RouteMaster uses the concept of a single “master router” which all connected clients are controlling. This master router may be a virtual one (either a Stack Router or Multi Router), which maps incoming routes to physical routers in a range of ways.
But sometimes you want to be able to control multiple routers, while treating each one totally independently: To do this you need to run multiple instances of RouteMaster. There are two approaches:
Virtual Machines
You can run RouteMaster in virtual machines using Hyper-V, Virtualbox, etc. Each instance is totally independent, and because each VM has a separate IP address, there’s no concern about TCP port number clashes.
Multiple instances on the same PC
You can start multiple instances of RouteMaster on the same PC, but there are some important considerations.
- Each instance must be started with the ‘
-f‘ command line option, specifying the folder to use for settings, logs etc. Each instance must use a different folder. - Each instance must use unique port numbers for any client protocols. If two instances use the same client ports, one will not be started.
- Client hardware/software must allow non-standard port numbers to be used. Blackmagic Videohub panels, for example, always use port 9990, so cannot connect to an instance that is using a different port.
Regardless of the approach you choose, you must have enough RouteMaster licenses for the number of instances you are running.