pserver_client.md

# Design Doc: The Client Library of Parameter Server

For an overview of trainer's role, please refer to [distributed training design doc](README.md). In this design doc, we will discuss the parameter server's client library, which will manage communication with parameter servers. The library will be implemented in [Go](https://golang.org/) and made available as a static or dynamic library with a C header file.

## C Interface

```c
#define PADDLE_ELEMENT_TYPE_INT32   0
#define PADDLE_ELEMENT_TYPE_UINT32  1
#define PADDLE_ELEMENT_TYPE_INT64   2
#define PADDLE_ELEMENT_TYPE_UINT64  3
#define PADDLE_ELEMENT_TYPE_FLOAT32 4
#define PADDLE_ELEMENT_TYPE_FLOAT64 5

typedef struct paddle_pserver_client paddle_pserver_client;

/**
 * @brief paddle_new_pserver_client creates a new parameter server
 * client.
 */
paddle_pserver_client* paddle_new_pserver_client();

/**
 * @brief paddle_pserver_client_release releases the parameter server
 * client.
 */
void paddle_pserver_client_release(paddle_pserver_client* client);

/**
 * @brief paddle_begin_init_param begins to initialize parameters
 * on parameter servers.
 *
 * paddle_begin_init_param will be called from multiple trainers, only
 * one trainer will be selected to initialize the parameters on
 * parameter servers. Other trainers will be blocked until the
 * initialization is done, and they need to get the initialized
 * parameters from parameter servers using @paddle_get_param.
 *
 * @return 1 if trainer is selected to initialize parameter
 * servers, otherwise 0.
 */
int paddle_begin_init_param(paddle_pserver_client* client);

/**
 * @brief paddle_init_param initializes the parameter on parameter
 * servers.
 *
 * @return 0 if successful, otherwise -1. On failure the trainer need
 * to restart the entire initialization process starting from
 * paddle_begin_init_param. Or simply exit the program and wait for
 * cluster management system to restart trainer.
 */
int paddle_init_param(paddle_pserver_client* client, const char* name, int element_type, const void* content);

/**
 * @brief paddle_finish_init_param tells parameter servers client has
 * sent all parameters to parameter servers as initialization.
 *
 * @return 0 if successful, otherwise -1. On failure the trainer need
 * to restart the entire initialization process starting from
 * paddle_begin_init_param. Or simply exit the program and wait for
 * cluster management system to restart trainer.
 */
int paddle_finish_init_param(paddle_pserver_client* client);

/**
 * @brief paddle_send_grad sends gradients to parameter servers for
 * updating parameters.
 *
 * @return 0 if successful, otherwise -1.
 */
int paddle_send_grad(paddle_pserver_client* client, const char* name, int element_type, const void* content);

/**
 * @brief paddle_set_param sets a parameter on parameter servers.
 *
 * @return 0 if successful, otherwise -1.
 */
int paddle_set_param(paddle_pserver_client* client, const char* name, int element_type, const void* content);

/**
 * @brief paddle_get_param gets the parameter from parameter servers.
 *
 * @return 0 if successful, otherwise -1.
 */
int paddle_get_param(paddle_pserver_client* client, const char* name, void** dst, int* dstLen);

/**
 * @brief paddle_save_model indicates parameters to save the parameter
 * to the given path
 *
 * @return 0 if successful, otherwise -1.
 */
int paddle_save_model(paddle_pserver_client* client, const char* path);
```