Life beyond the browser: The TeraDRE

Abstract

This paper discusses the development of a multi grid-domain application for users of the Purdue TeraDRE resource. The TeraDRE (Distributed Rendering Environment on the TeraGrid) allows a user to greatly reduce the render time of their 3D animations using a cluster of distributed computers, while providing temporary storage for large animations. It has been used successfully by Purdue researchers and students in a number of projects where animations were generated, and is now a service available on the TeraGrid. As we broaden the access to this distributed rendering service, we foresee several challenges. One of the key challenges is to support users coming from different grid domains that require different authentication methods. We also face the increasing demand for the support of multiple rendering engines. To meet these and other demands, we have developed the next generation grid-aware TeraDRE as a gateway for users from TeraGrid, Open Science Grid and other organizations. Using the Java Web Start technology, the new generation TeraDRE provides a user friendly interface that supports the end-to-end workflow needed to render 3D graphics and animations on the grid. The grid-aware TeraDRE is rich with features such as automatic video file production, previews and notification on web-capable mobile devices. It also supports multiple rendering engines, including the open source renderers POV-Ray and Blender.