Configuration Files > Software Initialisation File Keywords >
BackburnerManagerGroupCapability

The BackburnerManagerGroupCapability keyword specifies whether the nodes in your rendering network are equipped with GPU-accelerated graphics cards or not. Based on the value of this keyword, the Visual Effects and Finishing application enables or disables the submission of jobs that require a GPU (such as floating point jobs) to the rendering network.

The BackburnerManagerGroupCapability keyword uses the following syntax

BackburnerManagerGroupCapability <group_capability>

where <group_capability> can be software, gpu, or hybrid depending on the hardware of the nodes in the rendering network.

- If none of the nodes in your rendering network are equipped with GPUs, set the value of the keyword to software. The application does not send jobs that require a GPU to the rendering network, but only jobs that can be rendered in software mode (using OSMesa) by the render nodes.
- If ALL the nodes in your rendering network are equipped with GPUs, set the value of the keyword to gpu. The application sends all jobs to the GPU-equipped nodes, even if some jobs do not specifically require a GPU render node. The GPU-equipped render nodes will render jobs that require a GPU, as well as OSMesa jobs.
  NoteIf your rendering network also contains render nodes without a GPU, but the BackburnerManagerGroupCapability keyword is incorrectly set to gpu, all jobs are sent only to GPU-equipped render nodes, and the nodes without a GPU are never used.
- If your rendering network contains a mix of nodes with GPUs and without GPUs, set the keyword to hybrid. The application sends all jobs to the rendering network, and Backburner Manager distributes each job to the appropriate type of render node. Jobs that require a GPU are sent only to GPU-equipped render nodes, while jobs that do not require a GPU are sent to any available render node (GPU or non-GPU) to be rendered in software mode.
  NoteSet the BackburnerManagerGroupCapability keyword to gpu or hybrid only if you are sure that at least one node in your rendering network is equipped with a GPU. Attempting to submit a job that requires a GPU to a rendering network with no GPU-equipped render node results in the job being stuck in the rendering queue indefinitely.

Example of use

BackburnerManagerGroupCapability software