Is it possible to connect to remote machines (not in the same local network) in crowdrender?
I have access to some powerful remote linux servers and would like to make use of them. The documentation only mentions connecting to local machines so I'm wondering if I'm missing anything here.
Thanks in advance!
How do you set up the port forwarding? I tried doing ssh tunneling port 9000 but the cloud machine wasn't found
Dear Eric, thanks for stopping by the forum :). Ok I'll do my best to explain. So in short, yes, you can do this! Now to the rather lengthy explanation of how.
First let me start by saying that CR is current alpha software, so its going to change and change for the better, especially with regards to this particular problem of accessing remote rendering equipment.
Alright, so there are currently two different methods you can use to connect to computers that are not part of your local network. There are pros and cons of each.
METHOD 1 - Port forwarding
This is the most basic method and doesn't require any other software. You open ports in the router which is on the remote network to allow you to connect to a computer in that remote network. I say 'a' computer, because currently this method only allows you to connect to one node at a time (which is definitely more a 'con' than a 'pro').
METHOD 2 - Setup a VPN
This is more advanced as you need to setup a vpn. We've used software like softether and others have successfully used openVPN to do this. Basically you create a virtual private network which both the local and remote networks are a part of. Then you can access all of the remote nodes and use them all to render.
Which method you use is up to you. If you don't mind the extra step of using a VPN then its the best method in our opinion as you can use all of your hardware.
Lastly, we're designing a new system that will replace the current way CR connects, this will make obsolete the need for port forwarding and VPNs and allow you to connect and it will be secured by encryption to prevent tampering and eaves-dropping (the current local network solution CR uses is also encrypted, and so is METHOD 1, just thought it would be worth saying that we're going to make a point of securing your data).
If that sounds like something you'd like to support, we have a crowdfunding campaign hosted here on our website where you can donate to help with development -> https://www.crowd-render.com/crowdfunding
We're grateful for support like this as it helps us reach the goal of fully distributed rendering for everyone, no matter their budget for software :)