HugeCTR is a GPU-accelerated recommender framework designed to distribute training across multiple GPUs and nodes and estimate Click-Through Rates (CTRs). HugeCTR supports model-parallel embedding tables and data-parallel neural networks and their variants such as Deep Interest Network (DIN), NCF, Wide and Deep Learning (WDL), Deep Cross Network (DCN), DeepFM, and Deep Learning Recommendation Model (DLRM). HugeCTR is a component of NVIDIA Merlin Open Beta, which is used to build large-scale deep learning recommender systems. For more information, refer to HugeCTR User Guide.
Design Goals:
- Fast: HugeCTR is a speed-of-light CTR model framework that can outperform popular recommender systems such as TensorFlow (TF).
- Efficient: HugeCTR provides the essentials so that you can efficiently train your CTR model.
- Easy: Regardless of whether you are a data scientist or machine learning practitioner, we've made it easy for anybody to use HugeCTR.
- Core Features
- Getting Started
- HugeCTR SDK
- Support and Feedback
- Contributing to HugeCTR
- Additional Resources
HugeCTR supports a variety of features, including the following:
- High-Level abstracted Python interface
- Model parallel training
- Optimized GPU workflow
- Multi-node training
- Mixed precision training
- Embedding training cache
- GPU embedding cache
- GPU / CPU memory sharing mechanism across various inference instances
- HugeCTR to ONNX Converter
- Hierarchical Parameter Server
- Sparse Operation Kit
To learn about our latest enhancements, refer to our release notes.
If you'd like to quickly train a model using the Python interface, do the following:
-
Start a NGC container with your local host directory (/your/host/dir mounted) by running the following command:
docker run --gpus=all --rm -it --cap-add SYS_NICE -v /your/host/dir:/your/container/dir -w /your/container/dir -it -u $(id -u):$(id -g) nvcr.io/nvidia/merlin/merlin-hugectr:22.07NOTE: The /your/host/dir directory is just as visible as the /your/container/dir directory. The /your/host/dir directory is also your starting directory.
NOTE: HugeCTR uses NCCL to share data between ranks, and NCCL may requires shared memory for IPC and pinned (page-locked) system memory resources. It is recommended that you increase these resources by issuing the following options in the
docker runcommand.-shm-size=1g -ulimit memlock=-1 -
Write a simple Python script to generate a synthetic dataset:
# dcn_norm_generate.py import hugectr from hugectr.tools import DataGeneratorParams, DataGenerator data_generator_params = DataGeneratorParams( format = hugectr.DataReaderType_t.Norm, label_dim = 1, dense_dim = 13, num_slot = 26, i64_input_key = False, source = "./dcn_norm/file_list.txt", eval_source = "./dcn_norm/file_list_test.txt", slot_size_array = [39884, 39043, 17289, 7420, 20263, 3, 7120, 1543, 39884, 39043, 17289, 7420, 20263, 3, 7120, 1543, 63, 63, 39884, 39043, 17289, 7420, 20263, 3, 7120, 1543], check_type = hugectr.Check_t.Sum, dist_type = hugectr.Distribution_t.PowerLaw, power_law_type = hugectr.PowerLaw_t.Short) data_generator = DataGenerator(data_generator_params) data_generator.generate() -
Generate the Norm dataset for your DCN model by running the following command:
python dcn_norm_generate.pyNOTE: The generated dataset will reside in the folder
./dcn_norm, which contains training and evaluation data. -
Write a simple Python script for training:
# dcn_norm_train.py import hugectr from mpi4py import MPI solver = hugectr.CreateSolver(max_eval_batches = 1280, batchsize_eval = 1024, batchsize = 1024, lr = 0.001, vvgpu = [[0]], repeat_dataset = True) reader = hugectr.DataReaderParams(data_reader_type = hugectr.DataReaderType_t.Norm, source = ["./dcn_norm/file_list.txt"], eval_source = "./dcn_norm/file_list_test.txt", check_type = hugectr.Check_t.Sum) optimizer = hugectr.CreateOptimizer(optimizer_type = hugectr.Optimizer_t.Adam, update_type = hugectr.Update_t.Global) model = hugectr.Model(solver, reader, optimizer) model.add(hugectr.Input(label_dim = 1, label_name = "label", dense_dim = 13, dense_name = "dense", data_reader_sparse_param_array = [hugectr.DataReaderSparseParam("data1", 1, True, 26)])) model.add(hugectr.SparseEmbedding(embedding_type = hugectr.Embedding_t.DistributedSlotSparseEmbeddingHash, workspace_size_per_gpu_in_mb = 75, embedding_vec_size = 16, combiner = "sum", sparse_embedding_name = "sparse_embedding1", bottom_name = "data1", optimizer = optimizer)) model.add(hugectr.DenseLayer(layer_type = hugectr.Layer_t.Reshape, bottom_names = ["sparse_embedding1"], top_names = ["reshape1"], leading_dim=416)) model.add(hugectr.DenseLayer(layer_type = hugectr.Layer_t.Concat, bottom_names = ["reshape1", "dense"], top_names = ["concat1"])) model.add(hugectr.DenseLayer(layer_type = hugectr.Layer_t.MultiCross, bottom_names = ["concat1"], top_names = ["multicross1"], num_layers=6)) model.add(hugectr.DenseLayer(layer_type = hugectr.Layer_t.InnerProduct, bottom_names = ["concat1"], top_names = ["fc1"], num_output=1024)) model.add(hugectr.DenseLayer(layer_type = hugectr.Layer_t.ReLU, bottom_names = ["fc1"], top_names = ["relu1"])) model.add(hugectr.DenseLayer(layer_type = hugectr.Layer_t.Dropout, bottom_names = ["relu1"], top_names = ["dropout1"], dropout_rate=0.5)) model.add(hugectr.DenseLayer(layer_type = hugectr.Layer_t.Concat, bottom_names = ["dropout1", "multicross1"], top_names = ["concat2"])) model.add(hugectr.DenseLayer(layer_type = hugectr.Layer_t.InnerProduct, bottom_names = ["concat2"], top_names = ["fc2"], num_output=1)) model.add(hugectr.DenseLayer(layer_type = hugectr.Layer_t.BinaryCrossEntropyLoss, bottom_names = ["fc2", "label"], top_names = ["loss"])) model.compile() model.summary() model.graph_to_json(graph_config_file = "dcn.json") model.fit(max_iter = 5120, display = 200, eval_interval = 1000, snapshot = 5000, snapshot_prefix = "dcn")NOTE: Ensure that the paths to the synthetic datasets are correct with respect to this Python script.
data_reader_type,check_type,label_dim,dense_dim, anddata_reader_sparse_param_arrayshould be consistent with the generated dataset. -
Train the model by running the following command:
python dcn_norm_train.pyNOTE: It is presumed that the evaluation AUC value is incorrect since randomly generated datasets are being used. When the training is done, files that contain the dumped graph JSON, saved model weights, and optimizer states will be generated.
For more information, refer to the HugeCTR User Guide.
We're able to support external developers who can't use HugeCTR directly by exporting important HugeCTR components using:
- Sparse Operation Kit directory | documentation: a python package wrapped with GPU accelerated operations dedicated for sparse training/inference cases.
- GPU Embedding Cache: embedding cache available on the GPU memory designed for CTR inference workload.
If you encounter any issues or have questions, go to https://github.com/NVIDIA/HugeCTR/issues and submit an issue so that we can provide you with the necessary resolutions and answers. To further advance the HugeCTR Roadmap, we encourage you to share all the details regarding your recommender system pipeline using this survey.
With HugeCTR being an open source project, we welcome contributions from the general public. With your contributions, we can continue to improve HugeCTR's quality and performance. To learn how to contribute, refer to our HugeCTR Contributor Guide.
| Webpages |
|---|
| NVIDIA Merlin |
| NVIDIA HugeCTR |
| Conference / Website | Title | Date | Speaker | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APSARA 2021 | GPU 推荐系统 Merlin | Oct 2021 | Joey Wang | 中文 |
| GTC Spring 2021 | Learn how Tencent Deployed an Advertising System on the Merlin GPU Recommender Framework | April 2021 | Xiangting Kong, Joey Wang | English |
| GTC Spring 2021 | Merlin HugeCTR: Deep Dive Into Performance Optimization | April 2021 | Minseok Lee | English |
| GTC Spring 2021 | Integrate HugeCTR Embedding with TensorFlow | April 2021 | Jianbing Dong | English |
| GTC China 2020 | MERLIN HUGECTR ：深入研究性能优化 | Oct 2020 | Minseok Lee | English |
| GTC China 2020 | 性能提升 7 倍 + 的高性能 GPU 广告推荐加速系统的落地实现 | Oct 2020 | Xiangting Kong | 中文 |
| GTC China 2020 | 使用 GPU EMBEDDING CACHE 加速 CTR 推理过程 | Oct 2020 | Fan Yu | 中文 |
| GTC China 2020 | 将 HUGECTR EMBEDDING 集成于 TENSORFLOW | Oct 2020 | Jianbing Dong | 中文 |
| GTC Spring 2020 | HugeCTR: High-Performance Click-Through Rate Estimation Training | March 2020 | Minseok Lee, Joey Wang | English |
| GTC China 2019 | HUGECTR: GPU 加速的推荐系统训练 | Oct 2019 | Joey Wang | 中文 |