limit where M$ wants to see you using a server OS.

Somewhere I have been reading that it is limited to TCP connections, somewhere that it's limited to connecting users, you have to google it yourself. All I can say that I regularly encounter this when rendering to a workstation instead to the server (which has a server OS) for whatever reason. And it's not file size or network speed causing access errors in this case.


Good Luck



Never underestimate the power of a well placed level one spell.

2020-09-24, 19:45:33
Reply #4

danio1011

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I wonder if the issue is the file server is running Windows 10 Pro and needs to be enterprise or server.

Depends how many "users" connect to it. The number of connections matters. There is an artificial limit set to workstation windows versions. When you render with 20 nodes on a workstation (e.g. windows pro) and different credentials are involved, maybe "real" users work on it additionally, you reach that limit where M$ wants to see you using a server OS.

Somewhere I have been reading that it is limited to TCP connections, somewhere that it's limited to connecting users, you have to google it yourself. All I can say that I regularly encounter this when rendering to a workstation instead to the server (which has a server OS) for whatever reason. And it's not file size or network speed causing access errors in this case.


Good Luck

Ok very interesting!  I'm nowhere near the 20 person limit but it still might be something with the file sharing standard in 'Pro'.  Right now it's just 3 computers and a NAS.  One of the workstations is serving up the files for the others...a bad setup, I know.  I've been planning to build a dedicated file server using an old 1950x so maybe it makes sense to prioritize that and go with Windows Server or else something file server specific like OpenNAS.

Thanks for the leads, I'll keep digging.

2020-09-24, 20:01:54
Reply #5

Frood

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Right now it's just 3 computers and a NAS.

Ok, then it's most likely not a connection restriction. And P.S.: maybe don't use an 1950x as a 24/7 server, it is a shame how much power it would need even when it's idle. One of the reasons I did not order one when they got available.

See
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-threadripper-1950x-cpu,5167-14.html


Good Luck


Never underestimate the power of a well placed level one spell.

2020-09-24, 20:13:57
Reply #6

danio1011

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Hmmm that's a bummer.  I also have 4 i7 2600k's sitting around.  I would use one of them but I have concerns about PCI speed limitations when it comes to nVME expansion cards and whatnot.  I think it's only PCI-e 2.0 with 16 lanes.  Maybe the best option is a cheap, pre-built xeon server off of amazon.

2020-09-24, 21:37:57
Reply #7

Jpjapers

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Honestly you'd be far better getting a small used rack mount server like a Dell poweredge or something similar, fitting a 10gbe card and using that as file storage. They're usually very cheap. It'll be much more economical in terms of power and (if you have the room) means you can expand a server rack as and when you need it..

2020-09-26, 00:57:15
Reply #8

Njen

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Honestly you'd be far better getting a small used rack mount server like a Dell poweredge or something similar

Agreed. Or for a small number of users (which you have mentioned it's the three of you), you could even go for a dedicated NAS box from QNap or similar. I use a NAS that runs on Linux (32tb) and have no problems saving huge Max files over my network (1 workstation + 3 render nodes).

2020-09-28, 00:58:03
Reply #9

danio1011

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Thanks Njen!  On the NAS front, the Synology FS1018 looks super appealing...geared towards flash storage, a 10gbe expansion port, just a little spendy.  I haven't found a QNAP equivalent yet but I bet they have one.  I did run a calculation based on my local power rates and it would cost me about twenty cents a day to run my 1950x.  I'm basically paying 8 cents a kilowatt hour and I'm guessing no more than 100w draw at idle with everything thrown in.  I'm also looking at a used Dell T40 but haven't quite figured out if it would fulfill all my needs yet.  A used T40 would be basically the equivalent cost to building out my 1950x...the $500+ range.

I was wondering if everyone is using UNC or mapped drives?  Are mapped drives a major no-no?  Right now I'm using mapped drives.