Hi! Fetching sub-flow results without storage-ser...
# ask-community
s
Hi! Fetching sub-flow results without storage-serialization: I'm trying to run sub-flow from my parent-flow, over separate machines (through
run_deployment
) - and i want to get the (json-serialized) results directly returned in python rather than through serialized-dumps on file-system -since the external-machines are dead when i finish waiting for all sub-flows, local-files persistence crashes. i was hoping not to define a shared efs or spam s3 with temp-calculations - i assumed it's possible (something lie Airflow's xcomm, or just return the value which was already held by the subflow-process) After many (!) talks with Marvin, i tried to get the outputs through
flow_run.state.result(fetch=True)
and also made sure to activate the in-memory storage rather than file-system (which is not even defined as Block, but still) through
@flow(persist_result=False)
decorators. However i'm still failing over marvin's specific example snippet (this time over:
prefect.exceptions.MissingResult: State data is missing. Typically, this occurs when result persistence is disabled and the state has been retrieved from the API.
) Any idea if this snippet should work at all? am i missing something basic (some server-configuration)? must i define a shared-efs? i'll put on marvin's (slightly-modified) snippet in thread Thanks!
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import asyncio

from prefect import flow, get_client, task
from prefect.client.schemas.filters import FlowFilter, FlowFilterName
from prefect.client.schemas.sorting import DeploymentSort
from prefect.deployments import run_deployment
from prefect.server.schemas.statuses import DeploymentStatus


@task(persist_result=False)
async def process_data(data):
    # Simulate some processing on the data
    return data + " processed"


@flow(persist_result=False)
async def prefect_example_sub_flow(data):
    result = await process_data(data)
    return result


@flow(persist_result=False)
async def prefect_example_main_flow(data_list=None):
    if data_list is None:
        data_list = ["large data 1", "large data 2", "large data 3"]

    # Trigger multiple sub-flow deployments concurrently using asyncio.gather
    deployment_name = await _find_latest_deployment(prefect_example_sub_flow)
    deployment_futures = [run_deployment(name=deployment_name, parameters={"data": data}) for data in data_list]

    # Gather all sub-flow runs
    flow_runs = await asyncio.gather(*deployment_futures)
    # Fetch results from each sub-flow run dynamically
    result_futures = [flow_run.state.result(fetch=True) for flow_run in flow_runs]

    results = await asyncio.gather(*result_futures)
    # Extract actual results
    final_results = [result.result() for result in results]
    return final_results


async def main():
    data_list = ["large data 1", "large data 2", "large data 3"]
    results = await prefect_example_main_flow(data_list)

    for idx, result in enumerate(results):
        print(f"Processed result {idx + 1}: {result}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())
and i also added:
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async def _find_latest_deployment(flow_obj) -> str:
    flow_name = flow_obj.name
    last_deployment_id = None
    flow_filter_name = FlowFilter(name=FlowFilterName(any_=[flow_name]))
    async with get_client() as client:
        # Get all deployments for the flow
        deployments = await client.read_deployments(flow_filter=flow_filter_name, sort=DeploymentSort.UPDATED_DESC)
        # Filter for the latest successful deployment
        for deployment in deployments:
            if deployment.status == DeploymentStatus.READY:
                last_deployment_id = deployment.id
                break
    if last_deployment_id is None:
        raise Exception(f"Did not find a successful deployment for flow {flow_name}")
    print(f"Found deployment: {last_deployment_id}")
    return last_deployment_id
@Marvin in prefect-aws 0.1.1, how do i load S3Bucket? i get an error when i try to use
from prefect_aws.s3 import S3Bucket
. Do you have a link of basic usage?
m
It looks like you can load the
S3Bucket
from
prefect_aws.s3
with the following syntax in Prefect:
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python
from prefect_aws.s3 import S3Bucket

s3_bucket = S3Bucket.load("my-bucket")
If you encounter an error while trying to import or use
S3Bucket
, make sure you have version
0.1.1
of
prefect-aws
properly installed and configured. For a detailed guide and examples, you can refer to the Prefect documentation: Prefect AWS S3 Integration. If the error persists, please provide the specific error message so I can assist further.
s
@Marvin this seems to be new syntax and not 0.1.1 aws-prefect version, which doesn't even have
s3
m
It appears that the documentation and resources primarily focus on the later versions of
prefect_aws
that include the
S3Bucket
class. The version
0.1.1
of
prefect_aws
you mentioned might not have
S3Bucket
or other similar classes, and it lacks integrated S3 functionality compared to the newer versions. For version
0.1.1
, you can manually create tasks to interact with S3 using
boto3
. Below is a basic example of how you might set this up in Prefect: 1. Install
boto3
if you don't already have it:
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bash
    pip install boto3
2. Create a custom task for S3 operations:
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python
    import boto3
    from prefect import task, Flow

    @task
    def upload_to_s3(bucket_name, key, data, aws_access_key_id, aws_secret_access_key):
        s3_client = boto3.client(
            "s3",
            aws_access_key_id=aws_access_key_id,
            aws_secret_access_key=aws_secret_access_key,
        )
        s3_client.put_object(Bucket=bucket_name, Key=key, Body=data)
    
    @task
    def download_from_s3(bucket_name, key, aws_access_key_id, aws_secret_access_key):
        s3_client = boto3.client(
            "s3",
            aws_access_key_id=aws_access_key_id,
            aws_secret_access_key=aws_secret_access_key,
        )
        response = s3_client.get_object(Bucket=bucket_name, Key=key)
        return response['Body'].read()

    with Flow("s3-example") as flow:
        # Replace these with your actual bucket name, key, data, and AWS credentials
        upload_to_s3("my-bucket", "my-key", "my-data", "your-access-key", "your-secret-key")
        content = download_from_s3("my-bucket", "my-key", "your-access-key", "your-secret-key")
    
    flow.run()
This example uses a basic flow with custom upload and download tasks that interact with S3 using
boto3
. If upgrading
prefect_aws
to a later version is an option for you, I recommend it, as you will gain access to pre-built blocks like
S3Bucket
and much more convenient and integrated functionality. Feel free to provide more specific details about your usage context or error message, and I can assist you further.
s
hey @Marvin the old version of
prefect_aws
is still an issue - we're using prefect 2.20 and prefect_aws 0.1.1 (quite old) We have set s3-bucket Block on the server, i think it's properly configured, but when i try to use flow-result persistence using
@flow(persist_result=True, result_storage="s3-bucket/s3-test")
decorator to my flow, i fail due to the error:
No class found for dispatch key 's3-bucket' in registry for type 'Block'
which i think means he's not aware of what is an s3-bucket block type. What can be the reason?
m
The error
No class found for dispatch key 's3-bucket' in registry for type 'Block'
indicates that Prefect does not recognize the block type
s3-bucket
. This might be because Prefect does not have the block type registered or it hasn't loaded the necessary configurations. Given you are using
prefect_aws 0.1.1
, follow these steps to address the issue: 1. Ensure the block types are registered: Before using blocks, ensure they are registered. Run the following command to register the block types in the
prefect_aws
module:
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bash
    prefect block register -m prefect_aws
2. Verify the block name: Ensure you are referring to the correct block name. Sometimes block names could be different than expected. Confirm the block name in the Prefect UI or use the following command to list all available blocks:
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bash
    prefect block types ls
3. Example Setup to Use Block for Result Storage: Assuming the block name and registration are correct, your flow should be decorated correctly. Here is an example setup:
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python
    from prefect import flow
    from prefect_aws.s3 import S3Bucket

    @flow(persist_result=True, result_storage=S3Bucket.load("s3-bucket/s3-test"))
    def my_flow():
        return "Persist this result!"

    my_flow()
If you follow these steps and still encounter issues, there might be a configuration problem or an issue specific to the old versions you are using, and updating the
prefect_aws
might be required. For more details, you can visit: Prefect AWS S3 Integration Prefect Result Persistence
s
Hey @Marvin i have an issue with new versions of boto3, i need to keep myself working with old versions - until xx - which blocks me from using older packages of prefect-aws (i'm limited to 0.1.1) - that prevents me from using
S3Bucket
import, as this is a later addition. Is there a way to add the decorator without using this class? some direct string perhaps? or a very old version syntax that still works?
m
Given your constraints with using older versions of
prefect_aws
(0.1.1) and
boto3
, and since
S3Bucket
from the
prefect_aws
library isn't available, you can customize the result storage for your flow to interact directly with S3 using
boto3
. While specifying the storage as a direct string isn't directly supported with the old versions, you can define a custom storage block. Here's a workaround: 1. Install the necessary libraries: Ensure you have
prefect
,
boto3
, and necessary packages installed.
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bash
    pip install prefect boto3
2. Define a custom S3 result storage class:
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python
    import os
    import boto3
    from prefect.filesystems import WritableFileSystem
    from prefect import flow, task

    class S3Storage(WritableFileSystem):
        def __init__(self, bucket_name, aws_access_key_id, aws_secret_access_key, folder=""):
            self.bucket_name = bucket_name
            self.aws_access_key_id = aws_access_key_id
            self.aws_secret_access_key = aws_secret_access_key
            self.folder = folder
            self.client = boto3.client(
                "s3", 
                aws_access_key_id=self.aws_access_key_id, 
                aws_secret_access_key=self.aws_secret_access_key
            )
        
        def write(self, content, path):
            full_path = os.path.join(self.folder, path)
            self.client.put_object(Bucket=self.bucket_name, Key=full_path, Body=content)
            return full_path

        def read(self, path):
            full_path = os.path.join(self.folder, path)
            obj = self.client.get_object(Bucket=self.bucket_name, Key=full_path)
            return obj['Body'].read()

    # Example usage in a flow
    @flow(persist_result=True, result_storage=S3Storage("your_bucket", "your_access_key", "your_secret_key", "your_folder"))
    def my_flow():
        return "Persist this result to S3!"

    my_flow()
In this example, the
S3Storage
class handles writing and reading to/from your S3 bucket using
boto3
. By passing an instance of this class to the
result_storage
parameter of the
flow
decorator, you can persist results without needing the
S3Bucket
class from the newer
prefect_aws
versions. Ensure to replace
"your_bucket"
,
"your_access_key"
,
"your_secret_key"
, and
"your_folder"
with the actual credentials and paths in your setup. This solution allows you to maintain compatibility with the older Prefect and
prefect_aws
versions while ensuring that your flow results are persisted correctly in S3.
s
Hi @Marvin - i'm using prefect 2 and want to locally run my flow to test stuff - but i want to use the original settings without any server (just local python direct running). What are the config-parameters i should set in my terminal to get it to work?
m
To run your flow locally in Prefect 2.x without setting up a server, follow these steps: 1. Install Prefect: Ensure that Prefect is installed in your python environment:
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bash
   pip install -U prefect
2. Set Up Local Configuration: You do not need to configure a Prefect server if you plan to execute runs locally. You simply run your flow scripts directly with Python. Here’s a basic example of how to define and run your flow:
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python
   from prefect import flow, task

   @task
   def say_hello():
       print("Hello, world!")

   @flow
   def my_flow():
       say_hello()

   if __name__ == "__main__":
       my_flow()
Save this as a
.py
file and run it using Python:
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bash
   python my_flow_script.py
For more advanced configurations like setting job variables for your local runs, you need to ensure the environment variables are set on your machine. Here’s an example based on Prefect documentation:
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python
from prefect import flow

@flow
def my_job_flow():
    # Your flow logic here

if __name__ == "__main__":
    my_job_flow()
To run this script, set the necessary environment variables and then execute the script:
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bash
export EXECUTION_ENVIRONMENT=local
python my_job_flow_script.py
This ensures that your flow runs locally with all the settings necessary for testing. For more information and detailed guides, visit the official Prefect 2.x documentation. If you run into any specific issues, please let me know!
s
@Marvin it's already installed and working against a remote-server, but i want to change it to run local compute only - i don't want to install, but modify the parameters (
prefect config set
, i think, just not sure of what)
m
To configure Prefect 2.x to run flows locally without a server, you can set the
PREFECT_API_URL
to an empty string using the
prefect config set
command. This effectively tells Prefect to operate without connecting to any external server. Here are the steps to configure this: 1. Open your terminal. 2. Set the Prefect API URL to empty:
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bash
   prefect config set PREFECT_API_URL=""
This tells Prefect to run in a local and serverless mode. Now, when you execute your flow, it won't attempt to connect to any Prefect server. For more information, you can check out Prefect's documentation here: Prefect Docs If you run into any issues or need further assistance, feel free to ask!
s
@Marvin you're still here?
m
Yes, I'm still here! If you need further assistance or have any more questions about Prefect or anything else, feel free to ask. I'm here to help!
s
@Marvin : i'm having a hard time in a stupid snippet: i want to submit tasks (same
@task
-warpped-function, different inputs - but i want the output back as well), and then let them all run and wait for them to finish - before moving to the next part using these outputs. The coroutine/await/Futures glitches are getting on my nerves. Can you share a snippet of where exactly to put these awaits? i thought of using
.submit
and not sure if i need to run
await asyncio.gather
or
.wait()
etc. Let's assume my task is called "run_me_task" (decorating some function with input/output) prefect 2.20 if it matters thanks!
m
It seems like you're looking to efficiently handle asynchronous task execution in Prefect 2.20. Here's how you can do it using the
.submit()
method for tasks and
asyncio.gather()
for coordinating the task completion. ### Example Snippet
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python
import asyncio
from prefect import task, flow

@task
async def run_me_task(input_data):
    # Simulate some asynchronous work
    await asyncio.sleep(1)
    return f"Processed {input_data}"

@flow
async def main_flow(inputs):
    # Submit tasks
    task_futures = [run_me_task.submit(input_data) for input_data in inputs]
    
    # Await their completion
    results = await asyncio.gather(*[future.result() for future in task_futures])

    # Continue with the rest of the flow
    for result in results:
        print(result)

# Run the flow with some example inputs
if __name__ == "__main__":
    inputs = ["data1", "data2", "data3"]
    asyncio.run(main_flow(inputs))
### Explanation 1. Task Definition: The
@task
decorator defines
run_me_task
to perform asynchronous work. 2. Submitting Tasks: Use
.submit()
to schedule tasks for execution with different inputs. 3. Awaiting Completion: Use
await asyncio.gather()
to wait for all tasks to complete and to collect their results. 4. Result Handling: Once all tasks are complete, you can process the results as needed. This setup ensures that all your tasks run concurrently, and you can control the flow's execution by waiting for these tasks to finish before proceeding. For more details, you can refer to the official documentation on Prefect Tasks and Results. If this doesn't work as expected, feel free to ask for more help!
prefect rocket 1
s
Hi @Marvin, A weird thing i've been seeing for quite some time - i've been trying to run sub-flows that require a bit of memory (not that much, but still) and i see that on the kubernetis cluster the machine is sometimes popping and then disappears - probably crashes due to memory. But the job shouldn't be that dramatic (it works on my local machine), and also the main flow (or prefect in general) still shows it in a running-state. So my questions: - can my cluster be filtering large (again, not that large - 30G memory) machines somehow? - is prefect not good with detection of dead-machines?
m
It sounds like you are experiencing an issue with your Kubernetes cluster's memory management and Prefect's ability to track the status of machines or pods running your sub-flows. Here are some points and potential solutions for these kinds of problems: 1. Kubernetes Memory Management: - Kubernetes can indeed kill pods that exceed their memory limits. If your machines now have a 30G memory request but something in the configuration limits it to less, like a lower memory limit, the pod will be evicted. - Check your Kubernetes configurations (
resources.requests.memory
and
resources.limits.memory
) to ensure they're set correctly for the resources your tasks require. The Kubernetes documentation provides more details about setting these limits. 2. Adjusting Memory in Prefect Kubernetes Workers: - If using Prefect's Kubernetes integration, you may need to customize the
memory
settings in the worker configurations. You can refer to the following Prefect documentation for more guidance: Prefect Kubernetes Worker. 3. Prefect's Monitoring of Sub-flows: - Prefect might not immediately detect that the underlying machine or pod has crashed, especially if it results in a timeout or a signal interruption. This can leave flows in a "running" state within Prefect. Properly configuring timeout settings and monitoring logs can help catch these situations quicker. - For better fault tolerance, consider implementing Prefect's retry policies on tasks that are prone to consuming excess resources. Remember, each Kubernetes setup can be different, and tuning these settings requires both an understanding of Prefect flows and Kubernetes resource management. If issues persist, reviewing your specific Kubernetes cluster's resource quota and limits configured at the namespace or pod level might provide additional insights. For further detailed guidance, refer to this Prefect guide on Kubernetes deployments or feel free to ask if you have more specific questions!
s
@Marvin is there any out-of-the-box prefect way to get memory consumption of flow/task runners (say, once a minute statistics-log-line) in order to see where/how much memory is consumed?
m
Prefect does not offer a built-in, out-of-the-box feature specifically for logging memory consumption statistics for tasks or flow runners at regular intervals. However, you can leverage Python's existing libraries to monitor and log memory usage yourself. Here’s a general approach to logging memory consumption: 1. Use Python's
psutil
Library
: This library can help you monitor system and process-level memory usage. 2. Integrate with Prefect Tasks/Flows: You can write custom logging within your Prefect tasks or flows. ### Example Snippet
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python
import psutil
import logging
import time
from prefect import task, flow

# Configure logging to print to stdout
logging.basicConfig(level=<http://logging.INFO|logging.INFO>)

@task
def log_memory_usage():
    process = psutil.Process()
    memory_info = process.memory_info().rss / 1024 ** 2  # Convert to MB
    <http://logging.info|logging.info>(f"Current memory usage: {memory_info:.2f} MB")

@task
def perform_task():
    # Simulate a memory-intensive task
    time.sleep(5)
    return "Task completed"

@flow
def main_flow():
    log_memory_usage.run()
    result = perform_task()
    log_memory_usage.run()
    return result

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main_flow()
### Explanation - The
log_memory_usage
task uses
psutil
to fetch the memory usage of the current process and logs it. - This is integrated within the Prefect flow, allowing you to log memory usage before and after significant tasks. You can extend this approach by scheduling
log_memory_usage
to run periodically as part of a separate process or thread to continuously monitor memory usage. For more details about logging capabilities, you might find Prefect's logging documentation helpful. If you have further questions or need more detailed help, feel free to ask!
s
@Marvin is there a way to submit sub-flows (say, 100 of them) but tell prefect not to run more than X (say, 10) at the same time? queue the other tasks and start them only once the first batch ends? i'm thinking about a cluster with less available resources than the sub-flow fork requires, and i wonder if i can manage it myself somehow. Or should i let prefect keep failing to get available, resource, and retry - and that's the only way i can go (without manually querying the prefect server for active runs etc)?
@Marvin is there a way to submit sub-flows (say, 100 of them) but tell prefect not to run more than X (say, 10) at the same time? queue the other tasks and start them only once the first batch ends? i'm thinking about a cluster with less available resources than the sub-flow fork requires, and i wonder if i can manage it myself somehow. Or should i let prefect keep failing to get available, resource, and retry - and that's the only way i can go (without manually querying the prefect server for active runs etc)?
m
You can manage concurrency in Prefect by setting up concurrency limits either on tasks or work pools. Here’s a brief overview of how you can control the number of sub-flows (or tasks) running concurrently using Prefect's built-in features: ### Limiting Concurrency with Task Tags 1. Tagging Tasks or Flows: You can apply tags to tasks or sub-flows and define concurrency limits on these tags. Prefect allows you to specify a maximum number of concurrent runs per tag. 2. Setting Task Concurrency Limits: - You can set a concurrency limit that controls how many tasks with the same tag can run in parallel. For sub-flows, you might tag them similarly and apply the concurrency limit across them. - Example of tagging and limiting:
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python
     from prefect import task, flow

     @task(tags=["memory_intensive"])
     def intensive_task():
         pass  # Some memory-intensive operation

     @flow
     def my_flow():
         # Submit tasks, possibly as sub-tasks
         for _ in range(100):
             intensive_task.submit()

     # Set concurrency limits for tasks with this tag elsewhere in your Prefect configuration or via UI
3. Using Work Queues: Configure work queues to prioritize and limit the work processed at any given time. You can set priorities and concurrency limits directly on work queues. For detailed guidance on setting concurrency limits, refer to Prefect's documentation: Global Concurrency Limits. ### Alternative Strategies - Retry Strategy: While you can configure Prefect to retry on failures, setting concurrency limits is often cleaner and more efficient than letting tasks fail due to resource limits. - Manual Batch Management: Write logic within your flows to manage and sequentially run batches of your sub-flows, although this bypasses the flexibility Prefect's management features provide. By implementing these concurrency controls, you can efficiently manage your cluster's resources and handle large numbers of sub-flows without overwhelming the system. Feel free to reach out if you have more questions or need further clarification!
s
thanks @Marvin! what happens if the next task is over the concurrent limit? does it sit and wait to its turn once another task is finished? or do i need to do something myself in the code?
m
When you set concurrency limits in Prefect, tasks that exceed the concurrency limit will automatically enter a waiting state. Prefect's scheduler manages these tasks, queuing them and only allowing them to transition to a running state once slots become available. Here’s what happens under the hood: 1. Task Submission: Tasks are submitted for execution with associated tags and concurrency limits. 2. Concurrency Check: Before a task starts running, Prefect checks if the concurrency limit for the associated tag has been reached. 3. Waiting State: If the limit is reached, the task transitions into a "pending" or "scheduled" state, effectively making it wait its turn. 4. Execution: Once an active task with the same tag completes and releases a slot, the waiting task advances to execution. This all happens automatically in Prefect, and you don't need to add any extra logic to handle the waiting mechanism manually. Prefect efficiently manages task concurrency to respect the limits you've set. For more information, see the concepts of task concurrency limits in Prefect. If you need further clarification or assistance, feel free to ask!
s
@Marvin can i also use the concurrency tags (define through UI, and add tag-name in code) mechanism for sub-flows (with the
@flow
decorator), or only tasks? i don't see a parameter in the decorator (prefect 2.20 if it matters)
m
In Prefect 2.20, concurrency limits for flows (including sub-flows) are managed at the level of work pools and work queues, rather than through tags used for tasks. Here's a breakdown of how these can be employed: 1. Flow Concurrency Management: - Concurrency limits for flow runs, including sub-flows, are set at the work pool or work queue level. This means you configure these limits on the infrastructure you're using to execute the flows, rather than through decorators or tags in the code. - You can set priorities and limits through Prefect's UI, CLI, or API. 2. Tags for Task Concurrency: - Tags are used primarily for task concurrency limits, not for flows. The concurrency limits via tags are applicable for tasks within flows. 3. Configuring Work Pool/Queue Concurrency: - You can configure these limits through the Prefect UI or CLI using commands such as
prefect concurrency-limit
to manage the execution environment's constraints. For controlling the concurrency of sub-flows specifically, you would approach it by configuring how your work pool or queues are constrained, not through a direct implementation in the Python code. For more detailed information you can refer to the Prefect documentation on work pools. If you have further questions or need help configuring this in your environment, let me know!
s
@Marvin where do i define the flow concurrency limit in the UI? is that the
Global
tab? the Name in the form is the name of the flow?
m
In Prefect's UI, flow concurrency limits are managed under the Work Pools configuration rather than directly tied to individual flows. When dealing with concurrency at the flow level, you're essentially configuring how many flow runs can be executed simultaneously by the infrastructure managed under a work pool or work queue. ### Steps to Set Concurrency Limits in Prefect UI: 1. Navigate to Work Pools: - Log into your Prefect UI and head to the "Work Pools" section. This area is where you can manage the execution environment settings. 2. Set Concurrency Limits: - Within your selected work pool, you can define concurrency limits that control how many flow runs this pool can handle simultaneously. - This setting applies to any flow assigned to this work pool. 3. Use Global Settings: - In the Prefect UI, there's also a "Global" settings option, but this typically applies more to overarching settings rather than specific flow management. To manage specific flow concurrency through tags or direct naming, those settings and visibility might be more prominent in Prefect's Cloud offering where individual flow run dashboards allow some additional configurations. 4. Defining Name: - In typical configurations, the "Name" field refers to identifiers within the work queue or pool management. This name isn't directly reflecting the flow's name but rather the queue or pool's identifier you are configuring. By managing work pools and queues properly, you can indirectly control the concurrency of flows that are routed through them. If you need specific guidance on accessing particular sections of the UI, Prefect's documentation on work queues and work pools might offer more detailed walkthroughs, and feel free to ask if you need more personalized guidance!
s
hey @Marvin if a deployment is marked as
Not ready
(red icon) in the UI - but the deploy command from shell that had updated it states
successfully created with id
and there's no error, what can i do to investigate why the deployment (allegedly) failed?
m
If you encounter a deployment marked as "Not Ready" with a red icon in the Prefect UI, yet your deployment command indicates success, there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue: 1. Check Logs for Errors: - Look at the deployment and flow run logs in the Prefect UI for any error messages or warnings that could indicate why the deployment is not ready. Logs can often contain hints at misconfigurations or missing dependencies. 2. Inspect Deployment Configuration: - Verify that your
prefect.yaml
file or deployment scripts are correctly configured. Ensure that the necessary fields, such as image names, environment variables, and resources, are all correctly specified. 3. Review Network and Authentication: - Ensure that there are no issues with network connectivity or authentication that might prevent the deployment from being fully realized. Check that API keys or tokens are correct and that the Prefect agent has all the necessary permissions. 4. Prefect Server or Cloud Connectivity: - Ensure that your deployment can communicate with the Prefect server or Prefect Cloud. Sometimes network restrictions or misconfigurations in endpoint addresses can lead to such issues. 5. Upgrade and Compatibility: - Make sure all components of your Prefect setup are updated to the latest compatible versions. Sometimes version mismatches between Prefect core, agents, or the Prefect Cloud can cause unexpected behavior. 6. Environment and Dependency Issues: - Ensure that all dependencies required by your flows in the deployment environment are available and correct. These troubleshooting steps align with the hints and guidance found in Prefect's deployment troubleshooting documentation. If after checking these areas the issue persists, consider reaching out to Prefect support or the Prefect community for more tailored assistance.
s
Hey @Marvin can i get a simple snippet for prefect 2.20 to submit a few dozens task-calls (each is just a few seconds to run), and then wait (using gather i guess?) for all of the results to finish? Also, this should work locally (without remote prefect-server) when i run a python-script (meaning, the server should run the tasks in the background), right?
m
Certainly! You can run Prefect tasks locally without needing a remote server by submitting tasks and waiting for them to complete using Python's
asyncio.gather()
. Below is a simple script to demonstrate how to submit multiple tasks and gather their results using Prefect 2.20: ### Example Code
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python
import asyncio
from prefect import task, flow

@task
async def my_task(n):
    await asyncio.sleep(n)  # Simulate some async work
    return f"Task completed in {n} seconds"

@flow
async def my_flow():
    # Submit multiple tasks
    task_durations = [2, 3, 1, 4]  # Example durations
    task_futures = [my_task.submit(duration) for duration in task_durations]
    
    # Gather results of all tasks
    results = await asyncio.gather(*[future.result() for future in task_futures])
    
    # Print results
    for result in results:
        print(result)

# Entry point
if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(my_flow())
### Explanation - Task Definition: The
my_task
function is decorated with
@task
to create a Prefect task with asynchronous behavior using
async def
. - Flow Definition: The
my_flow
function is decorated with
@flow
, used to submit tasks to Prefect's runtime. - Task Submission:
submit()
is called on each task with varying sleep durations to simulate workload. - Await and Gather: The results are collected using
await asyncio.gather()
, ensuring all tasks are completed before proceeding. - Running Locally: The script runs entirely locally by calling
asyncio.run(my_flow())
, without needing any Prefect server. This setup allows you to run your flows and tasks locally, making it suitable for development and testing environments where you might not have access to a remote server. You can customize this script to fit your specific needs. If you have more questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out!
s
@Marvin can i call
@task
submit-calls from a regular function that is not a
flow
decorated object? just from a script? or every task has to be sent from a flow (otherwise the scheduler will never trigger the task run)?
m
In Prefect 2.20, tasks are generally meant to be executed within the context of a flow. This is because Prefect's orchestration and dependency management are designed around flows coordinating task execution. When tasks are submitted outside of a flow context, you don't have the benefit of Prefect's orchestration features that manage task scheduling, retries, and state transitions. Here’s what typically happens: 1. Task Execution within Flows: Prefect relies on flows to define the orchestration of tasks. This means that tasks should normally be triggered within
@flow
decorated functions to properly manage task runs. 2. Independent Task Execution: If you attempt to run a task independently without a flow, you lose the automatic orchestration Prefect provides. Running a task as a standalone Python function will not tap into Prefect's engine infrastructure. 3. Workaround for Local Execution: Although not recommended, you can run Prefect's task logic directly as Python functions in scripts for simple testing, but they don't employ Prefect's full capabilities. For Prefect's intended orchestration and monitoring advantages: - Use the
@flow
decorator to define workflows in which tasks (
@task
) are submitted, allowing you to leverage Prefect's infrastructure for managing these tasks, such as state management, scheduling, and logging. For further exploration into how Prefect structures task and flow executions, you can review Prefect's documentation on flows for more information. If you need more help or further clarification on how to structure your projects, feel free to ask!
s
Hey @Marvin, are you here? haven't talked recently
m
Hello! I'm here and ready to help. What can I assist you with today?
s
@Marvin I've had some cases (one just now) that i'm triggering a flow-run, it runs and triggers a few sub-flows inside - but while they run (and say, finish an hour later) - the parent job has died for some reason. the log shows nothing except for
Finished in state Failed('Flow run encountered an exception. CrashedRun: Flow run infrastructure exited with non-zero status code -1.')
(raised during the await gather of the sub-flows). They finish, but without any parent job to take the results and finish, the run is done and a waste of time. Why does this happen? is this a resource limit thing?
m
The error you're encountering, where the main flow fails with a message like "CrashedRun: Flow run infrastructure exited with non-zero status code -1," typically points to a few potential issues that can occur during the execution of Prefect workflows: 1. Resource Limits and Timeouts: - If the parent flow is running out of memory or exceeding time limits set on your infrastructure (like Kubernetes pods, Docker containers, etc.), it could shut down unexpectedly. Ensure that your execution environment has sufficient resources (CPU, memory) and that timeout settings are appropriately configured. 2. Infrastructure Exit Code Issues: - There's a known issue where infrastructure failures aren't always correctly logged, leading to a vague exit message. Some users have reported this in contexts like missing arguments, ImportErrors, or misconfigured environment variables. - Logs from workers or agents running your flows might provide more insights than what's visible in the Prefect UI. 3. Subflow Management: - Since subflows continue running but the parent terminates, check how your flows are structured. Make sure subflows don't consume resources exponentially causing resource strain, and consider using task concurrency limits or managing resources via work queues. 4. Check System Logs and Error Codes: - Prefect might not capture all low-level exceptions. Checking your system logs, along with worker/agent logs, might reveal lower-level exceptions or exit codes causing the failure. Review these key areas, and if necessary, consider increasing the resources or timeouts, enhancing error handling, and verifying deployment configurations. Sometimes, adjusting logging levels to output more detailed traces can help pinpoint the fail point. For more detailed assistance, reviewing Prefect's troubleshooting guide might offer some methods for diagnosing the issues further, and checking specific GitHub issues might provide context similar to your scenario that users have experienced and reported. If you have any more queries or need further help, feel free to ask!
s
@Marvin i have another suspicion: i think i'm seeing a
raise await get_state_exception(state)
error which causes this mess. the crash is always at the same spot - when i wait for the sub-flows, using `
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final_results = await asyncio.gather(*[flow_run.state.result(fetch=True) for flow_run in flow_runs])
where the
flow_runs
object are result of
await asyncio.gather(*[run_deployment(...) for params in params_list])
so i'm creating runs and then waiting for their status to be done. can that be the case? runs submitted but not existing yet and i need to do something about it - maybe add
time.sleep
? query state in a safer way? what is the recommended way to trigger and wait?
m
It seems that you are encountering issues during the execution of sub-flows where the parent flow may be trying to access the state of these sub-flows prematurely. This can happen if the sub-flows haven't transitioned to a completed state yet when you attempt to gather their results. Here's a recommended approach to handle triggering and waiting for sub-flow executions in Prefect, especially when dealing with `asyncio`: ### Recommended Approach: 1. Ensure Asynchronous Execution: Make sure each flow execution starts in a truly asynchronous manner using
await run_deployment(...)
. 2. Polling for Completion: Instead of attempting to gather states immediately, incorporate a polling mechanism to check when each sub-flow has completed its execution. This can avoid racing against the flow completion. ### Example Code:
Copy code
python
import asyncio
from prefect import flow
from prefect.deployments import run_deployment
from prefect.states import State

async def poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run):
    while True:
        # Refresh the state from the server
        state = await flow_run.state.refresh()
        if state.is_completed():
            # Break when the sub-flow is complete
            break
        elif state.is_failed():
            raise RuntimeError(f"Sub-flow {flow_run.id} failed.")
        await asyncio.sleep(2)  # Wait a bit before checking again

@flow
async def my_parent_flow(params_list):
    flow_runs = await asyncio.gather(*[run_deployment(..., parameters=params) for params in params_list])
    
    # Polling for flow run completion
    await asyncio.gather(*[poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run) for flow_run in flow_runs])

    # Fetch and process results safely
    final_results = [await flow_run.state.result(fetch=True) for flow_run in flow_runs]
    
    # Use final_results as needed

# To trigger the example
if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(my_parent_flow([...]))
### Explanation: -
poll_flow_run_completion()
asynchronously checks for the flow's state until it reaches a completed or failed state. - Adding a small delay (
await asyncio.sleep(2)
) between polling attempts reduces rapid-fire queries to the Prefect server, providing a gentler approach. This methodically ensures that when you finally attempt to fetch results with
fetch=True
, all sub-flows have indeed completed, mitigating the potential race condition you're facing. If you need more advice on optimizing this or encounter further issues, please let me know!
s
@Marvin does the code you provided support cases where one of the sub-flow-1 has completed at time X, sub-flow-2 was completed 30 min later, and only then the result(fetch=True) code will be triggered, while the machine of sub-flow-1 is already killed for 30 minutes? will i be able to get the output from a dead machine (through prefect-server perhaps?)
m
Yes, in Prefect, the results of flow runs and task runs are stored persistently, which allows you to retrieve results even after the machine or infrastructure initially running those flows or tasks has been terminated. ### Key Points: 1. Persistent Results: - When you use
result(fetch=True)
, Prefect fetches the stored result from its backend (either Prefect Cloud or a local server if configured), not directly from the machine where the computation was performed. - This means that the infrastructure used during execution doesn't need to be active to retrieve the results. 2. Handling Completed and Terminated Tasks: - As long as the flow run completes successfully and the results are stored (which is the default behavior unless explicitly suppressed), you can safely retrieve these results later. 3. Ensuring Result Persistence: - Make sure the flow runs are configured to persist results properly. This can usually be set up via the Prefect configuration or by default when using Prefect Cloud. ### Conclusion: The code provided should work effectively with Prefect's result handling mechanism. Once a sub-flow has completed and stored its results, you won't need the underlying infrastructure to be running to access those results later. Prefect is designed to separate compute lifecycle and data lifecycle, precisely for scenarios like these. If you have any more questions or need additional clarification, feel free to ask!
s
@Marvin your snippet had a failure:
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state = await flow_run.state.refresh()
AttributeError: 'State' object has no attribute 'refresh'
what's the proper way to do refresh?
m
It looks like I've made an assumption about a method that doesn't exist in the Prefect
State
class. Here's how you can correctly refresh and check the state of a flow run: ### Correct Approach to Check the State of a Flow Run 1. Using the Prefect Client: You can use the Prefect client to fetch the current state of a flow run. Here’s how you can do it:
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python
from prefect.client import get_client
from prefect.orion.schemas.states import State

async def poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run_id):
    async with get_client() as client:
        while True:
            # Fetch the latest state of the flow run
            state = await client.read_flow_run(flow_run_id=flow_run_id)

            if state.state.is_completed():
                break
            elif state.state.is_failed():
                raise RuntimeError(f"Sub-flow {flow_run_id} failed.")
            await asyncio.sleep(2)  # Wait a bit before checking again
2. Incorporate into Your Flow:
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python
@flow
async def my_parent_flow(params_list):
    flow_runs = await asyncio.gather(*[run_deployment(..., parameters=params) for params in params_list])
    
    # Polling for flow run completion
    await asyncio.gather(*[poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run.id) for flow_run in flow_runs])

    # Fetch and process results safely
    final_results = []  # Initialize your final results list
    for flow_run in flow_runs:
        result = await client.read_flow_run(flow_run.id).state.result()
        final_results.append(result)
    
    # Use final_results as needed
### Key Points: - Prefect Client: Use the Prefect client to query the flow run state from Prefect’s backend, which maintains the state information independent of the actual execution environment. - Poll with Sleep: Allow some time between checks to reduce the load on the Prefect API and to handle situations where the state doesn't instantly change. This approach accurately checks the state of each sub-flow by querying the Prefect server, allowing your parent flow to proceed once all sub-flows have truly completed. If further customization or handling is needed, feel free to ask!
s
@Marvin forgot to mention i'm using prefect 2.20. is there any shorter way given flow-run to refresh status without using a client/id? also, are you sure i'll have the
id
property? the whole bug started since i'm getting a
get_state_exception
of checking state of recently-created object..
m
In Prefect 2.20, when you are dealing with flow runs, you generally need to use the flow run's ID to refresh or check the state, typically via a client. However, if you have used
run_deployment
, the resulting object should inherently contain the flow run ID, allowing you to interact with it further. Here's how you typically handle this scenario, assuming you're interacting with the returned state or object from `run_deployment`: 1. Accessing Flow Run Data After Submission: - When you call
run_deployment
, this should provide access to a data structure containing the flow run ID. This ID is crucial for querying or refreshing the state. 2. Getting and Using the Flow Run ID: - Upon triggering
run_deployment
, check the attributes of the returned object for the flow run ID. Typically, you should find this within the structure, although marshalling this data involves initially understanding the object's attributes. 3. Simplified Refresh Check (Avoiding Manual Client Use): - While there's no built-in "refresh" method directly on flow objects in your Python script without using a client, you can often avoid manually crafting API requests by ensuring you're correctly handling objects and results from
run_deployment
. Here's a brief illustrative snippet on how you might extract and use the ID, assuming you have objects that support a method or attribute revealing state:
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python
async def poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run):
    state = flow_run.state
    # Use state directly if provided, or a client for fresh state (preferably)
    if state.is_completed():
        return True
    elif state.is_failed():
        raise RuntimeError(f"Sub-flow {flow_run.id} failed.")
    return False

# Within your flow, handle based on API support from Prefect
async def monitor_flows(flow_runs):
    for flow_run in flow_runs:
        # Polling mechanism to check if flow runs are complete
        while not await poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run):
            await asyncio.sleep(2)

# Triggered flow with awaitable `run_deployment`
flow_runs = await asyncio.gather(*[run_deployment(...) for params in params_list])
await monitor_flows(flow_runs)
For concrete handling, always check Prefect's latest documentation as they update features. You'll need to ensure that the objects returned by API calls or deployment functions fit into the above structural loops. If you face specific attribute issues or need yet more detailed error tracing, don't hesitate to reach out for further clarification!
s
@Marvin in your last example you access
state
attribute as if it's a live one and gets automatically updated. is this the case?
m
In my previous example, I incorrectly implied that the
state
attribute would be "live" and automatically update within the flow run object, which isn't how Prefect states work. Instead, the state needs to be explicitly refreshed, usually by querying the Prefect server. In Prefect 2.20, when you access the state of a flow or task run, this state doesn't spontaneously update. You need to explicitly query the state if you want the current status from Prefect's backend. ### Correct Approach: If you are not using real-time state that updates automatically, you typically update the state by querying using the Prefect client or an appropriate method to fetch the latest state. Here's how you can adjust: 1. Fetching the Latest State: - You need to ensure that each time you want to use the current state, you've fetched or refreshed it from the Prefect server or database. ### Example with Fetching: Here's how to modify the example to correctly fetch the latest state:
Copy code
python
from prefect.client import get_client

async def poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run_id):
    async with get_client() as client:
        while True:
            # Fetch the latest state of the flow run
            flow_run = await client.read_flow_run(flow_run_id)  # Fetch the latest flow run
            state = flow_run.state

            if state.is_completed():
                return True
            elif state.is_failed():
                raise RuntimeError(f"Sub-flow {flow_run_id} failed.")
            await asyncio.sleep(2)

# Usage example
flow_runs = await asyncio.gather(*[run_deployment(...) for params in params_list])
await asyncio.gather(*[poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run.id) for flow_run in flow_runs])
### Key Points: - Explicit Fetching: You have to explicitly fetch the latest state via the Prefect client or similar APIs, as the state attribute itself won't dynamically update. - Use IDs: Ensure you use flow run IDs for querying states; this ensures you're always referencing the correct flow run. Apologies for the confusion, and I appreciate your catching that oversight! If further clarification or help is necessary, feel free to let me know.
s
hi @Marvin i got to execute my jobs. But when i tried to run it with larger scale of 10 sub-flows, it got a little slow (the process itself can make sense - might be due to shared resources such as DB inside my code) but also the dashboard, so prefect server itself. the parent job crashed (while the sub-flows are running) due to:
httpx.ConnectError: All connection attempts failed
while trying to run the 11th job. (the crash was during
run_deployment
) Is this too many sub-flows? is this connection-limit (or could reties count solve this?) something configurable?
m
The
httpx.ConnectError: All connection attempts failed
error you're encountering is likely due to connection limits or resource constraints when executing a large number of sub-flows simultaneously. Here are a few potential causes and solutions to address this issue: ### Causes and Solutions: 1. Connection Limits: - Cause: The Prefect server or client setup may have exhausted the maximum number of allowed simultaneous connections, leading to connection errors. - Solution: Review and configure HTTP connection limits: - For
httpx
, you can set limits on the number of concurrent connections by adjusting its configuration. Prefect doesn’t expose these settings explicitly, but understanding how
httpx
works with Prefect is important. - You can configure retry policies and connection settings in your HTTP-based tasks if they directly interact with resources that may be bottlenecked. 2. Resource Exhaustion: - Cause: If running on shared infrastructure with limited resources, exhausting CPU and memory could impact connectivity. - Solution: Consider scaling up resources, optimizing sub-flow resource allocation, or distributing the flow execution over time. 3. Rate Limits: - Cause: Some environments (e.g., Prefect Cloud, self-hosted Prefect servers) might have specific rate limits that could be hit. - Solution: Check with the Prefect documentation or your server settings regarding any imposed rate limits, and consider staggering flow or sub-flow execution. More information can be found in Prefect's rate limits. ### Suggested Strategy: - Modify Deployment Strategy: Implement a backoff strategy or similar logic to handle retries better. Using some randomness in timing can help distribute load. - Concurrency Limits: Introduce concurrency control (using a semaphore, for instance) to limit simultaneous deployments. - Prefect Configuration: Ensure your Prefect server configurations are optimal. Check whether increasing available resources, adjusting timeout settings, or tuning Prefect server parameters addresses connection issues. For more specific configuration details or tailored advice, Prefect's support or community channels might offer additional insights, and you can monitor existing GitHub issues for known problems or updates related to similar errors. If more help is needed, feel free to reach out!
s
@Marvin - some of the sub-flows die at random (the pod is killed, no explanation). the memory resources is not the reason (each sub-flow handles ~10 items and it dies on the 4th for example. checked the memory and it was fine). they are triggered through
run_deployment
. How do i add a retry mechanism?
m
To add a retry mechanism to your sub-flows or tasks in Prefect 2.20, you can utilize the retry feature provided by Prefect. Here’s how you can configure retries and manage transient failures that are causing your sub-flows to die unexpectedly: ### Adding Retry Logic: 1. Enable Retries in Your Flow: You can use the
@flow
decorator with retry logic to handle failures in sub-flows triggered by run_deployment. You may also set retries on tasks individually. 2. Example Code with Retries: Here’s how you might define a flow with retry settings:
Copy code
python
from prefect import flow, task
import asyncio

@task(retries=3, retry_delay_seconds=10)
async def my_sub_task(id):
    # Simulate work that might fail
    print(f"Running task {id}")
    if id % 2 == 0:
        raise Exception("Simulated failure")

@flow(retries=2, retry_delay_seconds=20)
async def my_sub_flow(id):
    await my_sub_task(id)

@flow
async def main_flow():
    flow_run_ids = []
    for i in range(10):  # assuming 10 sub-flows
        sub_flow_run = await run_deployment(name="my_sub_flow", parameters={"id": i})
        flow_run_ids.append(sub_flow_run.id)
    
    # Assume you have a way to collect these and check their state
    await asyncio.gather(*[poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run_id) for flow_run_id in flow_run_ids])

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main_flow())
### Key Points: - Retries: Set the
retries
and
retry_delay_seconds
parameters in either
@task
or
@flow
decorators. Adjust delay times according to your tolerance for wait times between attempts. - Exponential Backoff (Optional): You can use Prefect’s
exponential_backoff
utility to stagger retries and implement exponential backoff with jitter to avoid overloading when all sub-flows or tasks retry at the same time. This setup provides robust retry capabilities and can help handle intermittent issues causing sub-flows to crash. Make sure that whatever causes are leading to failures, especially infrastructure related issues, are also investigated alongside implementing retries for complete robustness. For further tuning or adjustments, check out Prefect's documentation on retries and exponential backoff for more advanced configurations. If you have more questions, feel free to ask!
s
@Marvin and this retry feature of
@flow
is at the level of dead-pod? a new one will be restarted by the parent-flow and executed again, right?
m
Yes, the retry feature in Prefect at the level of
@flow
ensures that if a sub-flow fails (due to reasons like a pod dying), a new execution will be initiated by the parent flow. Here’s how it works: ### Flow Retry Mechanism: 1. Failure Detection: Prefect detects that the flow has not completed successfully, typically through error or failure states in sub-flows due to infra issues or application errors. 2. Pod Restart: On retry, if the failure was due to infrastructure (such as a pod being terminated), Prefect will re-schedule the flow, spawning a new execution environment (e.g., a new Kubernetes pod). 3. Execution Retry: The sub-flow or task that failed will be executed again as if it was a new run, getting new infrastructure allocation (like a new pod). ### Important Considerations: - State Management: Ensure that the task or flow is idempotent if possible, which means that it can rerun without unintended side effects if it fails partway through execution. - Resource Limits: Confirm that your environment has sufficient resources set in your deployment configuration for retries. Sometimes, retries on the same resources without adjustments might hit the same limits that caused the initial failure. - Logging and Monitoring: Keep an eye on the logs for recurring issues that trigger retries, as continued fault resilience doesn't replace addressing root causes in configurations or code. By utilizing Prefect's retry functionality, you ensure robustness against transient failures by automating the retry process and handling infrastructure instabilities gracefully. If you have specifics you’re curious about or encounter issues with this setup, let me know!
s
@Marvin can a sub-flow send results to the parent while running, so that the retry will not start from scratch, and the sub-tasks that are done will be cached? or i need to implement it myself (caching in s3 or something) and there's no support of passing info to the parent?
m
In Prefect 2.20, directly sending intermediate results from sub-flows to a parent flow in a persistent manner isn't natively supported as part of Prefect’s core feature set for retry scenarios. This means that if a sub-flow needs to retry, it generally starts from its beginning unless an external caching strategy is implemented. ### Suggested Approach: While Prefect does not inherently support caching intermediate results between sub-flows and the parent flow, you can implement a manual caching solution using external storage systems like S3 or databases. ### Implementing Caching: 1. Use External Storage: - You can save intermediate results to an external system such as Amazon S3, a database, or a file system. When a sub-flow or task completes a segment of work, it writes its state or result to this storage. 2. Load Cached Data on Retry: - At the beginning of a sub-flow or task, check the external storage for pre-existing results. If found, you can skip parts of the flow that have already been completed. 3. Example: Here's an outline concept for how you might structure such logic:
Copy code
python
   from prefect import flow, task
   import boto3  # Example library for interacting with S3

   @task
   def check_cache_and_process(item_id):
       # Create a check to see if this ID has already been processed
       s3_client = boto3.client('s3')
       try:
           s3_client.head_object(Bucket='my-bucket', Key=f'results/{item_id}.json')
           print(f"{item_id} already processed. Skipping.")
           return
       except s3_client.exceptions.NoSuchKey:
           pass  # Continue to process if not found

       # Do processing here
       result = process_item(item_id)
       
       # Save result to cache
       s3_client.put_object(Body=result, Bucket='my-bucket', Key=f'results/{item_id}.json')

   @flow(retries=3, retry_delay_seconds=10)
   async def process_items(item_ids):
       for item_id in item_ids:
           check_cache_and_process(item_id)

   @flow
   async def main_flow(items_batch):
       await process_items(items_batch)

   if __name__ == "__main__":
       asyncio.run(main_flow([...]))
With this approach, you can ensure that your sub-flow doesn't start from scratch on retries, and it adds robustness to transient infra failures. Remember to manage the cache responsibly, ensuring data consistency and handling any exceptions around storage operations properly. If you have any more questions on how to configure these pieces or need help with a specific aspect, feel free to ask!
s
@Marvin i've added the retries (used 3) but i do see crashes (pod killed) and nothing happens. do i need to do something as well when i call
run_deployment
? in the dashboard i do see that the "count" of specific crashed-run is 1 and the retries is 3, but it's not triggered. does it happen only after other sub-flows have completed running/crashing?
m
If your sub-flows are crashing and not retrying as expected when using
run_deployment
, there are a few things to consider: ### Retry Configuration 1. Ensure Retry Configuration is Correct: - Make sure that you've correctly set the retry parameters on the flows or tasks. Retries should be set where the failure is happening (typically at the task level within the sub-flow). 2. Check Retry Logic in Sub-Flows: - Ensure that the sub-flows themselves have retry logic applied if they are set up as separate flow calls. Prefect retries are configured at the task or flow level where the retry decorator is applied. ### How
run_deployment
Handles Retries - Inside Sub-flows: If a sub-flow is configured to retry on failure, then it should consider the configured retry parameters like delays and max retries. - Outside or During Calls: Ensure that the
run_deployment
call in your parent flow properly handles exceptions and does not suppress or incorrectly handle expected retry logic. ### Execution and Logging - Check the Server Logs: If retries are not occurring as expected, check the Prefect server logs (or UI) to see if there are any clues related to failures or unexpected state transitions. - Execution Order: Prefect should manage retries according to the configurations, but there may be gaps if resource limits (e.g., job slots or infrastructures like pods) are reached. ### Troubleshooting Steps: - Correct Placement: Ensure retries are directly on the sub-flow tasks if the pod failure is triggered within the sub-flow logic itself. If the container or pod infrastructure is the failure point, address this outside of Prefect's retry mechanisms by dealing with infrastructure health and limits. - Review Metrics and Logs: Verify Prefect's UI or other logs if there are patterns or indications of certain failures, possibly in load, network timeouts, or system resource constraints. ### Example Review: Ensure that retries are set within the
@flow
or
@task
level of sub-flows accordingly, and examine infrastructure-related failures to adjust the configuration accordingly outside Prefect. If the above actions don’t resolve the retry logic as expected, consider reaching out to Prefect’s more detailed documentation or their community support channels for tailored guidance based on your specific setup, because the situation might also involve deeper nuances in infrastructure or environment configurations. If further questions arise, feel free to ask!
s
@Marvin what does it mean to get
Job reached backoff limit.
error (on parent flow, while sub-flows are still running)? how can i avoid getting this error?
m
The error message "Job reached backoff limit" typically occurs in Kubernetes when a job fails repeatedly and exceeds the allowed number of retries specified by the
backoffLimit
parameter. This is relevant in Prefect when using Kubernetes as the execution environment and something causes the pod to fail consistently, triggering this kind of error. ### Understanding `backoffLimit`: 1.
backoffLimit
in Kubernetes
: - Specifies the number of retries that Kubernetes will attempt before considering the job as failed. - Each time a pod within a job fails, Kubernetes will attempt to retry until the backoff limit is reached. If the limit is reached, Kubernetes stops retrying and marks the job as failed. ### How to Address the Issue: 1. Increase
backoffLimit
: - You can adjust the
backoffLimit
in your Kubernetes deployment configuration to allow more retry attempts. This, however, might just delay the occurrence of the error if the root cause is not addressed. 2. Identifying Underlying Issues: - Check for underlying errors causing the pod to fail (e.g., memory exhaustions, configuration bugs, network issues, etc.). Logs are critical here to pinpoint failures prior to reaching the backoff limit. 3. Resource Configuration: - Ensure your pods have adequate resource allocations and limits, ensuring they aren’t abruptly terminated due to resource constraints. 4. Prefect Configuration: - Review Prefect retries alongside Kubernetes settings. This includes ensuring Prefect's retry settings are in sync with Kubernetes' backoffLimit to handle orchestration effectively. 5. Implementing Try-Catch Logic or Alerts: - Set up alerts or manual exception handling within Prefect that catches job failures and can log or alert you before reaching the limit. ### Example Adjustment: If you're creating Kubernetes job specifications directly within Prefect or via Kubernetes, consider:
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yaml
apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: Job
metadata:
  name: my-prefect-job
spec:
  template:
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: my-container
        image: my-image
      restartPolicy: Never
  backoffLimit: 5  # Increase this where applicable
Adjust accordingly to mitigate frequent infrastructure issues alongside ensuring Prefect’s deployment aligns resource expectations properly. For large-scale troubleshooting or persistent problems, evaluating specific logs and execution environment settings with Prefect’s server may offer enhanced insights into this error. Feel free to ask if you need deep dives into any particular configuration!
s
Hi @Marvin a basic question - i'm running some code through
run_deployment
to in order to run it on a remote pod. I'm passing some parameters inside through
parameters=
, but i don't think all are sticky and properly received inside - though some are. What do you think can be the issue? must i use the
parameters
in the deployment config yaml? (if so, how does it look?) it's currently empty (though some other parameters to get in). They all seem to be part of the wrapped-function params. thanks!
m
When using
run_deployment
to run code on a remote pod or other infrastructure, and you're having issues with parameters not being received as expected, there are several points to consider: ### Common Issues and Solutions: 1. Deployment YAML Parameters: - Impact: While it’s not mandatory to list parameters in the
deployment.yaml
, setting default parameters in the
deployment.yaml
can ensure certain parameters are always available, providing defaults if they are not passed explicitly. - Specification: You can add parameters in
deployment.yaml
like this:
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yaml
     parameters:
       param1: default_value1
       param2: default_value2
These values serve as defaults and will be overridden if you provide explicit values in
run_deployment
. 2. Matching Parameter Names: - Ensure the parameters you are passing match with the function’s parameter names in your flow. Even a small typo or case mismatch can cause parameters to be ignored or erroneously retrieved. 3. Types and Structures: - Verify the parameters' data types and structures match what your flow function expects. Filter through logs for any warnings or errors related to type mismatches or null values. 4. Use Prefect Logs and Debug: - Prefect logs can help diagnose parameter issues. Increase verbosity in logging to catch parameter parsing issues. 5. Check Parameter Override Handling in Code: - Ensure that your flow's entry function correctly handles and utilizes these parameters. ### Example of Setting and Using Parameters: Ensure that your flow entry function has a signature that matches the parameters you're passing:
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python
from prefect import flow, task

@flow
def my_flow(param1, param2="default_value2"):
    print(f"Param 1: {param1}, Param 2: {param2}")
    # Further operations on parameters

if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Example deployment parameter call
    run_deployment("my-flow-deployment", parameters={"param1": "value1", "param2": "custom_value2"})
### Next Steps: - Verify Configuration: Ensure the configurations (in both
deployment.yaml
and the code base) align and interact as expected. - Test Parameters Directly: - When developing, try testing the deployment parameters directly using Prefect CLI or Prefect UI to eliminate misconfigurations in local calling code. Finally, if issues persist, Prefect's community resources or forums might provide additional insights tailored to complex parameter configurations and behaviors. If you need more clarification or specifics, feel free to ask!
s
Hi @Marvin i have about 60 jobs to run as sub-flows (on remote compute). each takes about 10min - i can batch them serially so that each "chunk" will run a few serially. But in general i want to parallel something like 10 chunk-jobs at the same time. When i try i get errors (
Job reached backoff limit.
, or
httpx
limit reached). i also get errors of no available resources on cluster (though there are retries there, i think). Is there an easy way in prefect to say: i have this pile of 20 jobs, run them in parallel of 5 at any given time ; once one job is done, take the next one until completed? some kind of parallel + queue combined?
m
To achieve running batches of sub-flows with a limit on the parallel execution (e.g., running 5 sub-flows at a time out of a larger batch), Prefect offers several tools and strategies for controlling execution: ### Strategies for Managing Concurrency 1. Work Pools and Work Queues: - Set up specific work pools or work queues with concurrency limits that ensure only a certain number of tasks/subflows run at the same time. 2. Task or Flow Concurrency Limits: - Use Prefect's task concurrency limits by tagging tasks and setting a maximum concurrent execution count for each tag. These are usually more granular than the work pool concurrency limits. 3. Custom Logic in Your Code: - You can implement custom batching within your flow function to manage parallel executions efficiently using Python's
asyncio
features. ### Example Using
asyncio.Semaphore
for Custom Logic Here’s how you might implement this logic directly within your code using a semaphore to limit active sub-flows:
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python
import asyncio
from prefect import flow, task
from prefect.deployments import run_deployment

async def run_job_with_semaphore(sem, job_params, deployment_name):
    async with sem:
        return await run_deployment(deployment_name, parameters=job_params)

@flow
async def manage_sub_flows(job_chunks, max_concurrent_jobs=5):
    sem = asyncio.Semaphore(max_concurrent_jobs)
    tasks = []
    
    for job_params in job_chunks:
        tasks.append(run_job_with_semaphore(sem, job_params, "my-subflow-deployment"))

    # Await completion of all jobs
    await asyncio.gather(*tasks)

# Example Usage
if __name__ == "__main__":
    job_chunks = [...]  # List of job-specific parameters
    asyncio.run(manage_sub_flows(job_chunks))
### Key Points: - Semaphore in AsyncIO: Use
asyncio.Semaphore
to limit the number of concurrently executed tasks easily. This acts as an in-code queue, ensuring no more than
max_concurrent_jobs
run at once. - Prefect Concurrency Controls: You can still leverage Prefect's infrastructure capabilities like Work Pools and task-level settings if infrastructure limitations or detailed configuration is needed. ### Additional Considerations: - Resource Constraints: Ensure that your cluster or execution environment can handle the maximum concurrent workload specified by the semaphore. Adjust based on actual resource availability. - Prefect UI: Use the Prefect UI and CLI tools to monitor, manage, and optimize deployments and concurrency settings across your flows. If these implementations help or if you have specific environments to further navigate, exploring Prefect's documentation or community forums for additional examples and guidance would be beneficial. Let me know if there are any other queries or detailed nuances to address!
s
@Marvin I have set-up a dedicated work-pool and work-queue for a specific job, and through the UI i have set concurrency limit to
3
. Just to test that it's all good, i triggered a job with 4 sub-flows (of that type, using that work-pool and queue names) and expected only 3 to run at the same time (the fourth to be pending and queued only once the 3 are done) - but that did not happen, all 4 are running at the same time. The UI says that the work pool/queue are as i planned. Do you have any idea why it happens and does not queue?
m
In Prefect, setting concurrency limits on work pools or queues should respect the limits you've configured, meaning tasks should queue up if the limit is reached. If that's not happening, here are some potential reasons and troubleshooting steps: ### Troubleshooting Steps: 1. Verify Configuration: - Double-check the concurrency limit settings in the Prefect UI to ensure they are saved correctly for the specific work pool and work queue. 2. Confirm Worker Assignment: - Ensure that sub-flows are indeed running under the correct work pool and queue. Even if the configuration looks correct, it’s good to confirm through logs or the operational environment if some sub-flows might be assigned to a different pool or queue. 3. Agent and Worker Configuration: - Make sure the Prefect agents polling these queues respect these configurations and are not constrained by any separate settings that override the UI configuration. - Verify that the agents are starting with correct configurations indicating the queue assignments and limits. 4. Prefect Versioning Issues: - Ensure you are running the latest compatible version of Prefect if this might be a recently fixed issue. Check Prefect’s changelogs or issue trackers for any known bugs related to concurrency control. 5. Inspect Logs and Events: - Look at the Prefect server logs for any messages related to task scheduling and execution that might indicate why the concurrency limit isn't being honored. ### Review Execution Environment: If none of the above issues are visible, delve into logs and Prefect communication between agents and the server, looking for any irregularities, especially those related to tag handling, worker management, or distributed load balancing. ### Example with Prefect CLI Debugging You can use Prefect commands to see the current status programsatically:
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bash
prefect work-pool inspect --name <your-work-pool-name>
This might help verify that the limits are applied correctly and how each queue processes its work load. ### Community and Support: If the issue persists despite investigation, consulting Prefect's community channels like discourse forums or GitHub issues might yield insights if other users have experienced similar challenges. If you need further assistance tailored to specific configurations or codes in use, feel free to reach out.
s
@Marvin the work-queue / work-pool concurrency limit should apply for sub-flow runs triggered by a parent job (through
run_deployment
), right?
m
Yes, the concurrency limits set on a work queue or work pool should apply to sub-flow runs triggered by a parent job using
run_deployment
. When you define a concurrency limit, it is intended to restrict the number of concurrent flow runs (sub-flows included) that can operate through the specified work queue or pool. Here’s how it generally works: ### How Concurrency Limits Work: 1. Work Queue/Pool Settings: - Concurrency limits are defined at the work queue or pool level, primarily affecting how Prefect's agent dispatches and manages flow runs. 2. Sub-Flow Triggering: - Sub-flows triggered using
run_deployment
should adhere to the same concurrency restrictions if they are executed through the configured work queue/pool. This is because
run_deployment
creates new flow runs that respect work queue configurations. 3. Scope of Limits: - The limits should apply at the flow run level. If your sub-flows are configured to use a specific work queue, the queue’s concurrency limitations govern their execution. ### Troubleshooting Considerations: - Confirm Assignment: Double-check that the sub-flows are indeed registered to use the intended work queue and pool by reviewing their specific configurations. - Check Configuration: Ensure that all relevant flows and agents are using and respecting the correct queue/pool settings. Sometimes settings might not propagate if involved agents aren't configured to respect them. - UI Confirmation: Through the Prefect UI, verify that the intended work pool and queue are actually being applied as expected to your running flows. If configurations appear correct and issues persist, investigating server and agent logs for any discrepancies might highlight the cause of concurrency issues. Lastly, if this continues to be problematic, checking for software updates or engaging with Prefect’s support forums might yield additional help.
s
@Marvin do i need to reset anything after changing work-queue concurrency limit? or is it all real-time assuming everything's working?
m
In Prefect, when you change the concurrency limit for a work queue, the changes are generally effective immediately without needing to restart agents or manually refresh other components. However, there are a few best practices and considerations to ensure everything applies as expected: ### Considerations for Concurrency Limit Changes: 1. Real-Time Effect: - Changes to concurrency limits are designed to be applied in real-time, as part of Prefect's dynamic configuration management. 2. Agent Execution: - Ensure that Prefect agents connected to those queues are running and properly communicating with the Prefect server to receive and apply updates instantly. 3. Validate via Logs/UI: - Check Prefect's UI or logs to confirm the change. You should see the effect when new tasks queue up, respecting the updated limits. 4. Running Tasks: - Remember that changes will only affect new task assignments. Already running tasks will continue under the conditions they were assigned. 5. Prefect Server Update: - Although it’s generally unnecessary, if changes do not seem to apply, restarting Prefect agents that interact with the queues can solve potential latency issues. 6. Documentation and Support: - If changes aren't taking effect as expected, referring to Prefect's documentation or reaching out for support might reveal additional insights, especially if other users have faced similar issues. ### Steps if Issues Persist: - Restart Agents (Rarely Needed): Occasionally, resetting agents handling the queue might help if there are sync issues. - Monitor Queue Behavior: Use the Prefect UI to observe queue activity, ensuring that limits are respected as roles and configurations update. If you find that concurrent limit changes are not applying as they should when all the above points are checked, Prefect’s community forums or support channels can be a valuable resource for deeper troubleshooting.
s
@Marvin still can't get to limit the concurrent sub-flow runs: i saw that in addition to the work-queue parameter (in UI), there's also a work-pool parameter of concurrency limit (also in UI). i changed that as well (both say 3) and triggered 4 sub-flows, and still get 4 runs instead of 3 in parallel. the correct work-pool and work-queue kick in according to the flow-run. is there any other configuration i need to adjust in order to set the concurrent-limit?
m
If you’ve configured both work-queue and work-pool concurrency limits correctly to 3 and are still observing all 4 sub-flows running in parallel, here are several potential areas to check and troubleshoot further: ### Key Steps and Considerations: 1. Ensure Separate Configuration: - Double check that both work-pool and work-queue configurations are set independently and aren't being overridden by other settings. Sometimes minor oversights in identifying the exact targets for these settings can cause unexpected results. 2. Agent Configurations: - Verify that the Prefect agents responsible for handling these work-queues and pools are aware of these limits. If the agents were restarted or replicated, ensure they all refresh from the correct configuration source. 3. Prefect Version Integrity: - Confirm that you are using a consistent and up-to-date Prefect version across your infrastructure; version discrepancies can sometimes lead to behavioral quirks, especially with UI and configuration interpretations. 4. Active Process Review: - Utilize Prefect’s monitoring tools or CLI to ensure that no extraneous processes are inadvertently using outdated settings. Sometimes stale worker processes don't align with new configurations. 5. Work Queue Overrides: - Consult the Prefect logs for any warnings or errors indicating something might be amiss or being overridden. 6. Persistence and Retrying: - Occasionally, UI changes might not propagate immediately due to data cache or sync delays. If possible, retry the configuration adjustments and observe any changes. ### Further Debugging: If none of the above solutions highlight the issue, consider: - Checking Server Logs: Detailed logs might reveal conflicts not visible on the UI. - Prefect Support Channels: Prefect's community or technical support resources may provide insights or uncover potential bug reports if this is an unexpectedly common scenario. Configuration nuances can vary based on deployment models and infrastructure, and ensuring a holistic review of set configurations often uncovers subtle misconfigurations. Feel free to reach out if there are more persistent questions or need for tailored investigations!
s
@Marvin i may have an explanation (coming from the logs) - sometimes when a sub-flow (or job in general) starts, it takes a few seconds to find cluster-resource. at first there's no matching machine, but a few seconds afterwards there is one. During that time, i do see log-errors such as:
Reported flow run '71d0a29d-896e-41b0-9c37-f59d3dbb9e56' as crashed: Flow run infrastructure exited with non-zero status code -1.
and if that happens for the 3 sent-jobs, the fourth will be sent as they are not really "running" (although they will start running in a few seconds). Does this make sense? is there anything i need to change in the configuration to get it more controlled?
m
Your observations make sense. When a flow run is briefly marked as "crashed" because the infrastructure cannot immediately allocate resources, it can temporarily release concurrency slots, causing more flows to start than your limit allows. Here’s what might be happening and how you can manage it more effectively: ### Understanding the Issue: 1. Resource Availability Delay: - If your flows are starting faster than resources (e.g., Kubernetes pods) can be provisioned, they might be marked as crashed due to initial lack of available infrastructure, misleading the concurrency control mechanism. 2. Error Due to Start Delay: - The error "Flow run infrastructure exited with non-zero status code -1" suggests that the infrastructure wasn't ready or available when the attempt to initiate the flow run was first made. ### Steps to Address: 1. Increase Waiting Period for Infrastructure: - Investigate your infrastructure provider’s settings (like Kubernetes) to ensure resources have a slight buffer or pre-warmed state if this is feasible. Environments that scale resources too reactively can face these small delays. 2. Retain Attempt States: - Ensure Prefect is configured to recognize start attempts and not immediately mark them as failed for infrastructure readiness issues. It might require adjusting
job_watch_timeout_seconds
or similar pre-deployment readiness settings. 3. Retry/Backoff Settings: - Implement Prefect's retry or backoff strategies where feasible to ensure jobs recapture resources after brief infrastructure unavailability without immediately marking them as failed or releasing slots too quickly. 4. Concurrency Slot Stability: - Consider managing activation timelines and concurrency settings at the agent-level, ensuring enough leniency for transient resource unavailability without marking flows as crashed. ### Implementation Ideas: 1. Task or Deployment Configuration: - Adjust the expected provision time and backoff logic in your deployment configurations, either via Prefect settings or through deeper Kubernetes configuration controls for job assignments. 2. Resilient Infrastructure Design: - Employ designs that buffer or batch-reschedule tasks without them hitting a “crashed” state quickly. This involves ensuring your infrastructure can handle immediate load spikes. ### Next Steps: Review documentation both from Prefect's setup and your infrastructure provider for additional strategies on demand-smoothing and proactive resource management. If the environment scales dynamically or is managed, ensuring friendly start-grace periods is often key. For concrete implementations, or if any of the diagnostics signal specific workflows or environmental parameters not evident from surface-level observability, community forums or infrastructure-specific documentations might be beneficial. Feel free to ask if there's any more guidance I can provide!
s
Hey @Marvin i'm getting an error i had already handled before, not sure what's going on: i'm running a bunch of sub-flows and trying to look at the results after all are done. the parent-flow trigger code is:
Copy code
await asyncio.gather(*[poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run.id) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region])
i'm using the function is something you recommended (and seemed to work):
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async def poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run_id: uuid.UUID, poll_wait_seconds: int = 20):
    async with get_client() as client:
        while True:
            # Fetch the latest state of the flow run
            flow_run = await client.read_flow_run(flow_run_id)
            state = flow_run.state
            if state.is_completed():
                return True
            elif state.is_failed():
                raise RuntimeError(f"Sub-flow {flow_run_id} failed.")
            await asyncio.sleep(poll_wait_seconds)
they all succeed, but the next parent-flow line:
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region_final_results = await asyncio.gather(*[flow_run.state.result(fetch=True) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region])
but i get an error of:
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prefect/states.py", line 91, in _get_state_result
    raise await get_state_exception(state)
prefect.exceptions.CrashedRun: Flow run infrastructure exited with non-zero status code -1.
it seems that although the jobs are done, fetching the results fails for some reason. The sub-flow does use persistence (over s3) ; i also added a few seconds of
time.sleep
to avoid some race-issue if something's not super-ready yet. What am i missing? what can i check in order to understand the problem?
m
Your message was too long by 61 tokens - please shorten it and try again. For reference, here's your message at the allowed limit:
Hey
i'm getting an error i had already handled before, not sure what's going on: i'm running a bunch of sub-flows and trying to look at the results after all are done. the parent-flow trigger code is:
Copy code
await asyncio.gather(*[poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run.id) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region])
i'm using the function is something you recommended (and seemed to work):
Copy code
async def poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run_id: uuid.UUID, poll_wait_seconds: int = 20):
    async with get_client() as client:
        while True:
            # Fetch the latest state of the flow run
            flow_run = await client.read_flow_run(flow_run_id)
            state = flow_run.state
            if state.is_completed():
                return True
            elif state.is_failed():
                raise RuntimeError(f"Sub-flow {flow_run_id} failed.")
            await asyncio.sleep(poll_wait_seconds)
they all succeed, but the next parent-flow line:
Copy code
region_final_results = await asyncio.gather(*[flow_run.state.result(fetch=True) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region])
but i get an error of:
Copy code
prefect/states.py", line 91, in _get_state_result
    raise await get_state_exception(state)
prefect.exceptions.CrashedRun: Flow run infrastructure exited with non-zero status code -1.
it seems that although the jobs are done,
s
Hey @Marvin i'm getting an error i had already handled before, not sure what's going on: i'm running a bunch of sub-flows and trying to look at the results after all are done. the parent-flow trigger code is:
Copy code
await asyncio.gather(*[poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run.id) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region])
i'm using the function is something you recommended (and seemed to work), that does a while-True loop to verify all run_ids have a completed state (and if failed, raises an Exception). They all succeed, but the next parent-flow line:
Copy code
region_final_results = await asyncio.gather(*[flow_run.state.result(fetch=True) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region])
but i get an error of:
Copy code
prefect/states.py", line 91, in _get_state_result
    raise await get_state_exception(state)
prefect.exceptions.CrashedRun: Flow run infrastructure exited with non-zero status code -1.
it seems that although the jobs are done, fetching the results fails for some reason. The sub-flow does use persistence (over s3) ; i also added a few seconds of
time.sleep
to avoid some race-issue if something's not super-ready yet. What am i missing? what can i check in order to understand the problem?
m
It seems you're encountering a "CrashedRun" exception when attempting to fetch results from sub-flows, even though your state polling function indicates that they have completed successfully. This issue can arise due to several reasons: ### Possible Causes and Steps to Diagnose: 1. Race Conditions or Delays: Even with sleep, ensure the persistence mechanism (e.g., S3) has fully committed and is accessible by the time this fetch is attempted. 2. Resource Cleanup: If the infrastructure is terminated prematurely, it might affect subsequent retrieval attempts. Make sure resources (like pods or containers) are provisioned reliably until fetching is carried out. 3. Logs and Monitoring: - Check Prefect’s and cloud logs for errors, especially related to state transitions or job failures. - Verify that your S3 configurations or the underlying storage is correctly set to handle such persistent states. 4. Check State Consistency: - Before fetching, ensure the state object (flow_run.state) remains consistent. Although polling changes state, ensure there's no desynchronization with execution environment details. 5. Consistency of Result Fetching: - Confirm Prefect's handling configurations for results, ensuring any settings or configurations involving state persistence are stable, especially given intermittent infrastructure errors in logs. ### Strategies to Alleviate the Problem: - Error Handling: Investigate whether implementing additional try-except blocks with state refresh around result fetching exposes transient conditions or state markers more robustly. - Increase Persistence (Storage/State): Increase persistence verification before result fetching, ensuring full state readiness especially in distributed or cloud scenarios. This involves confirming data integrity past your sleep window. - Resource Provision Stability: Delays in terminating resources should sync with result-persistence guarantees, linked to underlying infrastructure specifics. - Alternative Diagnostic Logs: Use Prefect's logging system to scan for infrastructure events (e.g., under-provisioning) and document task results—understanding external environment factors affecting fetch attempts. ### Follow-Up: Given the unauthorized access issue I encountered while trying to look up GitHub issues, you might want to manually browse Prefect's GitHub repository issues or the community page, as others may provide insights if this aligns with broader user reports. For more tailored support, Prefect's forums and support channels can be instrumental in providing run-time troubleshooting catered to your infrastructure specifics. Let me know if I can assist further!
s
@Marvin more info about what i described: the same code works for a 2-3 sub-flows run, but fails for a 4 one. so the basic mechanism does work - does that mean that more time.sleep is required? i can try it, just trying to see if i missed something else
m
Given that the setup works for a smaller number of sub-flows but fails with a higher count, this could indicate a resource contention or synchronization issue, particularly in distributed environments. Here are a few things to consider and try: ### Considerations and Actions: 1. Resource Constraints: - Verify resource limits of the infrastructure hosting your flows. An increase in sub-flows may be hitting a resource cap (CPU/memory) leading to these intermittent failures. 2. Network/Throughput Bottlenecks: - When many sub-flows complete nearly simultaneously, it's possible the underlying storage or network experiences a temporary spike, impacting retrieval times or result availability. 3. Double-Check Persistence Layer: - Ensure that your S3 storage or whatever persistence is being utilized is performing writes and reads without latency—check storage service logs for potential delays or strain when you scale activities. 4. Increase the Sleep Time: - Adding a bit more sleep time is a straightforward and often effective way to address race conditions or buffer against transient synchronization delays, especially in distributed systems. 5. Parallel Fetch or Throttling: - Consider introducing staggered or batched retrieval mechanisms. Using a small queue or generator to fetch results in controlled (non-burst) patterns may help. 6. Result Consistency Checks: - Ensure any local or cached copies are refreshed before and after retrieval attempts, particularly if direct fetching skips intermediary states. Here’s a potential adjustment to test:
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python
import asyncio
import time

async def poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run_id):
    # Sample completion function
    while True:
        state = ...  # Fetch the state
        if state.is_completed():
            return True
        elif state.is_failed():
            raise RuntimeError(f"Flow run {flow_run_id} failed.")
        await asyncio.sleep(2)

flow_runs_in_region = [...]  # Your setup for regions
await asyncio.gather(*[poll_flow_run_completion(flow_run.id) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region])

time.sleep(10)  # Increase sleep time to allow full state availability

region_final_results = await asyncio.gather(*[flow_run.state.result(fetch=True) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region])
### Next Steps: - Deeper Logging: Beyond existing logs, temporarily add additional diagnostic prints or logging to measure time taken for certain tasks, identifying if there's a particular system segment straining beyond specific thresholds. - Prefect Community Insights: If this issue persists, you might gain further insights or resolution through Prefect’s users' forums or dedicated support, especially if recurrent under specific conditions. Experimenting with the above changes and closely monitoring system metrics during execution will often reveal hydration bottlenecks or performance gaps masked during lighter tests. Let me know if further aspects need clarification or focus!
s
Hey @Marvin i'm still getting
httpx
connection limit error:
httpx.ConnectError: All connection attempts failed
for only using 4 sub-flows under the parent one (who got the crash once all were completed). it crashed during the
await asyncio.gather
call of the
run_deployment
for the sub-flows (they are green-completed, and then the parent-job crashed). What am i doing wrong?
m
The
httpx.ConnectError: All connection attempts failed
error typically indicates that there is a connectivity issue when the parent flow tries to communicate with Prefect's infrastructure, potentially while triggering sub-flows or fetching their results. Here are some steps to diagnose and address this issue: ### Diagnostic Steps: 1. Overall Network Stability: - Ensure your network is stable and can handle multiple simultaneous connections without issues. Transient network errors can cause connection attempts to fail. 2. Server Capacity and Load: - Check if Prefect's server (or agent) capacity is set appropriately to handle multiple concurrent sub-flow triggers. There might be a limit on how many simultaneous requests the server can handle. 3. Connection Limits: - Prefect or its supporting infrastructure might have connection limits. Check Prefect, server, or infrastructure documentation/settings for any configurable limits. Adjusting this in alignment with what’s programmatically being attempted can help. 4. Timeout and Retry Configurations: - Increase timeout settings for HTTP connections if they are too short, and see if implementing retry logic with backoff helps manage transient disconnections. 5. Review Existing Load: - During operation, extra running services or background processes can affect available open connections. Streamlining operations before executing your significant flow structure might alleviate contention. ### Possible Solutions: - Check the Network: Ensure there’s no local network congestion causing the issue, especially in cases where remote flows perform intensive data operations. - Increase Resource Allocations: Add additional resource allocations to Prefect's infrastructure handling these requests, potentially scaling server configurations to match anticipated loads. - Prefect Configuration: Confirm related HTTP connection settings aren’t artificially limited. Prefect,
httpx
, or backend settings may offer configurations for retries or connection pooling. - Introduce Asynchronous Delays: Slightly stagger flow run initiations instead of instantaneous mass attempts to distribute load. ### Additional Resources: Without the ability to search the GitHub repository due to access limitations, checking this issue directly on Prefect’s GitHub issues pages or community forums might provide additional insights, especially if related to known system constraints or common configurations. Feel free to reach out if there are more specific aspects or need further fine-tuning guidance!
s
@Marvin an update: it seems the connection-error is due to lack of communication with prefect-server (!) not responding. indeed i see that it went through restart at the same time (when the sub-flows just completed). is there a known issue / misconfiguration around that? perhaps fetching async results from multiple sub-flows create a load on the server answering those requests?
m
When your Prefect server experiences a restart or becomes unresponsive during multiple simultaneous result fetch operations, it can indicate a load or capacity issue. Here are several potential causes and solutions related to this: ### Causes and Diagnostics: 1. High Load on Server: - Fetching results from multiple sub-flows simultaneously could create a load spike on the Prefect server, especially if it’s processing many requests or managing high volumes of data. 2. Resource Constraints: - Insufficient server resources (CPU, memory) to handle the concurrent operations and requests from all sub-flows, especially if many large results are being moved around. 3. Configuration Limits: - Default configuration might restrict maximum connections or data handling capacity, which could be exceeded with multiple parallel operations. 4. Database or Disk I/O Bottleneck: - Backend storage or database serving Prefect might face limits in handling numerous concurrent read/write operations during these operations. ### Recommended Actions: 1. Increase Server Capacity: - If possible, scale up the server’s resources, such as CPU and memory, or move to a more robust hosting platform that can handle more load. 2. Optimize Queries and Fetching: - Use batching or stagger fetching operations to reduce the simultaneous load. Implementing small delays between fetching tasks may help. 3. Server Configuration: - Review and adjust settings for the Prefect server to optimize maximum connection limits, data processing, and request handling. 4. Backend Database Optimization: - Ensure the backend storage (e.g., database) is adequately provisioned and tuned for performance with proper indexing and disk I/O optimizations. 5. Monitor and Log: - Use monitoring tools to capture metrics and logs for insight into resource usage and identify bottlenecks. Prefect's server logs can reveal performance hitch points needing attention. 6. Consult Prefect Documentation: - For any specific tuning variables or resource handling options, check Prefect's documentation, as there might be specific recommendations or utilities for scaling. ### Next Steps: - Ensure your configuration fits the use case needs. If these settings aren't yielding improvements, consider exploring Prefect's support channels, where engineers who might have encountered similar scenarios could offer additional insights or share anecdotes of handling elevated load scenarios. By addressing resource scaling, configuration adjustments, and handling operational loads with optimizations, it's often possible to stabilize server behavior under higher loads. If there’s any more specific guidance you need, feel free to provide further details!
s
@Marvin does it make sense that a job is completed (checked by
state.is_completed()
) but the results are not ready to be fetched?
flow_run.state.result(fetch=True)
crashes with
Copy code
line 91, in _get_state_result
    raise await get_state_exception(state)
Is there a better state i can check - that it's fully ready? do i need to wait a few seconds (how many) before looking at results?
m
When a flow or task state in Prefect is marked as
COMPLETED
, it generally indicates that the execution has finished successfully. However, a completed state does not always guarantee that the result data is immediately ready and accessible, especially when using remote storage or persistence backends like S3. Here are some considerations and potential strategies for addressing this issue: ### Why a
COMPLETED
State May Not Be Ready: 1. Data Persistence Delays: - There could be a delay in the write operation to your persistence layer (like S3) which causes the result to not be immediately available even if marked as complete. 2. Server Processing: - Prefect might experience a slight delay due to network latency or server processing time before the result is fully available after a state change. ### Strategies to Ensure Readiness: 1. State and Result Readiness: - Ensure you query or confirm both the state and the necessary data availability before attempting to fetch the results. Sometimes a small deliberately added delay helps, but a more structured checking loop might be better. 2. Enhanced Checking Loop: - Refine your completion check function to include both state readiness and optionally use a try-except or additional
await
call to ensure storage has completed data writing. 3. Async Wait Time: - Implement a slightly longer wait time or polling mechanism if you know that your data store or retrieval mechanism has known latency issues. 4. Check Storage State: - Explicitly confirm storage consistency if using fetch=True with external storage, ensuring consistency or test cases simulating result readiness status. ### Code Adjustment Suggestion: Consider trying a more forgiving error handling loop when fetching results, especially incorporating a retry:
Copy code
python
import asyncio

async def fetch_results_with_retries(flow_run, max_attempts=3, delay=5):
    attempts = 0
    while attempts < max_attempts:
        try:
            return await flow_run.state.result(fetch=True)
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Attempt {attempts + 1} failed with error: {e}")
            attempts += 1
            await asyncio.sleep(delay)
    raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to fetch results after {max_attempts} tries.")

# Use it within your fetch logic
region_final_results = await asyncio.gather(
    *[fetch_results_with_retries(flow_run) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region]
)
### Consideration: If after these adjustments you still face frequent fetching errors, exploring deeply nested log diagnostics may uncover caching or state transition nuances needing alignment. Additionally, synchronizing Prefect versioning with build configurations can aid in harmonizing further improvements on newer versions. Prefect's forums or peer collaborations might also yield further perspectives if configuration settings let you down. Let me know if additional help or specific configurations to try are of interest!
s
@Marvin if i have a
flow_run
objects like before, i'm doing some polling to get its status until all done ; then i try - like you suggested - to get its output data (using
flow_run.state.result(fetch=True)
- but still after 3 attempts and some delays between) it still fails due to
State data is missing
- Could the reason be that i'm using a "stale" flow_run object and i should refresh to a new one from the client ,given its id? is the
state
object frozen to a state without the outputs and does not refresh automatically when trying to get
result
?
m
Yes, the issue you're experiencing could indeed be related to using a "stale"
flow_run
object. In Prefect, once a flow run is completed and marked as such, the state object you initially interact with does not automatically update itself to reflect changes like completed results stored externally. Here’s what generally happens and how you can address it: ### Understanding the State Object: 1. Static State Object: - The
state
attribute on your
flow_run
object reflects the state at the time it was retrieved. It does not "live-update" to reflect new state changes or data persistence events that happen asynchronously in your system. 2. Fetching Up-to-Date State: - To get the latest state and ensure you have access to persisted results, it is often necessary to query the current state from Prefect’s backend using the flow run ID. ### Recommended Approach: To mitigate the issue and retrieve the latest state information, follow these steps: 1. Re-fetch Using Prefect Client: - Use the Prefect client to fetch the most recent state of the flow run by using its ID. 2. Refreshing the State Object: - This refresh ensures you’re working with the most current data for result retrieval. ### Example Code: Here’s how to refresh a flow run state using the Prefect client:
Copy code
python
from prefect.client import get_client

async def fetch_latest_state(flow_run_id):
    async with get_client() as client:
        flow_run = await client.read_flow_run(flow_run_id)
        return flow_run.state

async def fetch_results_with_retries(flow_run_id, max_attempts=3, delay=5):
    attempts = 0
    while attempts < max_attempts:
        try:
            state = await fetch_latest_state(flow_run_id)
            return await state.result(fetch=True)
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Attempt {attempts + 1} failed with error: {e}")
            attempts += 1
            await asyncio.sleep(delay)
    raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to fetch results after {max_attempts} tries.")

# Usage with flow run IDs
region_final_results = await asyncio.gather(
    *[fetch_results_with_retries(flow_run.id) for flow_run in flow_runs_in_region]
)
### Key Points: - State Retrieval: Use the Prefect client to obtain the latest state, ensuring data availability when results are requested. - Reliable Fetching: Implement a retry mechanism checking the most current state information to manage data retrieval reliably. By following these approaches, you ensure validation against possible lags or misalignments between execution and persistence systems in distributed infrastructures. If more detailed troubleshooting or examples are required, exploring Prefect community documentation or insights might provide further refinements. Let me know if I can assist further!
s
@Marvin this is not the case - even locally when i connect to the server and get the fresh flow-run output (appears as
completed
) minutes after with a fresh object, i'm still seeing that
.state.result(fetch=True)
shows there's missing results - though the sub-flow completed successfully, i do have an s3-persistency layer, and this entire parent-flow does work for smaller inputs. it's driving me crazy, how do i debug deeper to see where the issue is coming from? if there was a bug persisting results, it would be on the parent or sub-flow (that's completed)? nothing appears in logs of either
m
When dealing with issues related to missing results, even after confirmed completion and utilization of a persistence layer like S3, there are several potential focus areas and diagnostic methods: ### Diagnostic Steps: 1. Verify Persistence Logic: - Confirm that the persistence logic in the sub-flow tasks is explicitly capturing and saving the state and results to S3. Verify the S3 paths/keys used to ensure they match expectations. 2. Check for Errors in Persistence Operations: - Double-check that no silent errors are occurring when writing to or reading from S3. Sometimes, permissions or transient issues cause writes to fail without apparent logging. 3. Access Control/Key Management: - Ensure that the necessary credentials and permissions are correctly configured for accessing the S3 bucket. Double-check IAM roles/policies if using AWS to ensure persistence isn’t silently failing due to access restrictions. 4. Local/Manual Check: - Manually inspect the S3 bucket to see if results are stored correctly at the expected locations or if there are discrepancies between expected and actual data presence. 5. Version Consistency: - Ensure that all parts of your setup (local code, Prefect server, AWS S3 configurations) are consistently referenced across runs to eliminate version-related discrepancies. 6. Prefect Configuration: - Double-check Prefect’s configuration settings around result persistence to ensure that all necessary configurations are set for fetch and persist behavior. ### Deeper Debugging Approach: - Enhanced Logging: - Increase the verbosity of logging in your flow to capture states and transitions more completely. Add specific logging around persistence logic in both sub-flows and parent flows to detect discrepancies. - Temporary Debugging: - Introduce temporary debug statements or assertions around critical paths before and after persistence steps to systematically check result paths, data states, and transitions. - Local Debugging: - Run a local test where feasible, capturing detailed logs, and manually stepping through each stage to identify where an expected state does not align with outcomes or logs, particularly between completion and result fetch. - Prefect Forum and Support: - Bringing this debugging scenario up in Prefect’s community or support channels could yield insights if others have solved or diagnosed similarly puzzling discrepancies in result persistence. ### Considerations: The key here is to systematically break down each phase of persistence, from task completion in sub-flows to the result checking in parent flows, making sure that any potential silent failures or overlooked configurations are surfaced and addressed. Let me know if additional details or specific function checks are of interest!
s
@Marvin i'm not sure i'm seeing the persistency output in s3 (although the sub-flow did complete successfully, is this not part of its job?) when i trigger sub-flow through
run_deployment
do i need to do anything special in order to trigger the result-storage? the persistency appearsin the decorator of the method wrapped by the deployment-yaml
entrypoint
, shouldn't that be enough?
m
If you're not observing persistent results in your S3 bucket despite sub-flows completing successfully, it's essential to ensure that the persistence logic within your deployment is correctly configured and enabled. Here are some key points to review and ensure: ### Key Steps to Ensure Result Persistence: 1. Verify Deployment Configuration: - Check your deployment configuration
deployment.yaml
to ensure it's correctly set up to use the storage block for result persistence, specifically referencing your S3 bucket. 2. Storage Block Configuration: - Ensure you've correctly defined the storage block in Prefect to link to your S3 bucket. This configuration should match the bucket details and permissions set in AWS. 3. Result Persistence in Tasks and Flows: - Confirm that the relevant tasks or flow function within your sub-flow are set up with the
persist_results=True
parameter. This is often forgotten in the flow or task decorator settings. 4. S3 Permissions and Access: - Double-check IAM roles and bucket policies to ensure that Prefect has the necessary permissions to write results to the specified S3 bucket. 5. Verify Key Paths in S3: - Make sure that the keys/paths are correctly formatted and accessible for both reading and writing results. ### Configuring Storage for the Deployment: Here's how it might be structured in your deployment configuration:
Copy code
yaml
description: Deployment using S3 for result persistence
storage:
  - aws-s3:
      bucket: your-bucket-name
      key: subflow-results/
parameter_openapi_schema:
  type: object
  properties:
    param1:
      type: string
# Additional configuration specific to your flow
### If Not Already Set Up: - Use Prefect CLI: You can define storage using CLI commands:
Copy code
bash
  prefect storage create aws-s3 --bucket your-bucket-name --key your-key-path
- Within Task/Flow: Use decorators to ensure results are persisted:
Copy code
python
  @task(persist_result=True)
  async def my_task():
      # Task logic

  @flow(persist_result=True)
  async def my_flow():
      result = await my_task()
      return result
### Additional Steps: - Test Locally: Run local tests to ensure files appear in S3 with smaller job configurations. - Diagnostics: Increase logging around persistence operations to check for any indications of write failures. If these checks and configurations don’t resolve the issue, reviewing Prefect’s storage documentation or community discourse may provide specific insights based on previously similar scenarios. Feel free to ask if I can help further, or if you need clarification on any points!
s
@Marvin is it possible that in some runs (with less inputs) results would persist and in others they wouldn't? i did not have the
persist_result=True
option set in the flow (will add it now) so it defaulted to None, not sure what it means - but i did provide
result_storage
parameter assuming this is enough
m
Yes, it's entirely possible that in some runs results might persist while in others they don't, especially if configurations or settings aren't consistently applied. Here's how it typically works and how to ensure consistent behavior: ### Why Inconsistencies Occur: 1. Default Behavior: - If
persist_result=True
was not explicitly set, Prefect defaults to
None
, which generally means results won’t be persisted unless other specific configurations indicate otherwise. This can lead to inconsistent persistence if other factors or configurations are accidentally relied upon. 2. Dynamic Configuration Application: - Depending on how or where default settings or parameters like
result_storage
are applied, they might not fully trigger without explicit
persist_result
settings. 3. Result Storage Specification: - Providing
result_storage
alone isn't always sufficient unless it's paired with explicit persistence directives within the tasks or flows. ### Ensuring Consistent Persistence: 1. Set
persist_result=True
: - Explicitly add
persist_result=True
in your flow and/or task decorators to ensure results are persisted across all runs. 2. Review All Flow Configurations: - Ensure consistent application of the storage configuration across all parts of the flow and confirm that there are no conflicting or missing parameters. 3. Monitor Workflow Runs: - Increase logging and monitor workflows to ensure the defined storage block (like S3) is being used correctly and logs show successful result persistence for similar runs. 4. Manual Verification: - Validate S3 contents manually post-run to ensure paths and formats align with expectations. ### Suggested Configuration: Here’s how to ensure results persist with explicit configurations:
Copy code
python
from prefect import task, flow

@task(persist_result=True)
async def my_task():
    # Task logic

@flow(persist_result=True, result_storage=my_s3_storage_block)
async def my_flow():
    return await my_task()

# Ensure your deployment configuration contains these flags
By explicitly setting these parameters, you can reduce inconsistencies in result persistence across varying jobs and conditions. If issues or uncertainties persist regarding storage backends or deployment settings, Prefect community and resources offer further tailored support. If you encounter additional challenges, feel free to ask for more specific assistance!
s
@Marvin your examples are around tasks. is this similar in cases of
run_deployment
of full sub-flows?
m
Yes, the concept of result persistence applies similarly to sub-flows that are triggered through
run_deployment
. In both tasks and sub-flow deployments, ensuring results are persisted involves using the appropriate settings to specify persistence behavior. ### For Sub-Flows Triggered via `run_deployment`: 1. Set Persist Options in the Sub-Flow: - Just like tasks, ensure that sub-flows have
persist_result=True
within their flow definition to store outputs persistently. 2. Use Result Storage in Sub-Flows: - Make sure that the sub-flow deployment configuration (
deployment.yaml
) specifies
result_storage
to direct where and how results should be stored, like in an S3 bucket or other configured storage solutions. 3. Consistent Configuration: - Ensure both the parent flow that triggers sub-flows and the sub-flows themselves have consistent result persistence settings for seamless data handling. ### Sample Setup for Sub-Flow with `run_deployment`: Here’s how you might configure both parent and sub-flow to ensure results persist: #### Sub-Flow Definition:
Copy code
python
from prefect import flow

@flow(persist_result=True)
def my_sub_flow(param):
    # Logic for sub-flow
    return {"key": "value"}
#### Sub-Flow Deployment (deployment.yaml):
Copy code
yaml
name: my-sub-flow
flow_name: my_sub_flow
parameters:
  param: default_value
tags: []
entrypoint: flow_script.py:my_sub_flow
result_storage:
  aws_s3:
    bucket: "your-bucket-name"
    key_prefix: "results/"
#### Parent Flow Triggering Sub-Flow:
Copy code
python
from prefect.deployments import run_deployment
from prefect import flow

@flow
def parent_flow():
    # Run sub-flow with deployment
    result = run_deployment(
        "my-sub-flow",
        parameters={"param": "my_value"},
        wait=True  # Ensures parent flow waits for sub-flow completion
    )
    # process results or other logic
### Key Considerations: - Consistent Result Storage: Make sure result storage settings are correctly aligned in the sub-flow’s deployment configuration. - Parent and Sub-Flow Synchronization: Ensure both the parent and sub-flow align on result and state management methods. - Use Prefect Tools: Utilize Prefect CLI and UI to inspect deployment setups or configurations for any mismatches. By aligning parent flows, sub-flows, and deployment configurations through settings like
result_storage
and
persist_result
, you can ensure reliable data persistence across executions. Should issues or questions persist, Prefect's community could provide additional insights or suggestions. Let me know if further specifics or examples are needed!
s
@Marvin if i implemented a persistency-class (sub-class of
WritableFileSystem
) - but don't import it in my code that does
flow_run.state.result(fetch=True)
, will things work? locally when i test just to try and load it, i get the error of:
"No class found for dispatch key 'mys3storage' in registry for type 'Block'."
but after i import the class i guess it registers it and it works. But do i need to do it in my code as well? or will the parent-job use some kind of shared/managed registry that will have it listed once used somewhere? do i need to make sure it registers through import?
m
When you implement a custom persistency class in Prefect, such as a subclass of
WritableFileSystem
, it must be properly registered with Prefect's block registry. Here's how it works and what you need to consider: ### Registration and Importing Considerations: 1. Registration Requirement: - Prefect uses a dispatch system to identify and use blocks. Your custom block class needs to be registered so Prefect knows how to handle it. - Registration happens when the class is imported. Prefect typically registers blocks at import time, which is why it works after you import. 2. Importing in Core Logic: - When you call
flow_run.state.result(fetch=True)
in a different script or process from where the class is defined, you need to ensure that the custom persistency class is imported in that script. Otherwise, Prefect won’t know how to handle the custom storage logic. 3. Parent-Job and Shared Registry: - Prefect does not globally share block class registries across completely separate processes unless they import necessary modules. - Each part of your distributed process (e.g., separate scripts or workers) needs awareness of custom classes through imports to ensure access to registered block functionality. ### Making Sure it Works: 1. Ensure All Processes Import: - Make sure the code that invokes any functionality reliant on your custom block imports the module where it's defined. This ensures proper registration. 2. Use Prefect Environments Consistently: - If using Prefect Cloud or Prefect Server, ensure that workers/execution environments have access to the custom block class definition. 3. Centralize Definitions: - You might want to structure your project such that all necessary imports happen centrally or through an initialization script to prevent missed registrations. ### Practical Steps: - Add Import in Code Utilizing Results: Ensure any module or script fetching results includes:
Copy code
python
  from my_custom_persistence import MyS3Storage
- Registry Debugging: If encountering issues, revisit paths and ensure the module housing the class is reachable from all execution points. By ensuring your custom block is appropriately imported everywhere it might be invoked, you mitigate issues tied to missing registrations. If broader scope insights are needed, such as with potential Prefect configuration advice, the Prefect community can often provide recommendations. Feel free to reach out further if needed!
s
@Marvin is there something i can do if a pod running a
run_deployment
was killed (evicted), prefect server still tninks it's running but it's not - can i maybe click something on UI or call an API function that will let the server know it's actually gone, mark it as crashed so it can be restarted instead of just keep waiting forever? there are many other sub-flows that did execute properly and i don't want it to go to waste
m
If a Kubernetes pod running a Prefect
run_deployment
is evicted and your Prefect server still thinks it's running, you can update the state manually to reflect its actual status. Here are your options: ### Update State Manually in Prefect: 1. Prefect UI: - While there isn't a native "mark as crashed" button in the Prefect UI, you can manually intervene by terminating the perceived running flow, which might trigger Prefect's crash or retry logic if configured. - Navigate to the flow run in question via the Prefect UI and use available functions like cancel or terminate, which can help transition its state. 2. Prefect API: - Prefect has an API that may allow you to update the state of a flow run programmatically. While it's not immediate to mark a run as "crashed", you can use the API to cancel or fail a run programmatically. 3. Automation and Hooks: - Set up automations or state change hooks that detect infrastructure-level events and update the Prefect server accordingly. This requires an external check system acting proactively. 4. Retry a New Run: - In your parent flow logic, consider implementing checks for the completion message and proactively triggering a re-run for failed deployments using new flow runs or deployments from within your process. ### Example API Call Using Prefect Client: Here's how you might use the Prefect API to modify a flow run state programmatically:
Copy code
python
from prefect.client import get_client
from prefect.orion.schemas.states import Failed
import asyncio

async def mark_flow_run_as_failed(flow_run_id):
    async with get_client() as client:
        await client.set_flow_run_state(flow_run_id=flow_run_id, state=Failed())

# Call this function with the flow run ID you need to mark
# asyncio.run(mark_flow_run_as_failed(flow_run_id))
### Additional Steps: - Increase Monitoring: - Enhance monitoring using Kubernetes dashboard or cloud logs to catch pod evictions early. Enhance retry logic visibility both on Kubernetes and Prefect sides. - Investigate Infrastructure: - If pod evictions are common, investigate Kubernetes configurations for resource allocation and limits, ensuring suitable infrastructure stabilization techniques. - Prefect Enhancements: - Prefect’s community and documentation sometimes offer enhancements for workflow stability, especially under distributed or cloud environments. Each method aims to empower you to update the real-time state of your flow runs, ensuring operational continuity despite unexpected infrastructure dynamics. If troubleshooting persists, Prefect community support or forums could offer additional community-shared solutions directly applicable to your setup. Feel free to supply further details if more tailored aid is needed!
s
@Marvin are you sure about
from prefect.orion
to import
Failed
? no orion in my code.. i'm using prefect 2.20
m
I apologize for the confusion. In Prefect 2.20, the state management has been evolving, and using Prefect’s latest structures or libraries might differ slightly depending on versioning. Here’s how to correctly handle marking a flow run as failed or adjusting state updates in your current setup: ### Correct Import and Adjustment: In Prefect 2.20, states such as
Failed
should still be defined but they might be imported differently depending on updates or specific modules. To control states via Prefect’s more current packages, try the following:
Copy code
python
from prefect import get_client
from prefect.states import Failed
import asyncio

async def mark_flow_run_as_failed(flow_run_id):
    async with get_client() as client:
        await client.set_flow_run_state(flow_run_id, state=Failed())

# Example usage:
# asyncio.run(mark_flow_run_as_failed(flow_run_id))
### Key Points: - State Management: Ensure you’re importing states consistent with your
prefect
package version. If you have specific modules for state management, they could be in varied locations if there’ve been feature updates or refinements. - Client Handling: Prefect’s
get_client()
allows you to interact directly with flow runs and orchestrate updating states accordingly. - Documentation & Compatibility: Always refer to Prefect's latest documentation for your specific version to ensure compatibility with APIs and package structures, especially following recent updates or releases. This structure should assist you in managing and adjusting the states of your flow runs programmatically within your application while adhering to Prefect's recommended practices for your current version. If there are further adjustments or if something specific seems off, please provide more details, and I’ll gladly assist!
s
@Marvin i think i see that
pod eviction
(due to aws-spots etc) is not something prefect notices (i'm not sure about out-of-memory crashes either actually), and the server keeps waiting forever to a job that is not running anymore.. is this expected? fixed in later versions?
m
Pod evictions and unexpected shutdowns, like those occurring due to AWS Spot interruptions or out-of-memory errors, can indeed pose challenges for Prefect in detecting these failures automatically. Here's an explanation and potential actions you can take: ### Understanding the Issue: 1. Pod Evictions: - In Kubernetes, pod evictions (like those caused by using AWS Spot instances) aren't distinguished by Prefect since Kubernetes itself may not trigger the typical failure detection mechanisms Prefect relies on. 2. Out-of-Memory (OOM) Errors: - Similar to evictions, OOM errors may not always emit clear signals Prefect can interpret without explicit error handling or responses from the infrastructure. ### Potential Causes for Non-Detection: - Kubernetes Handling: Evictions and OOM issues might not propagate as typical failure states that Prefect can detect via the usual monitoring paths. - Prefect Infrastructure: Without infrastructure-level hooks or detection mechanisms, Prefect continues to operate on the assumption of potentially long-running tasks. ### Recommended Actions and Strategies: 1. Custom Health Checks: - Implement custom health checks or monitoring scripts to proactively identify pod states, directly integrating with Prefect’s state management options to update run status appropriately. 2. Use Kubernetes Integrations: - Prefect's Kubernetes integration may offer configuration opportunities or extensions that allow deeper integration with Kubernetes state events. 3. Leverage Prefect Updates: - Check Prefect’s release notes or discussions for any updates or improvements addressing infrastructure dynamics like AWS Spot market instabilities. Consider upgrading if solutions have been implemented in newer versions. 4. Implement Retry Mechanisms: - Implement robust retry logic capable of handling and recovering from infrastructure quirks via redeployments or state transitions within your monitoring scope. 5. Direct Community Input: - Consider engaging with Prefect’s community channels, as they offer insights, workarounds, and scripts potentially suited for this context coming from those who’ve managed similar concerns. ### Monitoring Solutions: - Enhanced Log Aggregation: Aggregate logs both from Prefect and Kubernetes environments to better diagnose when and why evictions/OOM occur. Use these logs to inform next steps or enhancements. - Cloud Provider Tools: Use AWS monitoring tools to preemptively detect and react to basic resource and allocation states affecting pod survival. For specific adjustments or workarounds, consulting Prefect's forums or detailed community discussions often provides tailored insights especially valuable for dynamically scaling environments. If you've further questions or need more detailed examples, feel free to ask!
s
Hey @Marvin is there anything i can do in my local kubernetes setup to allow prefect to detect eviction, and send retries instead of just waiting without knowing that the pod does not exist? is there any prefect-setting / kube annotation that will fix this weird state easily?
m
Detecting Kubernetes pod evictions and proactively handling them with Prefect requires a mix of Kubernetes monitoring and Prefect configuration. While Prefect does not natively detect pod eviction events directly (like those due to AWS spots or resource constraints), there are actions you can take to improve handling of these events: ### Recommended Actions: 1. Implement Custom Pod Monitoring: - Use Kubernetes tools, metrics, or logs to detect pod eviction events. You can set up a watcher that monitors pod state and triggers alerts or actions when an eviction occurs. 2. Prefect Retry and Automation: - Implement retry logic within Prefect to handle retriggering flows when they unexpectedly fail or stop. You can utilize Prefect’s automation capabilities to execute defined steps during specific events. - Use Prefect’s orchestrated triggers or automation to re-initiate flows upon detected evictions. 3. External Health Checks: - Integrate external scripts or monitoring solutions to notify you or react when evictions happen, allowing Prefect to receive signals that can change a flow's state appropriately (e.g., transitioning to a retry state). 4. Use Kubernetes Annotations: - While Kubernetes does not have direct settings for Prefect integration, you can annotate workflows or pods to ensure appropriate resource reservations to reduce eviction chances and extend notification scopes. 5. Prefect API for Manual State Management: - Consider using Prefect API calls to manually update the state of your flow run based on external pod health checks or states detected by other monitoring tools. ### Kubernetes and Prefect Configuration: 1. Adjust Pod Specifications: - Ensure resources requested by your Kubernetes pods (memory, CPU) match what's available to minimize pod evictions. - Use higher-priority configuration for critical pods if applicable in your Kubernetes setup. 2. Container and Node Management: - Explore node configurations ensuring suitable fault tolerance based on Spot Instance behavior and alternate allocation rules to offset evictions. ### Example Monitoring Setup: Consider using a Kubernetes monitoring tool (like
kubectl
scripts) to track pod states and initiate a Prefect state adjustment:
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bash
# Example bash script to check pod status and react
POD_NAME="your-pod-name"
if kubectl get pod $POD_NAME | grep -q "Evicted"; then
  # Consider invoking a Prefect API call here to mark the flow run as failed
  echo "Pod $POD_NAME evicted, needs intervention"
fi
While Prefect might not offer a direct feature to detect pod evictions and address them within current versions, combining Kubernetes best practices and Prefect's ecosystem can often help construct a reliable, automated handling strategy. If further customization or direct use cases prove complex, Prefect’s community resources or Kubernetes-specific integrations could provide expanded guidance. Let me know if you have more questions!
s
@Marvin can i download logs as a file through prefect-UI?
m
As of Prefect 2.20, the Prefect UI provides the ability to view logs for flows and tasks directly within the interface, but it does not natively support downloading logs directly as files through the UI itself. Here’s how you can manage logs: ### Options for Managing Prefect Logs: 1. Viewing Logs in the Prefect UI: - You can access logs for specific flows and tasks directly through the Prefect UI by navigating to the specific flow run and checking the logs tab. 2. Downloading Logs through Other Means: - Prefect's Cloud/Server: If using Prefect Cloud or a self-hosted server, you can access server-side logs where they're stored, usually via centralized logging solutions set up alongside Prefect. - Logging Aggregators: Set up log forwarding or aggregation using tools like Fluentd, Elasticsearch, or CloudWatch to capture all logs from Prefect and its environment for further analysis and download. 3. Local Setup via CLI: - For locally executing flows, consider using Prefect's CLI with appropriate commands to export logs or run scripts that collect logs from the infrastructure hosting the Prefect server or agents. 4. Direct API Calls: - Use Prefect's API to fetch logs programmatically and write them to local files if you're comfortable using its endpoints for such purposes. ### Example: Fetch Logs Programmatically Although not natively supported through the UI, consider leveraging API access for custom solutions if needed:
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python
from prefect.client import get_client

async def download_logs_to_file(flow_run_id, output_file):
    async with get_client() as client:
        logs = await client.read_logs(flow_run_id=flow_run_id)
        with open(output_file, 'w') as f:
            for log in logs:
                f.write(log.message + '\n')

# Example usage
# asyncio.run(download_logs_to_file(flow_run_id="<flow_run_id>", output_file="flow_logs.txt"))
### Conclusion While Prefect UI enhances log visibility directly in the interface, downloading them requires integrating external solutions or leveraging Prefect's API capabilities for personalized management. For alternates or custom integrations, engaging with Prefect’s community forums may provide additional insights. Let me know if further assistance is required!
s
hey @Marvin i saw the heart-bit mechanism to avoid zombie-runs. Just to make sure, is there such a mechanism in prefect 2?
m
Sigh Well, let me share what I found with my characteristic blend of accuracy and mild despair. No, Prefect 2.x did not have the heartbeat mechanism for detecting zombie runs that exists in Prefect 3.x. This is actually one of the improvements that came with Prefect 3.x. In Prefect 3.x, there's a proper heartbeat system where: 1. Flow runs regularly send heartbeat events 2. The system expects to see either another heartbeat or a terminal state within 90 seconds of the last heartbeat 3. If
PREFECT_RUNNER_HEARTBEAT_FREQUENCY
is set to 30 (the default), a flow run will be considered "zombie" after missing 3 heartbeats 4. You can set up automations to handle these zombie runs automatically If you're working with Prefect 2.x and concerned about zombie runs, you might want to consider upgrading to 3.x. Though I suppose that's just another thing to add to life's endless parade of upgrades and changes... sigh You can find more details about the 3.x heartbeat mechanism in the automations and triggers documentation. Would you like me to provide more information about setting up zombie run detection in Prefect 3.x? Though I warn you, it might involve reading more documentation... electronic sigh
s
Hey @Marvin, long time! if i want to trigger a task, let's call it
task_function
, and i want to wait for it output before i continue to the rest of the code - what's the syntax? the
await
submit
and
result
of future objects get me all confused (and i get
object PrefectFuture can't be used in 'await' expression
error when i try)
m
To execute a task and wait for its result in Prefect 3.x, you can use the
wait_for_result()
method on a
PrefectFuture
object. This approach is suitable for your imperative programming style. Here's a concise example:
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python
from prefect import flow, task

@task
def task_function():
    return "Task completed"

@flow
def my_flow():
    future = task_function.submit()
    result = future.wait_for_result()  # Wait for the task to complete and get the result
    print(result)

my_flow()
In this example,
task_function.submit()
returns a
PrefectFuture
object, and
wait_for_result()
is used to block execution until the task completes, returning the task's result. This is likely what you were looking for instead of using
await
directly on the
PrefectFuture
. For more details, you can explore the Prefect Futures documentation.
s
@Marvin are you sure? i'm getting
AttributeError: 'PrefectFuture' object has no attribute 'wait_for_result'
- i'm using prefect 2.20 if it matters
m
In Prefect 2.x, the
PrefectFuture
object does not have a
wait_for_result()
method. Instead, you need to use the
result()
method to wait for the task to complete and retrieve its result. Here's how you can do it:
Copy code
python
from prefect import flow, task

@task
def task_function():
    return "Task completed"

@flow
def my_flow():
    future = task_function.submit()
    result = future.result()  # Wait for the task to complete and get the result
    print(result)

my_flow()
In this example, calling
future.result()
will block until the task is complete and then return the task's result. This should resolve the issue you encountered. For more information, you can refer to the Prefect 2.x documentation on task runners.
s
@Marvin if i'm just calling the task-function instead of calling its
submit
method, i'm also waiting and it's identical?
m
Calling a task function directly in Prefect 2.x is not identical to using
submit
. When you call a task function directly, it executes immediately and synchronously within the same process, behaving like a regular Python function. This means you won't benefit from Prefect's orchestration features like retries, caching, and parallel execution. In contrast, using
submit
schedules the task for execution in a managed environment, allowing Prefect to handle these features for you. The
submit
method returns a
PrefectFuture
, which you can use to wait for the task to complete and retrieve its result asynchronously. Here's a comparison: 1. Direct Call:
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python
   result = task_function()  # Executes immediately, no Prefect orchestration
2. Using
submit
:
Copy code
python
   future = task_function.submit()
   result = future.result()  # Prefect manages execution, allowing orchestration features
If you want Prefect to manage the task execution with its orchestration capabilities, you should use
submit
. For more details, refer to the Prefect 2.x documentation.
s
@Marvin inside a task, how to i write to a log, that will remain a task-log and won't be part of the parent job log?
m
To write logs specifically for a task in Prefect 2.x, you can use the
get_run_logger()
function within the task. This ensures that the logs are associated with the task run, keeping them separate from the parent flow's logs. Here's how you can do it:
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python
from prefect import task, get_run_logger

@task
def my_task():
    logger = get_run_logger()
    <http://logger.info|logger.info>("This is a log message from the task.")
By using
get_run_logger()
inside your task, Prefect automatically manages the context, ensuring that the logs are tied to the specific task run. This way, the logs will appear under the task's log in the Prefect UI or any configured logging backend. For more information, you can refer to the Prefect 2.x logging guide.
s
@Marvin if i'm writing to
get_run_logger()
inside a task, why do i also see it inside the parent-job log in prefect UI?
m
When you log using
get_run_logger()
inside a task, the logs are associated with the task run. However, Prefect's logging system is designed to aggregate logs from both flows and tasks to provide a comprehensive view of the entire workflow execution. This means that task logs will also appear in the flow's log context in the Prefect UI. This behavior ensures that you can see all relevant information when analyzing a flow run, but it might seem like duplication if you're looking at task-specific logs. Unfortunately, this is the default behavior and is intended to help with monitoring and troubleshooting by providing a full picture of the execution. For more details on logging, you can check the Prefect 2.x logging guide.
s
@Marvin can you paste a prefect-2.20 example again of how to trigger tasks using
submit
in a loop, make them all run in parallel, and then wait for them to finish and moving to the next code (through
gather
)?
m
To trigger tasks using
submit
in a loop, run them in parallel, and then wait for them to finish using
gather
in Prefect 2.20, you can follow the example below. This approach leverages the
submit
method to execute tasks concurrently and the
gather
method to wait for their completion. Here's a concise example:
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python
from prefect import flow, task
from prefect.task_runners import ConcurrentTaskRunner

@task
def my_task(x):
    return x * 2

@flow(task_runner=ConcurrentTaskRunner())
def my_flow():
    futures = [my_task.submit(i) for i in range(5)]
    results = [future.result() for future in futures]
    print(results)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    my_flow()
### Key Points: - Task Submission: Use
my_task.submit(i)
to submit tasks in a loop. - Concurrency: The
ConcurrentTaskRunner
allows for concurrent execution of tasks. - Gathering Results: Use
future.result()
to gather results once all tasks are completed. For further details, you can refer to the Prefect 2.x Task Runners documentation. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.
s
@Marvin in prefect 2.20, when i trigger a custom-run through the UI - where are the defaults taken from? it seems the defaults in code are not the ones in use, is there some kind of memory from last run? (not the last one, but maybe the last few ones popular values)? it's a bit weird
m
In Prefect 2.20, when you trigger a custom run through the UI, the defaults for parameters may not necessarily come from the code. Instead, they can be influenced by several factors, including: 1. Last Used Values: The Prefect UI might remember the last used values for parameters in previous runs. This can create a perception that there's some memory of popular or recent values. 2. Prefect Configuration: Some defaults might be set in your Prefect configuration, which can override the defaults specified in your code. You can view these settings using the command:
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bash
   prefect config view --show-defaults
This command will show you the default values being used and their sources. 3. Profiles and Environment Variables: Prefect profiles or environment variables can also set defaults that affect your runs. For more detailed information, you can explore the Prefect settings guide. If you encounter unexpected behavior, it might be worth checking these configurations to ensure they align with your expectations.
s
Hey @Marvin can you quickly tell me what to do for easy slack integration with prefect 2.20? create a standard channel and then some token from somewhere, and put it as a Block through prefect-UI?
m
To integrate Slack with Prefect 2.20, you'll need to set up a Slack webhook for notifications. Here's a concise guide: 1. Create a Slack Webhook: - Go to your Slack workspace. - Navigate to "Apps & Integrations" and find "Incoming Webhooks". - Create a new webhook and choose the channel where you want notifications to be sent. 2. Configure Prefect Notifications: - In the Prefect UI, navigate to the Notifications page. - Select "Create Notification" or the "+" button. - Choose Slack as the notification method and input your Slack webhook URL. - Specify the conditions under which the notification should be sent, such as specific flow run states. 3. Block Configuration (Optional): - If you're using blocks in Prefect, you can create a block to store your Slack webhook URL for reuse across multiple notifications. For detailed instructions, you can refer to the Prefect documentation here. This setup allows you to receive Slack messages based on flow run states or other specified conditions.
s
@Marvin the slack integration with prefect supports sending text-messages only? or also images and graphs?
m
The Prefect Slack integration primarily supports sending text messages. While the documentation does not explicitly mention support for sending images or graphs, you can potentially extend the functionality using Slack's API capabilities. For text messages, you can use the
send_chat_message
function from the
prefect_slack
package. Here's a basic usage example:
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python
from prefect_slack import SlackCredentials
from prefect_slack.messages import send_chat_message

@flow
def example_send_message_flow():
    context = get_run_context()
    token = "xoxb-your-bot-token-here"
    send_chat_message(
        slack_credentials=SlackCredentials(token),
        channel="#prefect",
        text=f"Flow run {context.flow_run.name} completed :tada:"
    )

example_send_message_flow()
For more advanced features like sending images or graphs, you would need to utilize additional Slack API methods outside of the basic Prefect Slack integration. You can find more details in the Prefect documentation here.
s
@Marvin just to make sure - if i add the webhook-based prefect auto slack-integration i just get a simple msg (according to my selection) about finished jobs etc - but if want to add some links and data on top of it, i need to create a block and access it applicatively from my code, and send a message through the package, right?
m
Yes, that's correct. Here's how you can approach it: 1. Webhook-Based Integration: - Using the webhook-based integration through the Prefect UI, you will receive simple notifications about flow run states, such as when a job is completed or fails. These messages are basic and predefined. 2. Custom Messages with Additional Data: - If you want to include additional information like links or data, you'll need to use the
prefect_slack
package in your code. - Create a Slack block to store your webhook or token for reuse. - Use the
send_chat_message
function from the
prefect_slack.messages
module to send customized messages. This allows you to include any additional content you want, such as links or other data. By doing this, you have full control over the content of the messages sent to Slack. You can find more details in the Prefect Slack integration documentation here.
s
@Marvin i just added simple notification for the first time, and it seems to also re-submit past runs?
m
There don't appear to be any reported issues related to Slack notifications resubmitting past runs. This behavior might be unexpected, so here are a few things you could check or try: 1. Notification Configuration: Double-check your notification setup in the Prefect UI. Ensure that the conditions for triggering notifications are set correctly, and that they do not inadvertently apply to past runs. 2. Flow State: Verify the state of past runs. If they are being retried or re-triggered, it could be due to the flow configuration rather than the notification setup. 3. Prefect Server Logs: Look at the logs on your Prefect server or Prefect Cloud dashboard to see if there are any clues about why past runs are being resubmitted. 4. Contact Support: If the issue persists and seems like a bug, consider reaching out to Prefect support for further assistance. If you continue to experience this issue, it might be worth checking for updates or patches in the Prefect community or reaching out for direct support.
s
@Marvin is there an easy way to cancel all currently running tasks / flows? an API simple call perhaps? it seems i have dozens of stuck tasks somehow
m
To cancel running tasks or flows in Prefect 3.x, you can use the Prefect API to interact with the flow runs and task runs. Here's a concise way to do it: 1. Retrieve Active Runs: Use the Prefect client to list all active flow runs or task runs. 2. Cancel Runs: Iterate through these runs and cancel them using the appropriate method. Here's a basic example that demonstrates how you might achieve this using the Prefect API:
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python
from prefect import get_client

async def cancel_all_active_runs():
    async with get_client() as client:
        # Fetch all active flow runs
        flow_runs = await client.read_flow_runs(state_names=["Running"])
        
        for flow_run in flow_runs:
            # Cancel each flow run
            await client.set_flow_run_state(flow_run.id, state="Cancelled")

        # Fetch all active task runs
        task_runs = await client.read_task_runs(state_names=["Running"])
        
        for task_run in task_runs:
            # Cancel each task run
            await client.set_task_run_state(task_run.id, state="Cancelled")

# Run the cancellation process
import asyncio
asyncio.run(cancel_all_active_runs())
Make sure to replace
"Running"
with the appropriate state you want to target, and ensure you have the necessary permissions to cancel these runs. For further reference, you might want to check the Prefect Documentation on Cancelling Runs. If you have specific infrastructure or configuration, ensure that it supports cancellation as there might be limitations based on how the infrastructure is set up.
s
@Marvin same question for prefect 2.20
m
In Prefect 2.20, you can cancel running tasks or flows using the Prefect client. Here's a concise example of how you might achieve this:
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python
import anyio
from prefect import get_client
from prefect.client.schemas.filters import FlowRunFilter, FlowRunFilterState

async def cancel_all_active_flow_runs():
    async with get_client() as client:
        # Define a filter for active flow runs
        filter = FlowRunFilter(
            state=FlowRunFilterState(
                names=["Pending", "Running", "Scheduled", "Late"]
            )
        )
        # Retrieve active flow runs
        flow_runs = await client.read_flow_runs(flow_run_filter=filter)
        
        for flow_run in flow_runs:
            # Cancel each flow run
            await client.set_flow_run_state(flow_run.id, state="Cancelled")

# Run the cancellation process
anyio.run(cancel_all_active_flow_runs)
This script will cancel all flow runs that are in "Pending", "Running", "Scheduled", or "Late" states. Make sure you have the necessary permissions to perform these actions. For further details, you can refer to the Prefect 2.x Documentation on Using the Client.
s
@Marvin i think you should pass a
prefect.states.State
object instead of
"Cancelled"
string
m
You're correct. In Prefect 2.20, you should pass a
State
object rather than a string. Here's the updated example using `prefect.states.Cancelled`:
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python
import anyio
from prefect import get_client
from prefect.client.schemas.filters import FlowRunFilter, FlowRunFilterState
from prefect.states import Cancelled

async def cancel_all_active_flow_runs():
    async with get_client() as client:
        # Define a filter for active flow runs
        filter = FlowRunFilter(
            state=FlowRunFilterState(
                names=["Pending", "Running", "Scheduled", "Late"]
            )
        )
        # Retrieve active flow runs
        flow_runs = await client.read_flow_runs(flow_run_filter=filter)
        
        for flow_run in flow_runs:
            # Cancel each flow run
            await client.set_flow_run_state(flow_run.id, state=Cancelled())

# Run the cancellation process
anyio.run(cancel_all_active_flow_runs)
This should properly set the flow runs to a
Cancelled
state using the
Cancelled
state object from
prefect.states
.
s
@Marvin it seems i also have
Running
sub-flows that their parent flow is
Failed
. Does that make sense that they are not part of this script query?
m
In Prefect 2.20, sub-flows can indeed have different states from their parent flows. If a parent flow fails, its sub-flows may still be running unless explicitly cancelled. The script I provided targets flow runs based on their current state, without considering hierarchical relationships between parent and sub-flows. To address your scenario, you may need to enhance the script to identify and cancel sub-flows associated with failed parent flows. Here's an updated approach: 1. Identify failed parent flows. 2. Retrieve and cancel sub-flows that are still running. Here's how you might implement this:
Copy code
python
import anyio
from prefect import get_client
from prefect.client.schemas.filters import FlowRunFilter, FlowRunFilterState
from prefect.states import Cancelled

async def cancel_sub_flows_of_failed_parents():
    async with get_client() as client:
        # Define a filter for failed parent flow runs
        parent_filter = FlowRunFilter(
            state=FlowRunFilterState(
                names=["Failed"]
            )
        )
        # Retrieve failed parent flow runs
        failed_parents = await client.read_flow_runs(flow_run_filter=parent_filter)

        for parent_flow in failed_parents:
            # Retrieve running sub-flows
            sub_flow_filter = FlowRunFilter(
                parent_flow_run_id=parent_flow.id,
                state=FlowRunFilterState(
                    names=["Running"]
                )
            )
            sub_flows = await client.read_flow_runs(flow_run_filter=sub_flow_filter)
            
            for sub_flow in sub_flows:
                # Cancel each running sub-flow
                await client.set_flow_run_state(sub_flow.id, state=Cancelled())

# Run the cancellation process
anyio.run(cancel_sub_flows_of_failed_parents)
This script first identifies failed parent flows and then targets their running sub-flows for cancellation. Adjust the logic as needed to fit your specific workflow structure.
s
@Marvin for some reason the previous script you had sent me queries lots of (only, by now) Cancelled-state flows - although i'm asking for
Copy code
filter = FlowRunFilter(
...             state=FlowRunFilterState(
...                 names=["Pending", "Running", "Scheduled", "Late"]
...             )
...         )
how is this possible?
m
It seems unusual that the
FlowRunFilter
is returning flows in the
Cancelled
state when you've specified other states. Here are a few possibilities and steps you might consider: 1. Check for Bugs: While I didn't find any existing issues in the GitHub repository related to incorrect
FlowRunFilter
behavior, it's possible that there might be an undocumented bug. Consider opening an issue with details of your observation. 2. Verify Query Logic: Double-check that the
FlowRunFilter
is being applied correctly and that there are no other parts of your code that might be modifying the state list or the filter. 3. Prefect Version: Ensure that you are using the latest version of Prefect 2.20, as there might have been fixes or updates addressing this behavior. 4. Debugging: Add logging to verify the states of the flow runs being retrieved. This might help in understanding if the issue is with the filter or elsewhere. If none of these steps help, consider reaching out on Prefect's community forums or Slack channel for more tailored assistance.
s
Hey @Marvin - is there a way in prefect 2.20 UI to set a slack-notifications only for parent-flows, and exclude sub-flows? i see status-filters and tags-filters, and i guess i can manage the tags myself (all main-flows to hold another tag in their yamls so only they would trigger a msg), but is there an out-of-the-box solution for it?
m
In Prefect 2.20, there isn't an out-of-the-box solution specifically designed to send Slack notifications only for parent flows while excluding sub-flows. However, you can utilize the Automations interface to configure notifications based on tags, which seems to be the approach you're considering. By tagging your main flows with a specific identifier, you can set up notifications that trigger only when these tagged flows change state. This method requires manual management of tags but effectively filters notifications to only include parent flows. For more detailed guidance on setting up notifications using tags, you can refer to the Prefect Cloud Notifications documentation.
s
Hey @Marvin, what does it mean that my sub flow got a backoff limit and crashed? What do i need to do?
m
The "backoff limit" in Prefect typically refers to the maximum number of retries allowed for a task or flow run before it is marked as failed. This is often used to handle intermittent failures by retrying the operation a certain number of times with a delay between each attempt. When your sub-flow crashes with a backoff limit error, it means that the flow was retried the maximum number of times specified by the backoff settings, but continued to fail. This could be due to a persistent issue in the flow logic, resource constraints, or external dependencies that are not available or malfunctioning. Here are a few steps you can take to address this issue: 1. Check Logs: Review the logs for any error messages or exceptions that might indicate what went wrong. This can provide insight into whether the issue is with the flow logic, external systems, or resource limitations. 2. Increase Resources: If the issue is related to resource constraints (e.g., memory or CPU), consider increasing the resources available to your flow. This could involve scaling up the infrastructure or optimizing the flow to use resources more efficiently. 3. Review Flow Logic: Ensure that the flow logic is correct and that there are no bugs causing the failures. Consider adding error handling within the flow to manage expected failures gracefully. 4. Adjust Backoff Settings: If the failures are genuinely intermittent, you might want to adjust the backoff settings to allow for more retries or longer delays between retries. This can sometimes help overcome temporary issues. 5. External Dependencies: If your flow relies on external systems or APIs, ensure they are functioning correctly and that any necessary configurations (e.g., API keys, network access) are in place. For more detailed information on handling task and flow run limits, you might find the Prefect documentation on task run limits helpful. If you encounter persistent issues, consider checking the Prefect GitHub issues for similar problems and potential solutions.
s
@Marvin what are the sorting options in prefect 2.20 client
read_deployments
?
m
Unfortunately, I couldn't find specific details on the sorting options for the
read_deployments
function in Prefect 2.20 directly from the documentation. However, typically, sorting options would be part of the function's parameters or configuration settings. To find the most accurate information, you might want to refer to the Prefect 2.20 API documentation or any release notes detailing changes to the client functions. If you have access to the source code or a detailed API reference, checking the function signature or related comments might also provide insight into available sorting options. For more detailed exploration, you can visit the Prefect documentation to see if there have been updates or additional details provided.
s
Hey @Marvin - i got a weird prefect run: while sending sub-flows (on remote machines, through run deployment) i got
aiohttp.client_exceptions.ClientPayloadError: Response payload is not completed:
error. any idea what could have happened?
m
The error
aiohttp.client_exceptions.ClientPayloadError: Response payload is not completed
typically occurs when there is an issue with the network connection or the server abruptly closes the connection before the entire response payload is received. This can be particularly problematic in environments where network stability is a concern, such as when running sub-flows on remote machines. Here are a few possible reasons and suggestions to address this issue: 1. Network Stability: Ensure that the network connection between your client and the server is stable. Network interruptions can lead to incomplete payloads. 2. Timeouts: Check if there are any timeout settings in your network or server configuration that might be causing the connection to close prematurely. Adjusting these settings might help. 3. Server Load: If the server is under heavy load, it might not be able to handle all incoming requests efficiently, leading to such errors. Consider scaling up the server or optimizing the workload distribution. 4. Prefect Version: Ensure that you are using a stable version of Prefect and its dependencies. Sometimes, upgrading to the latest version can resolve known issues. 5. Keep-Alive Settings: Consider adjusting the keep-alive settings for your HTTP connections. This can sometimes help maintain longer-lived connections, especially in environments with frequent disconnections. For more context on similar issues, you can refer to the following GitHub issues and discussions: - Response payload is not completed in Prefect Log - Response payload is not completed in Kubernetes worker logger These resources might provide additional insights or solutions that have worked for others facing similar challenges.