Unifying Python/C++/CUDA memory: Python buffered array -> C++11 `std::vector` -> CUDA managed memory
Project description
Unifying Python/C++/CUDA memory: Python buffered array <-> C++11 std::vector <-> CUDA managed memory.
Why
Data should be manipulated using the existing functionality and design paradigms of each programming language. Python code should be Pythonic. CUDA code should be… CUDActic? C code should be… er, Clean.
However, in practice converting between data formats across languages can be a pain.
Other libraries which expose functionality to convert/pass data formats between these different language spaces tend to be bloated, unnecessarily complex, and relatively unmaintainable. By comparison, cuvec uses the latest functionality of Python, C/C++11, and CUDA to keep its code (and yours) as succinct as possible. “Native” containers are exposed so your code follows the conventions of your language. Want something which works like a numpy.ndarray? Not a problem. Want to convert it to a std::vector? Or perhaps a raw float * to use in a CUDA kernel? Trivial.
Non objectives
Anything to do with mathematical functionality. The aim is to expose functionality, not create it.
Even something as simple as setting element values is left to the user and/or pre-existing features - for example:
Python: arr[:] = value
Numpy: arr.fill(value)
C++: std::fill(vec.begin(), vec.end(), value)
C/CUDA: memset(vec.data(), value, sizeof(T) * vec.size())
Install
Requirements:
Python 3.6 or greater (e.g. via Anaconda or Miniconda)
CUDA SDK/Toolkit (including drivers for an NVIDIA GPU)
pip install cuvec
Usage
Creating
Python
import cuvec
arr = cuvec.zeros((1337, 42), "float32") # like `numpy.ndarray`
# print(sum(arr))
# some_numpy_func(arr)
# some_cpython_api_func(arr.cuvec)
CPython API
#include "Python.h"
#include "pycuvec.cuh" // requires nvcc
PyObject *obj = (PyObject *)PyCuVec_zeros<float>({1337, 42});
// don't forget to Py_INCREF(obj) if returning it.
/// N.B.: convenience functions provided by "pycuvec.cuh":
// PyCuVec<T> *PyCuVec_zeros(std::vector<Py_ssize_t> shape);
// PyCuVec<T> *PyCuVec_zeros_like(PyCuVec<T> *other);
// PyCuVec<T> *PyCuVec_deepcopy(PyCuVec<T> *other);
C++/CUDA
#include "cuvec.cuh" // requires nvcc
CuVec<float> vec(1337 * 42); // like std::vector<float>
Converting
The following involve no memory copies.
Python to CPython API
# import cuvec, my_custom_lib
# arr = cuvec.zeros((1337, 42), "float32")
my_custom_lib.some_cpython_api_func(arr.cuvec)
CPython API to Python
import cuvec, my_custom_lib
arr = cuvec.asarray(my_custom_lib.some_cpython_api_func())
CPython API to C++
/// input: `PyObject *obj` (obtained from e.g.: `PyArg_ParseTuple()`, etc)
/// output: `CuVec<type> vec`
CuVec<float> &vec = ((PyCuVec<float> *)obj)->vec; // like std::vector<float>
std::vector<Py_ssize_t> &shape = ((PyCuVec<float> *)obj)->shape;
C++ to C/CUDA
/// input: `CuVec<type> vec`
/// output: `type *arr`
float *arr = vec.data(); // pointer to `cudaMallocManaged()` data
External C++/CUDA Projects
cuvec is a header-only library so simply #include "pycuvec.cuh" (or #include "cuvec.cuh"). You can find the location of the headers using:
python -c "import cuvec; print(cuvec.include_path)"
External CMake Projects
This is likely unnecessary (see above).
The raw C++/CUDA libraries may be included in external projects using cmake. Simply build the project and use find_package(AMYPADcuvec).
# print installation directory (after `pip install cuvec`)...
python -c "import cuvec; print(cuvec.cmake_prefix)"
# ... or build & install directly with cmake
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ../cuvec && cmake --build . && cmake --install . --prefix /my/install/dir
At this point any external project may include cuvec as follows (Once setting -DCMAKE_PREFIX_DIR=<installation prefix from above>):
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.3 FATAL_ERROR)
project(myproj)
find_package(AMYPADcuvec COMPONENTS cuvec REQUIRED)
add_executable(myexe ...)
target_link_libraries(myexe PRIVATE AMYPAD::cuvec)
Licence
Copyright 2021
Casper O. da Costa-Luis @ University College London/King’s College London
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