The Render Server update on 12.0 minor will begin running as a Windows Service. As such this article will cover how to do so.

How to Update?

Firstly, check to see your Render Server Controller version if it's updated to the Legacy Version (2131.8):

There is a prompt at the bottom to ask if you want to update to the Service Version (2131.107), where it will be installed alongside the Legacy Version.
This is so that users can still choose to use the Legacy Version if the Service Version has any unforeseen issues.

After it's updated to the Service Version, it should now look like this:

Since it's now a Service, it requires elevated permissions to edit the fields here.

Blocked by Firewall

Usage of the Render Server could be blocked if the connection is blocked by a Firewall.

The installer adds an exception in the Windows Firewall for the RenderServer by default.
However, if you are using another firewall, incoming and outgoing traffic might be blocked.

• If both incoming and outgoing are blocked, the resources will not be visible in the RenderAccelerator on another machine.
• If only incoming is blocked, the RenderAccelerator will detect the resource, but it will be marked as offline.

In these cases, the only fix is to add an exception to the used firewall.