Better way to collate Multiprocessing-Process results? - python

Let us consider the following code where I calculate the factorial of 4 really large numbers, saving each output to a separate .txt file (out_mp_{idx}.txt). I use multiprocessing (4 processes) to reduce the computation time. Though this works fine, I want to output all the 4 results in one file.
One way is to open each of the generated (4) files I create (from the code below) and append to a new file, but that's not my choice (below is just a simplistic version of my code, I have too many files to handle, which defeats the purpose of time-saving via multiprocessing). Is there a better way to automate such that the results from the processes are all dumped/appended to some file? Also, in my case the returned results form each process could be several lines, so how would we avoid open-file conflict for the case when the results are appended in the output file by one process and second process returns its answer and wants to open/access the output file?
As an alternative, I tried process.immap route, but that's not as computationally efficient as the below code. Something like this SO post.
from multiprocessing import Process
import os
import time
tic = time.time()
def factorial(n, idx): # function to calculate the factorial
num = 1
while n >= 1:
num *= n
n = n - 1
with open(f'out_mp_{idx}.txt', 'w') as f0: # saving output to a separate file
f0.writelines(str(num))
def My_prog():
jobs = []
N = [10000, 20000, 40000, 50000] # numbers for which factorial is desired
n_procs = 4
# executing multiple processes
for i in range(n_procs):
p = Process(target=factorial, args=(N[i], i))
jobs.append(p)
for j in jobs:
j.start()
for j in jobs:
j.join()
print(f'Exec. Time:{time.time()-tic} [s]')
if __name__=='__main__':
My_prog()

You can do this.
Create a Queue
a) manager = Manager()
b) data_queue = manager.Queue()
c) put all data in this queue.
Create a thread and start it before multiprocess
a) create a function which waits on data_queue.
Something like
`
def fun():
while True:
data = data_queue.get()
if instance(data_queue, Sentinal):
break
#write to a file
`
3) Remember to send some Sentinal object after all multiprocesses are done.
You can also make this thread a daemon thread and skip sentinal part.

Related

Split list automatically for multiprocessing

I am learning multiprocessing in Python, and thinking of a problem. I want that for a shared list(nums = mp.Manager().list), is there any way that it automatically splits the list for all the processes so that it does not compute on same numbers in parallel.
Current code:
# multiple processes
nums = mp.Manager().list(range(10000))
results = mp.Queue()
def get_square(list_of_num, results_sharedlist):
# simple get square
results_sharedlist.put(list(map(lambda x: x**2, list_of_num)))
start = time.time()
process1 = mp.Process(target=get_square, args = (nums, results))
process2 = mp.Process(target=get_square, args=(nums, results))
process1.start()
process2.start()
process1.join()
process2.join()
print(time.time()-start)
for i in range(results.qsize()):
print(results.get())
Current Behaviour
It computes the square of same list twice
What I want
I want the process 1 and process 2 to compute squares of nums list 1 time in parallel without me defining the split.
You can make function to decide on which data it needs to perform operations. In current scenario, you want your function to divide the square calculation work by it's own based on how many processes are working in parallel.
To do so, you need to let your function know which process it is working on and how many other processes are working along with it. So that it can only work on specific data. So you can just pass two more parameters to your functions which will give information about processes running in parallel. i.e. current_process and total_process.
If you have a list of length divisible by 2 and you want to calculate squares of same using two processes then your function would look something like as follows:
def get_square(list_of_num, results_sharedlist, current_process, total_process):
total_length = len(list_of_num)
start = (total_length // total_process) * (current_process - 1)
end = (total_length // total_process) * current_process
results_sharedlist.put(list(map(lambda x: x**2, list_of_num[start:end])))
TOTAL_PROCESSES = 2
process1 = mp.Process(target=get_square, args = (nums, results, 1, TOTAL_PROCESSES))
process2 = mp.Process(target=get_square, args=(nums, results, 2, TOTAL_PROCESSES))
The assumption I have made here is that the length of list on which you are going to work is in multiple of processes you are allocating. And if it not then the current logic will leave behind some numbers with no output.
Hope this answers your question!
Agree on the answer by Jake here, but as a bonus:
if you are using a multiprocessing.Pool(), it keeps an internal counter of the multiprocessing threads spawned, so you can avoid the parametr to identify the current_process by accessing _identity from the current_process by multiprocessing, like this:
from multiprocessing import current_process, Pool
p = current_process()
print('process counter:', p._identity[0])
more info from this answer.

Dividing line by module in multiprocessing

I want to put a huge file into small files. There are approximately 2 million IDs in file and I want sort them by module. When you run program it should ask the number of files that you want to divide the main file.(x= int(input)). And I want to seperate file by module function. I mean if ID%x == 1 it should ad this ID to q1 and to f1. But it adds only first line that true for requirements.
import multiprocessing
def createlist(x,i,queue_name):
with open("events.txt") as f:
next(f)
for line in f:
if int(line) % x == i:
queue_name.put(line)
def createfile(x,i,queue_name):
for i in range(x):
file_name = "file{}.txt".format(i+1)
with open(file_name, "w") as text:
text.write(queue_name.get())
if __name__=='__main__':
x= int(input("number of parts "))
i = 0
for i in range(x):
queue_name = "q{}".format(i+1)
queue_name = multiprocessing.Queue()
p0=multiprocessing.Process(target = createlist, args = (x,i,queue_name,))
process_name = "p{}".format(i+1)
process_name = multiprocessing.Process(target = createfile, args = (x,i,queue_name,))
p0.start()
process_name.start()
Your createfile has two functional issues.
it only reads from the queue once, then terminates
it iterates the range of the desired number of subsets a second time, hence even after fixing the issue with the single queue-read you get one written file and parts - 1 empty files.
To fix your approach make createfile look like this:
def createfile(i, queue_name): # Note: x has been removed from the args
file_name = "file{}.txt".format(i + 1)
with open(file_name, "w") as text:
while True:
if queue.empty():
break
text.write(queue.get())
Since x has been removed from createfile's arguments, you'd also remove it from the process instantiation:
process_name = multiprocessing.Process(target = createfile, args = (i,queue_name,))
However ... do not do it like this. The more subsets you want, the more processes and queues you create (two processes and one queue per subset). That is a lot of overhead you create.
Also, while having one responsible process per output file for writing might still make some sense, having multiple processes reading the same (huge) file completely does not.
I did some timing and testing with an input file containing 1000 lines, each consisting of one random integer between 0 and 9999. I created three algorithms and ran each in ten iterations while tracking execution time. I did this for a desired number of subsets of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10. For the graph below I took the mean value of each series.
orwqpp (green): Is one-reader-writer-queue-per-part. Your approach. It saw an average increase in execution time of 0.48 seconds per additional subset.
orpp (blue): Is one-reader-per-part. This one had a common writer process that took care of writing to all files. It saw an average increase in execution time of 0.25 seconds per additional subset.
ofa (yellow): Is one-for-all. One single function, not run in a separate process, reading and writing in one go. It saw an average increase in execution time of 0.0014 seconds per additional subset.
Keep in mind that these figures were created with an input file 1/2000 the size of yours. The processes in what resembles your approach completed so quickly, they barely got in each other's way. Once the input is large enough to make the processes run for a longer amount of time, contention for CPU resources will increase and so will the penalty of having more processes as more subsets are requested.
Here's the one-for-all approach:
def one_for_all(parts):
handles = dict({el: open("file{}.txt".format(el), "w") for el in range(parts)})
with open("events.txt") as f:
next(f)
for line in f:
fnum = int(line) % parts
handles.get(fnum).write(line)
[h.close() for h in handles.values()]
if __name__ == '__main__':
x = int(input("number of parts "))
one_for_all(x)
This currently names the files based on the result of the modulo operation, so numbers where int(line) % parts is 0 will be in file0.txt and so on.
if you don't want that, simply add 1 when formatting the file name:
handles = dict({el: open("file{}.txt".format(el+1), "w") for el in range(parts)})

REVISED WITH COMMENTS v1: Multiprocessing on same dict/list

I am fairly new to python, kindly excuse me for insufficient information if any. As a part of the curriculum , I got introduced to python for quants/finance, I am studying multiprocessing and trying to understand this better. I tried modifying the problem given and now I am stuck mentally with the problem.
Problem:
I have a function which gives me ticks, in ohlc format.
{'scrip_name':'ABC','timestamp':1504836192,'open':301.05,'high':303.80,'low':299.00,'close':301.10,'volume':100000}
every minute. I wish to do the following calculation concurrently and preferably append/insert in the samelist
Find the Moving Average of the last 5 close data
Find the Median of the last 5 open data
Save the tick data to a database.
so expected data is likely to be
['scrip_name':'ABC','timestamp':1504836192,'open':301.05,'high':303.80,'low':299.00,'close':301.10,'volume':100000,'MA_5_open':300.25,'Median_5_close':300.50]
Assuming that the data is going to a db, its fairly easy to write a simple dbinsert routine to the database, I don't see that as a great challenge, I can spawn a to execute a insert statement for every minute.
How do I sync 3 different functions/process( a function to insert into db, a function to calculate the average, a function to calculate the median), while holding in memory 5 ticks to calculate the 5 period, simple average Moving Average and push them back to the dict/list.
The following assumption, challenges me in writing the multiprocessing routine. can someone guide me. I don't want to use pandas dataframe.
====REVISION/UPDATE===
The reason, why I don't want any solution on pandas/numpy is that, my objective is to understand the basics, and not the nuances of a new library. Please don't mistake my need for understanding to be arrogance or not wanting to be open to suggestions.
The advantage of having
p1=Process(target=Median,arg(sourcelist))
p2=Process(target=Average,arg(sourcelist))
p3=process(target=insertdb,arg(updatedlist))
would help me understand the possibility of scaling processes based on no of functions /algo components.. But how should I make sure p1&p2 are in sync while p3 should execute post p1&p2
Here is an example of how to use multiprocessing:
from multiprocessing import Pool, cpu_count
def db_func(ma, med):
db.save(something)
def backtest_strat(d, db_func):
a = d.get('avg')
s = map(sum, a)
db_func(s/len(a), median(a))
with Pool(cpu_count()) as p:
from functools import partial
bs = partial(backtest_strat, db_func=db_func)
print(p.map(bs, [{'avg': [1,2,3,4,5], 'median': [1,2,3,4,5]}]))
also see :
https://stackoverflow.com/a/24101655/2026508
note that this will not speed up anything unless there are a lot of slices.
so for the speed up part:
def get_slices(data)
for slice in data:
yield {'avg': [1,2,3,4,5], 'median': [1,2,3,4,5]}
p.map(bs, get_slices)
from what i understand multiprocessing works by message passing via pickles, so the pool.map when called should have access to all three things, the two arrays, and the db_save function. There are of course other ways to go about it, but hopefully this shows one way to go about it.
Question: how should I make sure p1&p2 are in sync while p3 should execute post p1&p2
If you sync all Processes, computing one Task (p1,p2,p3) couldn't be faster as the slowes Process are be.
In the meantime the other Processes running idle.
It's called "Producer - Consumer Problem".
Solution using Queue all Data serialize, no synchronize required.
# Process-1
def Producer()
task_queue.put(data)
# Process-2
def Consumer(task_queue)
data = task_queue.get()
# process data
You want multiple Consumer Processes and one Consumer Process gather all Results.
You don't want to use Queue, but Sync Primitives.
This Example let all Processes run independent.
Only the Process Result waits until notified.
This Example uses a unlimited Task Buffer tasks = mp.Manager().list().
The Size could be minimized if List Entrys for done Tasks are reused.
If you have some very fast algos combine some to one Process.
import multiprocessing as mp
# Base class for all WORKERS
class Worker(mp.Process):
tasks = mp.Manager().list()
task_ready = mp.Condition()
parties = mp.Manager().Value(int, 0)
#classmethod
def join(self):
# Wait until all Data processed
def get_task(self):
for i, task in enumerate(Worker.tasks):
if task is None: continue
if not self.__class__.__name__ in task['result']:
return (i, task['range'])
return (None, None)
# Main Process Loop
def run(self):
while True:
# Get a Task for this WORKER
idx, _range = self.get_task()
if idx is None:
break
# Compute with self Method this _range
result = self.compute(_range)
# Update Worker.tasks
with Worker.lock:
task = Worker.tasks[idx]
task['result'][name] = result
parties = len(task['result'])
Worker.tasks[idx] = task
# If Last, notify Process Result
if parties == Worker.parties.value:
with Worker.task_ready:
Worker.task_ready.notify()
class Result(Worker):
# Main Process Loop
def run(self):
while True:
with Worker.task_ready:
Worker.task_ready.wait()
# Get (idx, _range) from tasks List
idx, _range = self.get_task()
if idx is None:
break
# process Task Results
# Mark this tasks List Entry as done for reuse
Worker.tasks[idx] = None
class Average(Worker):
def compute(self, _range):
return average of DATA[_range]
class Median(Worker):
def compute(self, _range):
return median of DATA[_range]
if __name__ == '__main__':
DATA = mp.Manager().list()
WORKERS = [Result(), Average(), Median()]
Worker.start(WORKERS)
# Example creates a Task every 5 Records
for i in range(1, 16):
DATA.append({'id': i, 'open': 300 + randrange(0, 5), 'close': 300 + randrange(-5, 5)})
if i % 5 == 0:
Worker.tasks.append({'range':(i-5, i), 'result': {}})
Worker.join()
Tested with Python: 3.4.2

Different inputs for different processes in python multiprocessing

Please bear with me as this is a bit of a contrived example of my real application. Suppose I have a list of numbers and I wanted to add a single number to each number in the list using multiple (2) processes. I can do something like this:
import multiprocessing
my_list = list(range(100))
my_number = 5
data_line = [{'list_num': i, 'my_num': my_number} for i in my_list]
def worker(data):
return data['list_num'] + data['my_num']
pool = multiprocessing.Pool(processes=2)
pool_output = pool.map(worker, data_line)
pool.close()
pool.join()
Now however, there's a wrinkle to my problem. Suppose that I wanted to alternate adding two numbers (instead of just adding one). So around half the time, I want to add my_number1 and the other half of the time I want to add my_number2. It doesn't matter which number gets added to which item on the list. However, the one requirement is that I don't want to be adding the same number simultaneously at the same time across the different processes. What this boils down to essentially (I think) is that I want to use the first number on Process 1 and the second number on Process 2 exclusively so that the processes are never simultaneously adding the same number. So something like:
my_num1 = 5
my_num2 = 100
data_line = [{'list_num': i, 'my_num1': my_num1, 'my_num2': my_num2} for i in my_list]
def worker(data):
# if in Process 1:
return data['list_num'] + data['my_num1']
# if in Process 2:
return data['list_num'] + data['my_num2']
# and so forth
Is there an easy way to specify specific inputs per process? Is there another way to think about this problem?
multiprocessing.Pool allows to execute an initializer function which is going to be executed before the actual given function will be run.
You can use it altogether with a global variable to allow your function to understand in which process is running.
You probably want to control the initial number the processes will get. You can use a Queue to notify to the processes which number to pick up.
This solution is not optimal but it works.
import multiprocessing
process_number = None
def initializer(queue):
global process_number
process_number = queue.get() # atomic get the process index
def function(value):
print "I'm process %s" % process_number
return value[process_number]
def main():
queue = multiprocessing.Queue()
for index in range(multiprocessing.cpu_count()):
queue.put(index)
pool = multiprocessing.Pool(initializer=initializer, initargs=[queue])
tasks = [{0: 'Process-0', 1: 'Process-1', 2: 'Process-2'}, ...]
print(pool.map(function, tasks))
My PC is a dual core, as you can see only Process-0 and Process-1 are processed.
I'm process 0
I'm process 0
I'm process 1
I'm process 0
I'm process 1
...
['Process-0', 'Process-0', 'Process-1', 'Process-0', ... ]

Using threading/multiprocessing in python to do multiple calculations at the same time

I have a list of numbers. I want to perform some time-consuming operation on each number in the list and make a new list with all the results. Here's a simplified version of what I have:
def calcNum(n):#some arbitrary, time-consuming calculation on a number
m = n
for i in range(5000000):
m += i%25
if m > n*n:
m /= 2
return m
nums = [12,25,76,38,8,2,5]
finList = []
for i in nums:
return_val = calcNum(i)
finList.append(return_val)
print(finList)
Now, I wanted to take advantage of the multiple cores in my CPU, and give each of them a task of processing one of the numbers, and since the "number calculation" function is self-contained from start to finish I figured this would be fairly simple to do and a perfect situation for multiprocessing/threading.
My question is, which one should I use (multiprocessing or threading?), and what is the simplest way to do this?
I did a test with various code I found in other questions to achieve this, and while it runs fine it doesn't seem to be doing any actual multithreading/processing and takes just as long as my first test:
from multiprocessing.pool import ThreadPool
def calcNum(n):#some arbitrary, time-consuming calculation on a number
m = n
for i in range(5000000):
m += i%25
if m > n*n:
m /= 2
return m
pool = ThreadPool(processes=3)
nums = [12,25,76,38,8,2,5]
finList = []
for i in nums:
async_result = pool.apply_async(calcNum, (i,))
return_val = async_result.get()
finList.append(return_val)
print(finList)
multiprocessing.pool and pool.map are your best friends here. It saves a lot of headache as it hides all the other complex queues and whatnot you need to make it work. All you need to do is set up the pool, assign it the max number of processes, point it to the function and iterable. See working code below.
Because of the join and the usage cases pool.map was intended to work, the program will wait until ALL processes have returned something before giving you the result.
from multiprocessing.pool import Pool
def calcNum(n):#some arbitrary, time-consuming calculation on a number
print "Calcs Started on ", n
m = n
for i in range(5000000):
m += i%25
if m > n*n:
m /= 2
return m
if __name__ == "__main__":
p = Pool(processes=3)
nums = [12,25,76,38,8,2,5]
finList = []
result = p.map(calcNum, nums)
p.close()
p.join()
print result
That will get you something like this:
Calcs Started on 12
Calcs Started on 25
Calcs Started on 76
Calcs Started on 38
Calcs Started on 8
Calcs Started on 2
Calcs Started on 5
[72, 562, 5123, 1270, 43, 23, 23]
Regardless of when each process is started or when it completes, map waits for each to finish and then puts them all back in the correct order (corresponding to the input iterable).
As #Guy mentioned, the GIL hurts us here. You can change the Pool to ThreadPool in the code above and see how it affects the timing of the calculations. Since the same function is used, the GIL only allows one thread to use the calcNum function at a time. So it near enough still runs serially.
Multirocessing with a process or pool essentially starts further instances of your script which gets around the issue of the GIL. If you watch your running processes during the above, you'll see extra instances of 'python.exe' start while the pool is running. In this case, you'll see a total of 4.
I guess you are affected by python Global Interpreter Lock
The GIL is controversial because it prevents multithreaded CPython programs from taking full advantage of multiprocessor systems in certain situations.
try to use multiprocessing instead
from multiprocessing import Pool

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