Add support for variable length dataloaders in DDP (#3416)

* Add support for variable length dataloaders in dist training

* Remove test file

* Fix typo

* Fixed batch referenced before assignment

* Replace sentinel with None

* Add unit test

* Update unit test

* Reduce tensor creation to one line

Co-authored-by: Mihir Patel <[email protected]>

* Remove requirement for gpu in test

---------

Co-authored-by: Mihir Patel <[email protected]>

composer/trainer/trainer.py

@@ -3640,6 +3640,11 @@ def _iter_dataloader(self, trainer_mode: TrainerMode):
         else:
             dataloader_iter = itertools.islice(self.state.dataloader, int(self.state.dataloader_len))
 
+        # Track if iteration has finished (used for distributed training when we have variable length dataloaders)
+        # 0 = not finished, 1 = finished (using integer tensors so we can use dist.all_reduce)
+        iter_finished = self.state.device.tensor_to_device(torch.zeros(1, dtype=torch.uint8))
+
+        batch = None
         while True:
             try:
                 # [BEFORE/AFTER]_DATALOADER only runs while training
@@ -3655,7 +3660,15 @@ def _iter_dataloader(self, trainer_mode: TrainerMode):
                     # Otherwise, we will encounter an error at the start of the next epoch when
                     # Event.BEFORE_DATALOADER tries to start an unfinished marker.
                     self.engine.run_marker_only_event(Event.AFTER_DATALOADER)
+                # Mark iteration as finished - don't break yet as we need to sync across ranks
+                iter_finished += 1
+
+            # Sync iter finished across ranks
+            dist.all_reduce(iter_finished, reduce_operation='MAX')
+            # If any rank has finished, stop all rank iterations
+            if iter_finished.item() == 1:
                 break
+
             yield batch
 
     def _use_closures(self) -> bool:

tests/trainer/test_trainer.py

@@ -1250,6 +1250,43 @@ def test_accumulate_time_across_ranks(
         assert num_tokens_accum == num_tokens * 2
         assert batch_time_accum == datetime.timedelta(seconds=0.1 * (1 + 0))
 
+    @pytest.mark.world_size(2)
+    def test_rank_dependent_dataloader_lengths(
+        self,
+        model: ComposerModel,
+        max_duration: Time[int],
+    ):
+        # Change rank 1 dataloader size to create different sized dataloaders on each rank
+        batch_size = 4
+        orig_num_samples = 16
+        rank_num_samples = orig_num_samples + 8 if dist.get_local_rank() == 1 else orig_num_samples
+        # Create train and eval dataloaders (will have rank-dependent lengths)
+        train_dataset = RandomClassificationDataset(size=rank_num_samples)
+        train_dataloader = DataLoader(
+            dataset=train_dataset,
+            batch_size=batch_size,
+            sampler=dist.get_sampler(train_dataset),
+        )
+        eval_dataset = RandomClassificationDataset(size=rank_num_samples)
+        eval_dataloader = DataLoader(
+            dataset=eval_dataset,
+            batch_size=batch_size,
+            sampler=dist.get_sampler(eval_dataset),
+        )
+        # Fit (train + eval)
+        trainer = Trainer(
+            model=model,
+            max_duration=max_duration,
+            train_dataloader=train_dataloader,
+            eval_dataloader=eval_dataloader,
+        )
+        trainer.fit()
+        # Check the correct number of samples and batches have been processed
+        assert trainer.state.timestamp.sample.value == orig_num_samples
+        assert trainer.state.timestamp.batch.value == orig_num_samples / batch_size / 2
+        assert trainer.state.eval_timestamp.sample.value == orig_num_samples
+        assert trainer.state.eval_timestamp.batch.value == orig_num_samples / batch_size / 2
+
 
 @world_size(1, 2)
 @device('cpu', 'gpu', 'gpu-amp', precision=True)