Set up render machine backups (failover)

Any render machine is liable to failure. To limit this risk, we recommend pairing a Backup machine for each render (Main) machine using a video router.

Supported devices:

• Blackmagic Videohub

In Pixotope, you set the router spigots of your machine pairings in the Machines panel. Monitor the machines' stability and switch between them in the Health panel

Learn more about Monitoring machine health - PRODUCTION

To set up a backup for your Server machine see Use Backup Server (failover)

Configure Videohub router

1. Physically route the outputs of the Main and Backup render machines on the Videohub router

2. Optionally, change their labels in the Videohub setup utility

Make sure the routed inputs and outputs are not locked!

Example routing

Inputs

Outputs

Set up backup machines

1. Go to SETUP > Configure > Machines

2. Click "Manage backup mapping" in the top right

Connect Videohub

1. Enter the IP address of your Videohub

   • it connects immediately but you can also click "Test connection"

2. Click "Enable Videohub connection"

Route backup machines

Do the routing of all machines beforehand. Currently only 1 output is supported per machine.

Learn more about how to Configure routing

1. Drag and drop a machine onto the target area of a Main machine

   • The dragged machine becomes its Backup

   • Note: A warning is shown in case the licenses between machines differ

     • Having different features can cause problems when failover occurs

2. Set the Videohub inputs and output for each machine pairing

Save backup mapping

1. Click "Save backup mapping" to save any changes to the Videohub routing

Enabling of Videohub, IP address and Failover mode are not affected by the Save button, but automatically applied/saved.

Choose failover mode

1. Click "Manage backup mapping" in the top right

2. Set your preferred Failover mode

Failover triggers

Failover mode	Trigger	Failover time1
Manual	Switch button in the Diagnostics > Health panel	~1 frame
Automatic Manual switching is also possible.	Engine failure2	max 1 second
	VideoIO failure2	max 1 second
	Network failure2	max 1 second
	Any critical Health parameter (optional)	max 1 second

¹ Total time it takes from detection of an issue until the Videohub switched to the other machine

² Service becomes unresponsive and does not answer

Only enable Automatic failover after your levels are finalised and launched in LIVE mode.

Exit backup mapping

1. Click "Exit"

Monitor automatic/manual switching

1. Go to Diagnostics > Health

   • Main machines are on the top, backup machines are on the bottom

   • In any pairing, the machine with a white background is active

Manually switch between Main and Backup machine

1. Click the "Switch ↑/↓" button to activate the machine the arrow is pointing towards

When a parameter of a machine in a pairing reaches the critical state, the Switch button becomes more prominent.

Prepare for switching on critical Health parameters

If Also switch on critical Health parameters is enabled, the Pixotope diagnostics service has to run on all Main and Backup machines.

Learn more about how to Set up health monitoring

Automatic switching

If one or more of the failover triggers are reached, Switch will happen automatically.

Automatic switching happens regardless of which panel or application is in focus.

Failover state

Keep track of which machine is active, sending its feed to the output, from the Health panel.

	Idle	Active
Routing, Delays, Connections and Status panel
Health panel