How To Setup a Qmaster Encode Cluster
Posted on 25. Sep, 2009 by admin in Encoding, Final Cut Pro, Howto
If you’ve got several Mac’s on your LAN you can create a Qmaster cluster to distribute Compressor encoding jobs among your computers, thus speeding up the encode process. Qmaster clusters can drastically reduce the time it takes to produce many video files, including complex HD resolution h.264 files.
Before you start:
Large encode jobs, a large HD video for example, will have a delay as they copy out to your various cluster machines. The speed of your local network has a very large impact on your performance here. A Gigabit network is strongly recommended.
Installing Qmaster:
A Mac system can have Qmaster installed, without needed the entire Final Cut application Suite. You simply need to run the stand alone Qmaster installer package on the Final Cut Pro CD on each computer that you want to participate in the cluster.
In fact, each computer in the cluster (other than the master) does not needed to even have compressor installed. The Qmaster installer will install the codecs required, like HDV and XDCAM support on each node.
The only requirements are that all the systems are on the same subnet, and running the same versions of OS X, the Qmaster software, and Quicktime.
Configuring a QuickCluster:
In System Preferences, locate the newly installed Qmaster preference pane on each computer that will be in your cluster (including your controller, the system that has Final Cut and Compressor).
Select QuickCluster with services, check the share boxes, name your node, and then click the start sharing button.
At this point, you can check if the fundamentals of your quick cluster are sound. On the main machine that will be the “controller” of your cluster – this should be your rig that has Final Cut and Compressor installed, locate and run the Apple Qadministrator App. You should see your nodes show up in the lower box ready to be assigned to your cluster.
Click the plus button just under the top left column and give your cluster a name
Sending the Compressor job to your cluster:
Setup your encode job in Compressor as normal (see my tip below however). Once you’ve selected your codec and settings, choose an output directory that is a local drive to your cluster master. This could be an internal drive, or a FireWire drive.
Submit the compressor batch, when the window comes up asking you to name your batch, drop the Cluster dropdown and change it from “This Computer” to your cluster. Click submit, launch the batch monitor and your cluster is off to the races!
Tips for trouble free clustered encoding:
The most bullet proof method to ensure your videos encode in your cluster with out error, is to save your Final Cut project as a self contained QuickTime movie. Then bringing that self contained file into compressor, and sending that out to your Qmaster cluster for encoding.
Don’t have multiple computers for a cluster? Don’t want to hassle with Qmaster and its quirks? Check out the Matrox CompressHD for seriously faster HD encoding!
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