Redesign includes new UI and back end, and cloud support for cross-platform compatibility.

Thinkbox Software has released an update to Deadline, its render farm management solution for Windows, Linux, and Mac render farms. Thinkbox says version 6.0 is rebuilt from the ground up to facilitate identical performance, scalability, and flexibility across all platforms.

New features include:

New database backend: With a MongoDB database for increased scalability, Deadline 6.0 functions with over thousands of jobs and Slave configurations, and offers asynchronous access for efficient work even over remote connections.
Redesigned user interface: ? Deadline Monitor introduces a wide range of new features including delayed data loading; live data refreshing; a fully customizable layout that allows re-sizing, docking and floating of any panels; and a new powerful, customizable filtering system. Deadline Monitor also automatically refreshes data in a background thread, eliminating the need for a manual refresh.
Graphic data representation: ? Large graphs visualize various aspects of the farm. Artists, producers and administrators can monitor the progress of jobs and projects as well as the overall health of the farm ? all from across the room.
Simplified user group management: ? Administrators can assign users to custom groups and control the available functionality and features.
Slave log streaming: ? Users can directly connect to the Deadline Slave running on a remote machine and view its log in real time.
Scripting improvements: ? All Deadline plug-ins and scripts now use a native Python bundle, and customizable script menus are available in almost every list in the Deadline Monitor.
Flexible environment control: ? Set environment variables for a job and apply them at render time either exclusively or by merging with the Slave’s current environment.
Streamlined archiving system: Archived jobs are removed from the database and saved in the repository as a .ZIP file, which can be imported again later.
Amazon EC2 cloud support: ? Cloud features built into the Monitor allow it to connect to Amazon EC2 and control existing instances. Start up, shut down or clone existing images to scale the farm up and down as necessary.

Deadline now has more than 60,000 seats currently in use worldwide, making it one of the top render farm management solutions on the market.