RunInference Benchmarks
This module contains benchmarks used to test the performance of the RunInference transform running inference with common models and frameworks. Each benchmark is explained in detail below. Beam's performance over time can be viewed at https://beam.apache.org/performance/.
All the performance tests are defined at beam_Inference_Python_Benchmarks_Dataflow.yml.
Pytorch RunInference Image Classification 50K
The Pytorch RunInference Image Classification 50K benchmark runs an example image classification pipeline using various different resnet image classification models (the benchmarks on Beam's dashboard display resnet101 and resnet152) against 50,000 example images from the OpenImage dataset. The benchmarks produce the following metrics:
- Mean Inference Requested Batch Size - the average batch size that RunInference groups the images into for batch prediction
- Mean Inference Batch Latency - the average amount of time it takes to perform inference on a given batch of images
- Mean Load Model Latency - the average amount of time it takes to load a model. This is done once per DoFn instance on worker startup, so the cost is amortized across the pipeline.
These metrics are published to InfluxDB and BigQuery.
Pytorch Image Classification Tests
Pytorch Image Classification with Resnet 101.
- machine_type: n1-standard-2
- num_workers: 75
- autoscaling_algorithm: NONE
- disk_size_gb: 50
Pytorch Image Classification with Resnet 152.
- machine_type: n1-standard-2
- num_workers: 75
- autoscaling_algorithm: NONE
- disk_size_gb: 50
Pytorch Imagenet Classification with Resnet 152 with Tesla T4 GPU.
- machine_type:
- CPU: n1-standard-2
- GPU: NVIDIA Tesla T4
- num_workers: 75
- autoscaling_algorithm: NONE
- disk_size_gb: 50
Approximate size of the models used in the tests
- resnet101: 170.5 MB
- resnet152: 230.4 MB
Pytorch RunInference Language Modeling
The Pytorch RunInference Language Modeling benchmark runs an example language modeling pipeline using the Bert large uncased and Bert base uncased models and a dataset of 50,000 manually generated sentences. The benchmarks produce the following metrics:
- Mean Inference Requested Batch Size - the average batch size that RunInference groups the images into for batch prediction
- Mean Inference Batch Latency - the average amount of time it takes to perform inference on a given batch of images
- Mean Load Model Latency - the average amount of time it takes to load a model. This is done once per DoFn instance on worker startup, so the cost is amortized across the pipeline.
These metrics are published to InfluxDB and BigQuery.
Pytorch Language Modeling Tests
Approximate size of the models used in the tests
- bert-base-uncased: 417.7 MB
- bert-large-uncased: 1.2 GB
PyTorch Sentiment Analysis DistilBERT base
Model: PyTorch Sentiment Analysis — DistilBERT (base-uncased) Accelerator: CPU only Host: 20 × n1-standard-2 (2 vCPUs, 7.5 GB RAM)
Full pipeline implementation is available here.
VLLM Gemma 2b Batch Performance on Tesla T4
Model: google/gemma-2b-it Accelerator: NVIDIA Tesla T4 GPU Host: 3 × n1-standard-8 (8 vCPUs, 30 GB RAM)
Full pipeline implementation is available here.
How to add a new ML benchmark pipeline
- Create the pipeline implementation
- Location: sdks/python/apache_beam/examples/inference (e.g., pytorch_sentiment.py)
- Define CLI args and the logic
- Keep parameter names consistent (e.g., --bq_project, --bq_dataset, --metrics_table).
- Create the benchmark implementation
- Location: sdks/python/apache_beam/testing/benchmarks/inference (e.g., pytorch_sentiment_benchmarks.py)
- Inherit from DataflowCostBenchmark class.
- Ensure the ‘pcollection’ parameter is passed to the
DataflowCostBenchmark constructor. This is the name of the PCollection for which to measure throughput, and you can find this name in the Dataflow UI job graph. - Keep naming consistent with other benchmarks.
- Add an options txt file
- Location: .github/workflows/load-tests-pipeline-options/<pipeline_name>.txt
- Include Dataflow and pipeline flags. Example:
--region=us-central1
--machine_type=n1-standard-2
--num_workers=75
--disk_size_gb=50
--autoscaling_algorithm=NONE
--staging_location=gs://temp-storage-for-perf-tests/loadtests
--temp_location=gs://temp-storage-for-perf-tests/loadtests
--requirements_file=apache_beam/ml/inference/your-requirements-file.txt
--publish_to_big_query=true
--metrics_dataset=beam_run_inference
--metrics_table=your_table
--influx_measurement=your-measurement
--device=CPU
--runner=DataflowRunner
- Wire it into the GitHub Action
- Workflow: .github/workflows/beam_Inference_Python_Benchmarks_Dataflow.yml
- Add your argument-file-path to the matrix.
- Add a step that runs your <pipeline_name>_benchmarks.py with -PloadTest.args=$YOUR_ARGUMENTS. Which are the arguments created in previous step.
- Test on your fork
- Trigger the workflow manually.
- Confirm the Dataflow job completes successfully.
- Verify metrics in BigQuery
- Dataset: beam_run_inference. Table: your_table
- Confirm new rows for your pipeline_name with recent timestamps.
- Update the website
- Create: website/www/site/content/en/performance/<pipeline_name>/_index.md (short title/description).
- Update: website/www/site/data/performance.yaml — add your pipeline and five chart entries with:
- looker_folder_id
- public_slug_id (from Looker, see below)
- Create Looker content (5 charts)
- In Looker → Shared folders → run_inference: create a subfolder for your pipeline.
- From an existing chart: Development mode → Explore from here → Go to LookML.
- Point to your table/view and create 5 standard charts (latency/throughput/cost/etc.).
- Save changes → Publish to production.
- From Explore, open each, set fields/filters for your pipeline, Run, then Save as Look (in your folder).
- Open each Look:
- Copy Look ID
- Add Look IDs to .test-infra/tools/refresh_looker_metrics.py.
- Exit Development mode → Edit Settings → Allow public access.
- Copy public_slug_id and paste into website/performance.yml.
- Run .test-infra/tools/refresh_looker_metrics.py script or manually download as PNG via the public slug and upload to GCS: gs://public_looker_explores_us_a3853f40/FOLDER_ID/<look_slug>.png
- Open a PR
