Sticking CLocks
22 messages in this thread
Is there a bug fix for R4 that fixes the "clock sticks at midnight
while in SLAVE mode" bug??? Since we are running WFW for our network
(eeek!) we don't reset clocks off the network so when we come in
after a weekend of rendering, all the machines have stuck dates. Time
is OK, just the date doesn't get incremented… Thanks in advance!
<<Is there a bug fix for R4 that fixes the "clock sticks at midnight while in
SLAVE mode" bug??? Since we are running WFW for our network (eeek!) we don't
reset clocks off the network so when we come in after a weekend of rendering,
all the machines have stuck dates. Time is OK, just the date doesn't get
incremented… Thanks in advance!>>
Doug,
I haven't heard about this problem before. We have had no reports either to or
from QA that this is an issue.
Does the "date sticking" actually cause a problem when you are rendering? Or
are you just wondering to avoid a potential problem in the future. Also there
is a WFW forum here on CIS. Have you asked them about a bug fix?
-Brian
I don't think it is a WFW problem. The only "problem" is when 3DS is in slave
mode, the data doesn't get turned over at midnight. When I checked with Greg
Pyros, he said that he would never know if it was a bug since all of his
machines are always resetting their date and time off the network anyway. This
may never have happened before since most networks do that. Our doesn't. Just
curious anyway. The only real problem is with Other software and trach=king our
artwork when we aren't in slave moed and the day is three days behind..
Thanks for looking into it.
(Hint: We had problems like this early in GRASP days when we were checking the
system clock for interrupts and stuff. Perhaps this is related??)
–
<<I don't think it is a WFW problem. The only "problem" is when 3DS is in slave
mode, the data doesn't get turned over at midnight.>>
Doug.
I am still confused. Does the network rendering job stop or crash? Are any
errors reported? Or is the network merely reporting the wrong data, but the
rendering process continues. Please be more specific about the "problem".
Also, is there a command line tool to sync up the time/date stamp? Something
that you can manually run at the command prompt?
-Brian
Brian,
Doug is right – we have the same problem. The date is not incremented on
overnight renders. After a couple of days of this the rendering goes way off –
frames are missed completely in a long sequence (a real PITA!).
My only solution is to reboot every day, whenever possible.
Martin (And Brian and Doug):
>> The date is not incremented on overnight renders. After a couple of
>> days of this the rendering goes way off – frames are missed completely
>> in a long sequence (a real PITA!).
>>
>> My only solution is to reboot every day, whenever possible.
The other thing you could do is to add an entry in your Video Post queue which
would time-sync your PCs to your server. Martin, if you're using PC- NFS, just
add the line "rdate xxxxxx", where xxxxxx is the name of your server.
It only takes a second, and would avoid missed frames, etc.
Greg Pyros
Greg,
This problem is specific to the WFW network. That is why I asked about the
command line utility to sync the date/time stamp. I don't know if one exists
for WFW.
If a command line utility exists for sync, then putting it in as a video post
entry was my suggestion as well.
-Brian
Brian:
>> This problem is specific to the WFW network.
Not really! Martin and I have both seen it, and neither of us runs WfW!
Greg PYros
<<Not really! Martin and I have both seen it, and neither of us runs WfW!>>
Well, this IS news!
I thought the problem was network specific.
However, running the command line utility to set the date/time stamp in the
Video Post que corrects the problem, right?
-Brian
Brian:
>> However, running the command line utility to set the date/time
>> stamp in the Video Post que corrects the problem, right?
Yup.
Greg Pyros
Greg,
>> just add the line "rdate xxxxxx", where xxxxxx is the name of your server.
<<
thanks for the tip. That could really help out.
Martin,
What we need to do is find a utility that will sync the date and time from the
command line. Then that command can be put in as a video post entry to sync up
the systems every so often during long renders.
-Brian
Brian,
>> need to do is find a utility that will sync the date and time from the
command line….. put in as a video post entry <<
GregP has a good tip that I'll try.
I went to the workgroup forum (GO MSWRKGRP) and found about 6 date/time stamp
utilities by searching on the keyword DATE. I think one or two of these might
be able to be run from a command prompt.
-Brian
Brian,
>> (GO MSWRKGRP) and found about 6 date/time stamp utilities by searching on
the keyword DATE <<
excellent. I'll try that too.
I use the line "net time \\server /set /yes" where \\server is the name of my
file server. Built right into wfw. Do a net time /? for help.
LAM
>> What we need to do is find a utility that will sync the date and time
>> from the command line.
In Lantastic it would be:
NET CLOCK \\server-name
– Dave
Nothing goes wrong with the rendering. ANd yes, there are command line programs
that will sync the dates. But I shouldn't have to! 3DS shouldn't be hanging the
clock up so that the dates get frozen. That is, if it is in fact 3DS's fault.
If you put your machine in slave mode and leave it that way overnight, come in
the next morning and the date still says yesterday, something is wrong. That is
my problem. We then go to share and update pictures and other multimedia files
for a project we are working on and the dates are screwed up and we lose a lot
of data… The whole thing would be solved if WFW always set the time to the
network time, but it doesn't. Is this clearer? Thanks for your help…
–
<< 3DS shouldn't be hanging the clock up so that the dates get frozen. That is,
if it is in fact 3DS's fault>>
Doug,
3DS makes absolutely NO calls to the network or netware BIOS. That is how it
can run on so many networks.
<<The whole thing would be solved if WFW always set the time to the network
time, but it doesn't. Is this clearer? >>
Thanks to Larry, we now have the proper syntax for WFW <<<< "net time \\server
/set /yes" where \\server is the name of my file server. Built right into wfw.
Do a net time /? for help.>>>> Set up that call in a batch file, and then
place the batch file as a que in your Video Post rendering process. Make sure
the machine you use as your 3DS server is the machine name you choose to sync
all your clocks to.
-Brian
PMJI Brian, but the problem with midnight roll-over has nothing to do with a
network — it's one that has plagued users in a number of programs for years,
even on stand-alone machines. Offhand, I don't remember why (what some
programs do/don't do that causes them to not allow the roll-over), but it IS a
programming oversight that it occurs, as it IS avoidable.
I can probably dig up the cause, if needed.
Dave
David,
>> I can probably dig up the cause, if needed. <<
please find out, if possible. I'm extremely curious to get to the bottom of
this. I have seen this too regardless of software/network OS.
Will do, Martin. I remember it from several years ago when I used to do a fair
amount of programming with a friend. I'll give him a call and see if he
remembers (I'm sure he does — great mind for programming).
Dave