PyDTNN: A user-friendly and extensible framework for distributed deep learning

Abstract

We introduce a framework for training deep neural networks on clusters of computers with the following appealing properties: (1) It is developed in Python, exposing an amiable interface that provides an accessible entry point for the newcomer; (2) it is extensible, offering a customizable tool for the more advanced user in deep learning; (3) it covers the main functionality appearing in convolutional neural networks; and (4) it delivers reasonable inter-node parallel performance exploiting data parallelism by leveraging MPI via MPI4Py for communication and NumPy for the efficient execution of (multithreaded) numerical kernels.