[Autotuner] Use cudagraph for time measurement on Nvidia hardware

Author: yf225

helion/_testing.py

@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 from typing import Generator
 import unittest
 
-import pytest
 import torch
 from torch.utils._pytree import tree_map
 import triton
@@ -267,6 +266,8 @@ def setUp(self) -> None:
         if not self._in_ref_eager_mode:
             return
 
+        import pytest
+
         # Reset assert_close counter for this test
         RefEagerTestBase._assert_close_count = 0
         # Reset assertRaises counter for this test
@@ -361,6 +362,8 @@ def tearDown(self) -> None:
             super().tearDown()  # type: ignore[misc]
             return
 
+        import pytest
+
         try:
             # Exit the run_ref tracker
             self._run_ref_tracker.__exit__(None, None, None)

helion/autotuner/base_search.py

@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@
 from triton.testing import do_bench
 
 from .. import exc
+from .._testing import is_cuda
 from ..runtime.kernel import BoundKernel
 from ..runtime.precompile_shim import already_compiled
 from ..runtime.precompile_shim import make_precompiler
+from .bench_utils import do_bench_cudagraph_with_cache_clear
 from .benchmarking import interleaved_bench
 from .config_generation import ConfigGeneration
 from .config_generation import FlatConfig
@@ -325,12 +327,18 @@ def benchmark_function(self, config: Config, fn: CompiledConfig) -> float:
                 # Accuracy check failed; reject this config
                 return inf
             t1 = time.perf_counter()
-            res = do_bench(
-                functools.partial(fn, *self.args),
-                return_mode="median",
-                warmup=1,  # we are already warmed up above
-                rep=50,
-            )
+            kwargs = {
+                "fn": functools.partial(fn, *self.args),
+                "rep": 50,
+            }
+            if is_cuda():
+                res = do_bench_cudagraph_with_cache_clear(**kwargs)
+            else:
+                res = do_bench(
+                    **kwargs,
+                    warmup=1,  # we are already warmed up above
+                    return_mode="median",
+                )
             t2 = time.perf_counter()
             assert isinstance(res, float)
             self.log.debug(

helion/autotuner/bench_utils.py

@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Callable
+from typing import Sequence
+
+import torch
+import triton
+
+
+def do_bench_cudagraph_with_cache_clear(
+    fn: Callable[[], object],
+    rep: int = 20,
+    grad_to_none: Sequence[torch.Tensor] | None = None,
+) -> float:
+    """
+    Clone of triton.testing.do_bench_cudagraph with explicit L2 cache clearing.
+    Only supports calculating mean execution time.
+
+    Args:
+        fn: Function to benchmark
+        rep: Target total measurement time in milliseconds
+        grad_to_none: Tensors whose gradients should be cleared before each measurement
+
+    Returns:
+        Mean execution time in milliseconds
+    """
+    # Get a cache tensor and function to zero it for L2 cache clearing
+    cache = triton.runtime.driver.active.get_empty_cache_for_benchmark()  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+    clear_cache_fn = cache.zero_
+
+    # Use a separate CUDA stream for all benchmark operations
+    with torch.cuda.stream(torch.cuda.Stream()):
+        # Warmup: clear cache and run function once to ensure it's compiled
+        clear_cache_fn()
+        fn()
+
+        # Reset gradients if needed (for autograd-enabled benchmarks)
+        if grad_to_none is not None:
+            for x in grad_to_none:
+                x.detach_()
+                x.requires_grad_(True)
+                x.grad = None
+
+        # Estimate execution time
+        start_event = torch.cuda.Event(enable_timing=True)
+        end_event = torch.cuda.Event(enable_timing=True)
+        start_event.record()
+        for _ in range(5):
+            clear_cache_fn()
+            fn()
+        end_event.record()
+        torch.cuda.synchronize()
+        estimate_ms = start_event.elapsed_time(end_event) / 5
+
+        # Calculate number of repetitions needed to reach target measurement time (rep)
+        n_repeat = 1000 if estimate_ms == 0 else max(1, int(rep / estimate_ms))
+
+        # Create a CUDA graph for the actual kernel execution + cache clearing
+        g = torch.cuda.CUDAGraph()
+        with torch.cuda.graph(g):
+            for _ in range(n_repeat):
+                if grad_to_none is not None:
+                    for x in grad_to_none:
+                        x.grad = None
+                clear_cache_fn()
+                fn()
+        torch.cuda.synchronize()
+
+        # Create a separate CUDA graph for just cache clearing
+        cache_clear_graph = torch.cuda.CUDAGraph()
+        with torch.cuda.graph(cache_clear_graph):
+            for _ in range(n_repeat):
+                clear_cache_fn()
+        torch.cuda.synchronize()
+
+        # Measure time for cache clearing only
+        cache_clear_start_event = torch.cuda.Event(enable_timing=True)
+        cache_clear_end_event = torch.cuda.Event(enable_timing=True)
+        cache_clear_start_event.record()
+        cache_clear_graph.replay()
+        cache_clear_end_event.record()
+        torch.cuda.synchronize()
+        cache_clear_time = (
+            cache_clear_start_event.elapsed_time(cache_clear_end_event) / n_repeat
+        )
+
+        # Measure total time (cache clearing + kernel execution)
+        start_event = torch.cuda.Event(enable_timing=True)
+        end_event = torch.cuda.Event(enable_timing=True)
+        start_event.record()
+        g.replay()
+        end_event.record()
+        torch.cuda.synchronize()
+        total_time = start_event.elapsed_time(end_event) / n_repeat
+
+    # Subtract cache clearing overhead to get pure kernel execution time
+    return total_time - cache_clear_time

test/test_debug_utils.py

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from helion._testing import DEVICE
 from helion._testing import RefEagerTestDisabled
 from helion._testing import TestCase
+from helion._testing import is_cuda
 from helion._testing import skipIfCpu
 import helion.language as hl
 
@@ -142,20 +143,28 @@ def test_print_repro_on_autotune_error(self):
             torch.manual_seed(0)
             x = torch.randn([128], dtype=torch.float32, device=DEVICE)
 
-            # Mock do_bench to fail on the second config with PTXASError (warn level)
+            # Mock benchmark helper to fail on the second config with PTXASError (warn level)
             from torch._inductor.runtime.triton_compat import PTXASError
-            from triton.testing import do_bench as original_do_bench
+
+            from helion.autotuner import base_search
 
             call_count = [0]
 
+            bench_attr = (
+                "do_bench_cudagraph_with_cache_clear" if is_cuda() else "do_bench"
+            )
+
+            original_bench = getattr(base_search, bench_attr)
+            bench_target = f"helion.autotuner.base_search.{bench_attr}"
+
             def mock_do_bench(*args, **kwargs):
                 call_count[0] += 1
                 if call_count[0] == 2:  # Fail on second config
                     raise PTXASError("Mocked PTXAS error")
-                return original_do_bench(*args, **kwargs)
+                return original_bench(*args, **kwargs)
 
             with self.capture_output() as output_capture:
-                with mock.patch("helion.autotuner.base_search.do_bench", mock_do_bench):
+                with mock.patch(bench_target, mock_do_bench):
                     # Autotune will try both configs, second one will fail and print repro
                     kernel.autotune([x], force=False)