Arrays backed by SharedBuffer or HostBuffer can be accessed directly from the CPU, so every host access has to wait for outstanding GPU work on the buffer first. #649 fixes the most visible symptom (sum/maximum returning 0) by unconditionally synchronizing the current task's stream in scalar getindex/setindex!. That is correct for the single-task case, but has a few problems:
- Cost. Every element access now does a
device() and global_stream task-local lookup plus a zeCommandListHostSynchronize (and a queue sync if oneMKL was used). A CPU loop over a shared array, which is the main reason to make these arrays host-indexable, turns into a driver call per element.
- Other tasks. Only the calling task's stream is synchronized. Work on the buffer submitted from another task, or to a user-created queue, is not waited for.
- Other host accesses. Taking a CPU pointer through
unsafe_convert(Ptr{T}, x) (unsafe_wrap(Array, a), passing a to a CPU ccall, ...) doesn't synchronize at all. The host↔shared unsafe_copyto! methods each synchronize explicitly to compensate.
How CUDA.jl does it
CUDA.jl wraps every allocation in a Managed object (CUDACore/src/memory.jl) that records the stream that last used it and whether that use has been synchronized:
- Converting the array to a device pointer (
convert(CuPtr, ::Managed), i.e. every kernel launch or copy) calls take_ownership!, which records the current stream and sets dirty = true. Switching to a different stream first syncs the previous owner.
- Converting to a host pointer (
convert(Ptr, ::Managed)) calls maybe_synchronize, which syncs the owning stream only if the allocation is dirty, and then clears the flag.
Scalar indexing goes through pointer(x, I; type=HostMemory), so it needs no explicit synchronization: the first access after GPU work syncs, later ones cost a lock and a Bool check. Because the owning stream is synchronized rather than the caller's, cross-task use works as well. (There's also a captured flag that forces synchronization for memory used during stream capture, which has no oneAPI equivalent yet.)
What oneAPI.jl would need
oneArray.data is a DataRef around the raw oneL0 buffer, so there's no place to keep this state. Roughly:
- Wrap buffers in a small mutable object holding the owning
oneStream and a dirty flag (plus a lock), at least for host-accessible buffers.
- Set ownership and
dirty in unsafe_convert(::Type{ZePtr{T}}, ::oneArray), synchronizing the previous owner when the stream changes.
- Call
maybe_synchronize in unsafe_convert(::Type{Ptr{T}}, ::oneArray), and drop the explicit synchronization from scalar indexing and from the host↔shared unsafe_copyto! methods.
Tests should cover broadcast followed by scalar indexing (not just reductions) and a kernel launched from another task and read from the parent.
Possibly related: #458.
Arrays backed by
SharedBufferorHostBuffercan be accessed directly from the CPU, so every host access has to wait for outstanding GPU work on the buffer first. #649 fixes the most visible symptom (sum/maximumreturning 0) by unconditionally synchronizing the current task's stream in scalargetindex/setindex!. That is correct for the single-task case, but has a few problems:device()andglobal_streamtask-local lookup plus azeCommandListHostSynchronize(and a queue sync if oneMKL was used). A CPU loop over a shared array, which is the main reason to make these arrays host-indexable, turns into a driver call per element.unsafe_convert(Ptr{T}, x)(unsafe_wrap(Array, a), passingato a CPUccall, ...) doesn't synchronize at all. The host↔sharedunsafe_copyto!methods each synchronize explicitly to compensate.How CUDA.jl does it
CUDA.jl wraps every allocation in a
Managedobject (CUDACore/src/memory.jl) that records the stream that last used it and whether that use has been synchronized:convert(CuPtr, ::Managed), i.e. every kernel launch or copy) callstake_ownership!, which records the current stream and setsdirty = true. Switching to a different stream first syncs the previous owner.convert(Ptr, ::Managed)) callsmaybe_synchronize, which syncs the owning stream only if the allocation is dirty, and then clears the flag.Scalar indexing goes through
pointer(x, I; type=HostMemory), so it needs no explicit synchronization: the first access after GPU work syncs, later ones cost a lock and a Bool check. Because the owning stream is synchronized rather than the caller's, cross-task use works as well. (There's also acapturedflag that forces synchronization for memory used during stream capture, which has no oneAPI equivalent yet.)What oneAPI.jl would need
oneArray.datais aDataRefaround the rawoneL0buffer, so there's no place to keep this state. Roughly:oneStreamand adirtyflag (plus a lock), at least for host-accessible buffers.dirtyinunsafe_convert(::Type{ZePtr{T}}, ::oneArray), synchronizing the previous owner when the stream changes.maybe_synchronizeinunsafe_convert(::Type{Ptr{T}}, ::oneArray), and drop the explicit synchronization from scalar indexing and from the host↔sharedunsafe_copyto!methods.Tests should cover broadcast followed by scalar indexing (not just reductions) and a kernel launched from another task and read from the parent.
Possibly related: #458.