LLM in a flash: Efficient Large Language Model Inference with Limited Memory

Authors: Keivan Alizadeh, Iman Mirzadeh, Dmitry Belenko, Karen Khatamifard, Minsik Cho, Carlo C Del Mundo, Mohammad Rastegari, Mehrdad Farajtabar

preprint
License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Results of the summarizing process for the arXiv paper: 2312.11514v1

  • Comprehensive Summary
  • Key points
  • Layman's Summary
  • Blog article
Large language models (LLMs) play a crucial role in natural language processing, delivering exceptional performance in various tasks. However, their computational and memory requirements pose challenges for devices with limited DRAM capacity. To address this issue, the authors propose a method that efficiently runs LLMs exceeding the available DRAM capacity by storing model parameters on flash memory and bringing them on demand to DRAM. The key idea behind their approach is to construct an inference cost model that aligns with the behavior of flash memory. This cost model guides optimization efforts in two critical areas: reducing the volume of data transferred from flash and reading data in larger, more contiguous chunks. Within this framework, they introduce two principal techniques: "windowing" and "row-column bundling". The first technique, windowing, strategically reduces data transfer by reusing previously activated neurons. By doing so, they minimize the amount of information that needs to be retrieved from flash memory. The second technique, row-column bundling, takes advantage of the sequential data access strengths of flash memory. It increases the size of data chunks read from flash memory, further improving efficiency. By combining these methods, the authors demonstrate that it is possible to run models up to twice the size of the available DRAM. They achieve significant improvements in inference speed compared to naive loading approaches on both CPU and GPU platforms. Specifically, they report a 4-5x increase in inference speed on CPU and a 20-25x increase on GPU. The authors also highlight additional features incorporated into their approach. They integrate sparsity awareness into their design to exploit any inherent sparsity present in LLMs. They also employ context-adaptive loading techniques to optimize resource usage based on specific contextual factors. Overall, this work presents an effective solution for running large language models on devices with limited memory resources. By leveraging flash memory and implementing optimized strategies for data transfer and retrieval, they achieve impressive gains in inference speed and enable the deployment of larger models on resource-constrained devices.
AI-generated keywords: Large Language Models Flash Memory Windowing Row-Column Bundling Sparsity Awareness

AI-generated Key Points

  • Large language models (LLMs) are crucial for natural language processing and perform well in various tasks.
  • LLMs have high computational and memory requirements, which pose challenges for devices with limited DRAM capacity.
  • The authors propose a method to efficiently run LLMs exceeding the available DRAM capacity by storing model parameters on flash memory and bringing them on demand to DRAM.
  • Their approach involves constructing an inference cost model that aligns with the behavior of flash memory.
  • They introduce two techniques: "windowing" reduces data transfer by reusing previously activated neurons, while "row-column bundling" increases the size of data chunks read from flash memory.
  • By combining these methods, they can run models up to twice the size of available DRAM, achieving significant improvements in inference speed on both CPU and GPU platforms.
  • Additional features include integrating sparsity awareness and context-adaptive loading techniques into their design.
  • Overall, this work presents an effective solution for running large language models on devices with limited memory resources.
Also access our AI generated: Comprehensive summary, Lay summary, Blog-like article; or ask questions about this paper to our AI assistant.

Abstract: Large language models (LLMs) are central to modern natural language processing, delivering exceptional performance in various tasks. However, their intensive computational and memory requirements present challenges, especially for devices with limited DRAM capacity. This paper tackles the challenge of efficiently running LLMs that exceed the available DRAM capacity by storing the model parameters on flash memory but bringing them on demand to DRAM. Our method involves constructing an inference cost model that harmonizes with the flash memory behavior, guiding us to optimize in two critical areas: reducing the volume of data transferred from flash and reading data in larger, more contiguous chunks. Within this flash memory-informed framework, we introduce two principal techniques. First, "windowing'" strategically reduces data transfer by reusing previously activated neurons, and second, "row-column bundling", tailored to the sequential data access strengths of flash memory, increases the size of data chunks read from flash memory. These methods collectively enable running models up to twice the size of the available DRAM, with a 4-5x and 20-25x increase in inference speed compared to naive loading approaches in CPU and GPU, respectively. Our integration of sparsity awareness, context-adaptive loading, and a hardware-oriented design paves the way for effective inference of LLMs on devices with limited memory.

Submitted to arXiv on 12 Dec. 2023

Tools for this paper

Explain it differently 3 free rewrites left today
Export BibTeX · RIS (Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote) · Markdown (Notion, Obsidian) · Premium
Citation alerts Premium
Journal club Slides to present it Premium
For journalists Press kit and hype check Premium

Ask questions about this paper to our AI assistant

You can also chat with multiple papers at once here.

Figures and plots

Ask about a figure by number or use its question button to request visual analysis. Up to two figures and four image panels per question. Values read from plots are approximate; check the original data.

AI assistant instructions?

Assess the quality of the AI-generated content by voting

Score: 0

Why do we need votes?

Votes are used to determine whether we need to re-run our summarizing tools. If the count reaches -10, our tools can be restarted.

The previous summary was created more than a year ago and can be re-run (if necessary) by clicking on the Run button below.

Similar papers summarized with our AI tools

Navigate through even more similar papers through a

tree representation

Disclaimer: The AI-based summarization tool and virtual assistant provided on this website may not always provide accurate and complete summaries or responses. We encourage you to carefully review and evaluate the generated content to ensure its quality and relevance to your needs.