MLA 024 Code AI MCP Servers, ML Engineering

Machine Learning Guide

#Artificial #Intelligence #Introduction #Artificial Intelligence #Tech #Higher Education #OCDevel #Podcasting Education #Learn #Machining

36:16

DANMMMMM…Have I got a show for you! First, a lot of Sister Wives tea - new rumors have surfaced Janelle Brown is leaving the show. Plus, Gabe Brown gives a life update after losing and tragically finding his brother Garrison dead. Sadly, Garrison took his own life in March 2024. Then we head over to discuss the new Welcome To Plathville tea. The first pictures of Micah Plath have surfaced after being beat up by his brother Issac and it doesn’t look good for the future of his modeling career. Lastly, we discuss the latest in the Justin Baldoni v Blake Lively case, Justin is back on social media and it was the perfect social media return. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Open and new Sister Wives news 00:05:43 - Janelle Brown leaving the show? Sister Wives Closet is officially closed 00:12:45 - A new pic of Micah Plath’s broken nose has surfaced 00:18:18 - Justin Baldoni back on social media and Taylor Swifts team is pissed at Justin Baldoni MY Go Big Podcasting Courses Are Here! Purchase Go Big Podcasting and learn to start, monetize, and grow your own podcast. USE CODE: MOM15 for 15% OFF (code expires May 11th, 2025) **SHOP my Amazon Marketplace - especially if you're looking to get geared-up to start your own Podcast!!!** https://www.amazon.com/shop/thesarahfrasershow Show is sponsored by: Download Cash App & sign up! Use our exclusive referral code TSFS in your profile, send $5 to a friend within 14 days, and you’ll get $10 dropped right into your account. Terms apply Horizonfibroids.com get rid of those nasty fibroids Gopurebeauty.com science backed skincare from head to toe, use code TSFS at checkout for 25% OFF your order Nutrafol.com use code TSFS for FREE shipping and $10 off your subscription Rula.com/tsfs to get started today. That’s R-U-L-A dot com slash tsfs for convenient therapy that’s covered by insurance. SkylightCal.com/tsfs for $30 OFF your 15 inch calendar Quince.com/tsfs for FREE shipping on your order and 365 day returns Warbyparker.com/tsfs make an appointment at one of their 270 store locations and head to the website to try on endless pairs of glasses virtually and buy your perfect pair Follow me on Instagram/Tiktok: @thesarahfrasershow ***Visit our Sub-Reddit: reddit.com/r/thesarahfrasershow for ALL things The Sarah Fraser Show!!!*** Advertise on The Sarah Fraser Show: thesarahfrasershow@gmail.com Got a juicy gossip TIP from your favorite TLC or Bravo show? Email: thesarahfrasershow@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

about a year ago 43:38

MP3•Episode home

Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-24
Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code

Tool Use in Code AI Agents

Code AI agents offer two primary modes of interaction: in-line code completion within the editor and agent interaction through sidebar prompts.
Inline code completion has evolved from single-line suggestions to cross-file edits, refactoring, and modification of existing code blocks.
Tools accessible via agents include read, write, and list file functions, as well as browser automation and command execution; permissions for sensitive actions can be set by developers.
Agents can intelligently search a project’s codebase and dependencies using search commands and regular expressions to locate relevant files.

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

MCP, introduced by Anthropic, establishes a standardized protocol for agents to communicate with tools and services, replacing bespoke tool integrations.
The protocol is analogous to REST for web servers and unifies tool calling for both local and cloud-hosted automation.
MCP architecture involves three components: the AI agent, MCP client, and MCP server. The agent provides context, the client translates requests and responses, and the server executes and responds with data in a structured format.
MCP servers can be local (STDIO-based for local tasks like file search or browser actions) or cloud-based (SSE for hosted APIs and SaaS tools).
Developers can connect code AI agents to directories of MCP servers, accessing an expanding ecosystem of automation tools for both programming and non-programming tasks.

MCP Application Examples

Local MCP servers include Playwright for browser automation and Postgres MCP for live database schema analysis and data-driven UI suggestions.
Cloud-based MCP servers integrate APIs such as AWS, enabling infrastructure management directly from coding environments.
MCP servers are not limited to code automation; they are widely used for pipeline automation in sales, marketing, and other internet-connected workflows.

Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) as an MCP Use Case

RAG, once standard in code AI tools, indexed codebases using embeddings to assist with relevant file retrieval, but many agents now favor literal search for practicality.
Local RAG MCP servers, such as Chroma or LlamaIndex, can index entire documentation sets to update agent knowledge of recent or project-specific libraries outside of widely-known frameworks.
Fine-tuning a local LLM with the same documentation is an alternative approach to integrating new knowledge into code AI workflows.

Machine Learning Applications

Code AI tooling supports feature engineering, data cleansing, pipeline setup, model design, and hyperparameter optimization, based on real dataset distributions and project specifications.
Agents can recommend advanced data transformations—such as Yeo-Johnson power transformation for skewed features—by directly analyzing example dataset distributions.
Infrastructure-as-code integration enables rapid deployment of machine learning models and supporting components by chaining coding agents to cloud automation tools.
Automation concepts from code AI apply to both traditional code file workflows and Jupyter Notebooks, though integration with notebooks remains less seamless.
An iterative approach using sidecar Python files combined with custom instructions helps agents access necessary background and context for ML projects.

Workflow Strategies for Machine Learning Engineers

To leverage code AI agents in machine learning tasks, engineers can provide data samples and visualizations to agents through Python files or prompt contexts.
Agents can guide creation and comparison of multiple model architectures, metrics, and loss functions, improving efficiency and broadening solution exploration.
While Jupyter Lab plugin integration is currently limited, some success can be achieved by working with notebook files via code AI tools in standard code editors or by moving between notebooks and Python files for maximum flexibility.

59 episodes

Machine Learning Guide

MLA 024 Code AI MCP Servers, ML Engineering

Machine Learning Guide

594 subscribers

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

Links

Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-24
Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code

Tool Use in Code AI Agents

Code AI agents offer two primary modes of interaction: in-line code completion within the editor and agent interaction through sidebar prompts.
Inline code completion has evolved from single-line suggestions to cross-file edits, refactoring, and modification of existing code blocks.
Tools accessible via agents include read, write, and list file functions, as well as browser automation and command execution; permissions for sensitive actions can be set by developers.
Agents can intelligently search a project’s codebase and dependencies using search commands and regular expressions to locate relevant files.

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

MCP, introduced by Anthropic, establishes a standardized protocol for agents to communicate with tools and services, replacing bespoke tool integrations.
The protocol is analogous to REST for web servers and unifies tool calling for both local and cloud-hosted automation.
MCP architecture involves three components: the AI agent, MCP client, and MCP server. The agent provides context, the client translates requests and responses, and the server executes and responds with data in a structured format.
MCP servers can be local (STDIO-based for local tasks like file search or browser actions) or cloud-based (SSE for hosted APIs and SaaS tools).
Developers can connect code AI agents to directories of MCP servers, accessing an expanding ecosystem of automation tools for both programming and non-programming tasks.

MCP Application Examples

Local MCP servers include Playwright for browser automation and Postgres MCP for live database schema analysis and data-driven UI suggestions.
Cloud-based MCP servers integrate APIs such as AWS, enabling infrastructure management directly from coding environments.
MCP servers are not limited to code automation; they are widely used for pipeline automation in sales, marketing, and other internet-connected workflows.

Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) as an MCP Use Case

RAG, once standard in code AI tools, indexed codebases using embeddings to assist with relevant file retrieval, but many agents now favor literal search for practicality.
Local RAG MCP servers, such as Chroma or LlamaIndex, can index entire documentation sets to update agent knowledge of recent or project-specific libraries outside of widely-known frameworks.
Fine-tuning a local LLM with the same documentation is an alternative approach to integrating new knowledge into code AI workflows.

Machine Learning Applications

Code AI tooling supports feature engineering, data cleansing, pipeline setup, model design, and hyperparameter optimization, based on real dataset distributions and project specifications.
Agents can recommend advanced data transformations—such as Yeo-Johnson power transformation for skewed features—by directly analyzing example dataset distributions.
Infrastructure-as-code integration enables rapid deployment of machine learning models and supporting components by chaining coding agents to cloud automation tools.
Automation concepts from code AI apply to both traditional code file workflows and Jupyter Notebooks, though integration with notebooks remains less seamless.
An iterative approach using sidecar Python files combined with custom instructions helps agents access necessary background and context for ML projects.

Workflow Strategies for Machine Learning Engineers

To leverage code AI agents in machine learning tasks, engineers can provide data samples and visualizations to agents through Python files or prompt contexts.
Agents can guide creation and comparison of multiple model architectures, metrics, and loss functions, improving efficiency and broadening solution exploration.
While Jupyter Lab plugin integration is currently limited, some success can be achieved by working with notebook files via code AI tools in standard code editors or by moving between notebooks and Python files for maximum flexibility.

59 episodes

#Artificial #Intelligence #Introduction #Artificial Intelligence #Tech #Higher Education #OCDevel #Podcasting Education #Learn #Machining

All episodes

Machine Learning Guide

1
MLG 035 Large Language Models 2 45:25

9 days ago45:25

45:25

At inference, large language models use in-context learning with zero-, one-, or few-shot examples to perform new tasks without weight updates, and can be grounded with Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) by embedding documents into vector databases for real-time factual lookup using cosine similarity. LLM agents autonomously plan, act, and use external tools via orchestrated loops with persistent memory, while recent benchmarks like GPQA (STEM reasoning), SWE Bench (agentic coding), and MMMU (multimodal college-level tasks) test performance alongside prompt engineering techniques such as chain-of-thought reasoning, structured few-shot prompts, positive instruction framing, and iterative self-correction. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mlg35 Build the future of multi-agent software with AGNTCY Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code In-Context Learning (ICL) Definition: LLMs can perform tasks by learning from examples provided directly in the prompt without updating their parameters. Types: Zero-shot : Direct query, no examples provided. One-shot : Single example provided. Few-shot : Multiple examples, balancing quantity with context window limitations. Mechanism: ICL works through analogy and Bayesian inference, using examples as semantic priors to activate relevant internal representations. Emergent Properties: ICL is an "inference-time training" approach, leveraging the model’s pre-trained knowledge without gradient updates; its effectiveness can be enhanced with diverse, non-redundant examples. Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and Grounding Grounding: Connecting LLMs with external knowledge bases to supplement or update static training data. Motivation : LLMs’ training data becomes outdated or lacks proprietary/specialized knowledge. Benefit : Reduces hallucinations and improves factual accuracy by incorporating current or domain-specific information. RAG Workflow: Embedding: Documents are converted into vector embeddings (using sentence transformers or representation models). Storage: Vectors are stored in a vector database (e.g., FAISS, ChromaDB, Qdrant). Retrieval: When a query is made, relevant chunks are extracted based on similarity, possibly with re-ranking or additional query processing. Augmentation: Retrieved chunks are added to the prompt to provide up-to-date context for generation. Generation: The LLM generates responses informed by the augmented context. Advanced RAG: Includes agentic approaches—self-correction, aggregation, or multi-agent contribution to source ingestion, and can integrate external document sources (e.g., web search for real-time info, or custom datasets for private knowledge). LLM Agents Overview: Agents extend LLMs by providing goal-oriented, iterative problem-solving through interaction, memory, planning, and tool usage. Key Components: Reasoning Engine (LLM Core): Interprets goals, states, and makes decisions. Planning Module: Breaks down complex tasks using strategies such as Chain of Thought or ReAct; can incorporate reflection and adjustment. Memory: Short-term via context window; long-term via persistent storage like RAG-integrated databases or special memory systems. Tools and APIs: Agents select and use external functions—file manipulation, browser control, code execution, database queries, or invoking smaller/fine-tuned models. Capabilities: Support self-evaluation, correction, and multi-step planning; allow integration with other agents (multi-agent systems); face limitations in memory continuity, adaptivity, and controllability. Current Trends: Research and development are shifting toward these agentic paradigms as LLM core scaling saturates. Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) Definition: Models capable of ingesting and generating across different modalities (text, image, audio, video). Architecture: Modality-Specific Encoders: Convert raw modalities (text, image, audio) into numeric embeddings (e.g., vision transformers for images). Fusion/Alignment Layer: Embeddings from different modalities are projected into a shared space, often via cross-attention or concatenation, allowing the model to jointly reason about their content. Unified Transformer Backbone: Processes fused embeddings to allow cross-modal reasoning and generates outputs in the required format. Recent Advances: Unified architectures (e.g., GPT-4o) use a single model for all modalities rather than switching between separate sub-models. Functionality: Enables actions such as image analysis via text prompts, visual Q&A, and integrated speech recognition/generation. Advanced LLM Architectures and Training Directions Predictive Abstract Representation: Incorporating latent concept prediction alongside token prediction (e.g., via autoencoders). Patch-Level Training: Predicting larger “patches” of tokens to reduce sequence lengths and computation. Concept-Centric Modeling: Moving from next-token prediction to predicting sequences of semantic concepts (e.g., Meta’s Large Concept Model). Multi-Token Prediction: Training models to predict multiple future tokens for broader context capture. Evaluation Benchmarks (as of 2025) Key Benchmarks Used for LLM Evaluation: GPQA (Diamond): Graduate-level STEM reasoning. SWE Bench Verified: Real-world software engineering, verifying agentic code abilities. MMMU: Multimodal, college-level cross-disciplinary reasoning. HumanEval: Python coding correctness. HLE (Human’s Last Exam): Extremely challenging, multimodal knowledge assessment. LiveCodeBench: Coding with contamination-free, up-to-date problems. MLPerf Inference v5.0 Long Context: Throughput/latency for processing long contexts. MultiChallenge Conversational AI: Multiturn dialogue, in-context reasoning. TAUBench/PFCL: Tool utilization in agentic tasks. TruthfulnessQA: Measures tendency toward factual accuracy/robustness against misinformation. Prompt Engineering: High-Impact Techniques Foundational Approaches: Few-Shot Prompting: Provide pairs of inputs and desired outputs to steer the LLM. Chain of Thought: Instructing the LLM to think step-by-step, either explicitly or through internal self-reprompting, enhances reasoning and output quality. Clarity and Structure: Use clear, detailed, and structured instructions—task definition, context, constraints, output format, use of delimiters or markdown structuring. Affirmative Directives: Phrase instructions positively (“write a concise summary” instead of “don’t write a long summary”). Iterative Self-Refinement: Prompt the LLM to review and improve its prior response for better completeness, clarity, and factuality. System Prompt/Role Assignment: Assign a persona or role to the LLM for tailored behavior (e.g., “You are an expert Python programmer”). Guideline: Regularly consult official prompting guides from model developers as model capabilities evolve. Trends and Research Outlook Inference-time compute is increasingly important for pushing the boundaries of LLM task performance. Agentic LLMs and multimodal reasoning represent the primary frontiers for innovation. Prompt engineering and benchmarking remain essential for extracting optimal performance and assessing progress. Models are expected to continue evolving with research into new architectures, memory systems, and integration techniques.…

Machine Learning Guide

1
MLG 034 Large Language Models 1 50:48

9 days ago50:48

50:48

Explains language models (LLMs) advancements. Scaling laws - the relationships among model size, data size, and compute - and how emergent abilities such as in-context learning, multi-step reasoning, and instruction following arise once certain scaling thresholds are crossed. The evolution of the transformer architecture with Mixture of Experts (MoE), describes the three-phase training process culminating in Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) for model alignment, and explores advanced reasoning techniques such as chain-of-thought prompting which significantly improve complex task performance. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mlg34 Build the future of multi-agent software with AGNTCY Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Transformer Foundations and Scaling Laws Transformers: Introduced by the 2017 "Attention is All You Need" paper, transformers allow for parallel training and inference of sequences using self-attention, in contrast to the sequential nature of RNNs. Scaling Laws: Empirical research revealed that LLM performance improves predictably as model size (parameters), data size (training tokens), and compute are increased together, with diminishing returns if only one variable is scaled disproportionately. The "Chinchilla scaling law" (DeepMind, 2022) established the optimal model/data/compute ratio for efficient model performance: earlier large models like GPT-3 were undertrained relative to their size, whereas right-sized models with more training data (e.g., Chinchilla, LLaMA series) proved more compute and inference efficient. Emergent Abilities in LLMs Emergence: When trained beyond a certain scale, LLMs display abilities not present in smaller models, including: In-Context Learning (ICL): Performing new tasks based solely on prompt examples at inference time. Instruction Following: Executing natural language tasks not seen during training. Multi-Step Reasoning & Chain of Thought (CoT): Solving arithmetic, logic, or symbolic reasoning by generating intermediate reasoning steps. Discontinuity & Debate: These abilities appear abruptly in larger models, though recent research suggests that this could result from non-linearities in evaluation metrics rather than innate model properties. Architectural Evolutions: Mixture of Experts (MoE) MoE Layers: Modern LLMs often replace standard feed-forward layers with MoE structures. Composed of many independent "expert" networks specializing in different subdomains or latent structures. A gating network routes tokens to the most relevant experts per input, activating only a subset of parameters—this is called "sparse activation." Enables much larger overall models without proportional increases in compute per inference, but requires the entire model in memory and introduces new challenges like load balancing and communication overhead. Specialization & Efficiency: Experts learn different data/knowledge types, boosting model specialization and throughput, though care is needed to avoid overfitting and underutilization of specialists. The Three-Phase Training Process 1. Unsupervised Pre-Training: Next-token prediction on massive datasets—builds a foundation model capturing general language patterns. 2. Supervised Fine Tuning (SFT): Training on labeled prompt-response pairs to teach the model how to perform specific tasks (e.g., question answering, summarization, code generation). Overfitting and "catastrophic forgetting" are risks if not carefully managed. 3. Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF): Collects human preference data by generating multiple responses to prompts and then having annotators rank them. Builds a reward model (often PPO) based on these rankings, then updates the LLM to maximize alignment with human preferences (helpfulness, harmlessness, truthfulness). Introduces complexity and risk of reward hacking (specification gaming), where the model may exploit the reward system in unanticipated ways. Advanced Reasoning Techniques Prompt Engineering: The art/science of crafting prompts that elicit better model responses, shown to dramatically affect model output quality. Chain of Thought (CoT) Prompting: Guides models to elaborate step-by-step reasoning before arriving at final answers—demonstrably improves results on complex tasks. Variants include zero-shot CoT ("let's think step by step"), few-shot CoT with worked examples, self-consistency (voting among multiple reasoning chains), and Tree of Thought (explores multiple reasoning branches in parallel). Automated Reasoning Optimization: Frontier models selectively apply these advanced reasoning techniques, balancing compute costs with gains in accuracy and transparency. Optimization for Training and Inference Tradeoffs: The optimal balance between model size, data, and compute is determined not only for pretraining but also for inference efficiency, as lifetime inference costs may exceed initial training costs. Current Trends: Efficient scaling, model specialization (MoE), careful fine-tuning, RLHF alignment, and automated reasoning techniques define state-of-the-art LLM development.…

Machine Learning Guide

1
MLA 024 Code AI MCP Servers, ML Engineering 43:38

5 weeks ago43:38

43:38

Tool use in code AI agents allows for both in-editor code completion and agent-driven file and command actions, while the Model Context Protocol (MCP) standardizes how these agents communicate with external and internal tools. MCP integration broadens the automation capabilities for developers and machine learning engineers by enabling access to a wide variety of local and cloud-based tools directly within their coding environments. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-24 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Tool Use in Code AI Agents Code AI agents offer two primary modes of interaction: in-line code completion within the editor and agent interaction through sidebar prompts. Inline code completion has evolved from single-line suggestions to cross-file edits, refactoring, and modification of existing code blocks. Tools accessible via agents include read, write, and list file functions, as well as browser automation and command execution; permissions for sensitive actions can be set by developers. Agents can intelligently search a project’s codebase and dependencies using search commands and regular expressions to locate relevant files. Model Context Protocol (MCP) MCP, introduced by Anthropic, establishes a standardized protocol for agents to communicate with tools and services, replacing bespoke tool integrations. The protocol is analogous to REST for web servers and unifies tool calling for both local and cloud-hosted automation. MCP architecture involves three components: the AI agent, MCP client, and MCP server. The agent provides context, the client translates requests and responses, and the server executes and responds with data in a structured format. MCP servers can be local (STDIO-based for local tasks like file search or browser actions) or cloud-based (SSE for hosted APIs and SaaS tools). Developers can connect code AI agents to directories of MCP servers, accessing an expanding ecosystem of automation tools for both programming and non-programming tasks. MCP Application Examples Local MCP servers include Playwright for browser automation and Postgres MCP for live database schema analysis and data-driven UI suggestions. Cloud-based MCP servers integrate APIs such as AWS, enabling infrastructure management directly from coding environments. MCP servers are not limited to code automation; they are widely used for pipeline automation in sales, marketing, and other internet-connected workflows. Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) as an MCP Use Case RAG, once standard in code AI tools, indexed codebases using embeddings to assist with relevant file retrieval, but many agents now favor literal search for practicality. Local RAG MCP servers, such as Chroma or LlamaIndex, can index entire documentation sets to update agent knowledge of recent or project-specific libraries outside of widely-known frameworks. Fine-tuning a local LLM with the same documentation is an alternative approach to integrating new knowledge into code AI workflows. Machine Learning Applications Code AI tooling supports feature engineering, data cleansing, pipeline setup, model design, and hyperparameter optimization, based on real dataset distributions and project specifications. Agents can recommend advanced data transformations—such as Yeo-Johnson power transformation for skewed features—by directly analyzing example dataset distributions. Infrastructure-as-code integration enables rapid deployment of machine learning models and supporting components by chaining coding agents to cloud automation tools. Automation concepts from code AI apply to both traditional code file workflows and Jupyter Notebooks, though integration with notebooks remains less seamless. An iterative approach using sidecar Python files combined with custom instructions helps agents access necessary background and context for ML projects. Workflow Strategies for Machine Learning Engineers To leverage code AI agents in machine learning tasks, engineers can provide data samples and visualizations to agents through Python files or prompt contexts. Agents can guide creation and comparison of multiple model architectures, metrics, and loss functions, improving efficiency and broadening solution exploration. While Jupyter Lab plugin integration is currently limited, some success can be achieved by working with notebook files via code AI tools in standard code editors or by moving between notebooks and Python files for maximum flexibility.…

Machine Learning Guide

1
MLA 023 Code AI Models & Modes 37:35

5 weeks ago37:35

37:35

Gemini 2.5 Pro currently leads in both accuracy and cost-effectiveness among code-focused large language models, with Claude 3.7 and a DeepSeek R1/Claude 3.5 combination also performing well in specific modes. Using local open source models via tools like Ollama offers enhanced privacy but trades off model performance, and advanced workflows like custom modes and fine-tuning can further optimize development processes. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-23 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Model Current Leaders According to the Aider Leaderboard (as of April 12, 2025), leading models include for vibe-coding: Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 03-25: most accurate and cost-effective option currently. Claude 3.7 Sonnet: Performs well in both architect and code modes with enabled reasoning flags. DeepSeek R1 with Claude 3.5 Sonnet: A popular combination for its balance of cost and performance between reasoning and non-reasoning tasks. Local Models Tools for Local Models: Ollama is the standard tool to manage local models, enabling usage without internet connectivity. Best Models per VRAM: See this Reddit post , but know that Qwen 3 launched after that; and DeepSeek R1 is coming soon. Privacy and Security: Utilizing local models enhances data security, suitable for sensitive projects or corporate environments that require data to remain onsite. Performance Trade-offs: Local models, due to distillation and size constraints, often perform slightly worse than cloud-hosted models but offer privacy benefits. Fine-Tuning Models Customization: Developers can fine-tune pre-trained models to specialize them for their specific codebase, enhancing relevance and accuracy. Advanced Usage: Suitable for long-term projects, fine-tuning helps models understand unique aspects of a project, resulting in consistent code quality improvements. Tips and Best Practices Judicious Use of the @ Key: Improves model efficiency by specifying the context of commands, reducing the necessity for AI-initiated searches. Examples include specifying file paths, URLs, or git commits to inform AI actions more precisely. Concurrent Feature Implementation: Leverage tools like Boomerang mode to manage multiple features simultaneously, acting more as a manager overseeing several tasks at once, enhancing productivity. Continued Learning: Staying updated with documentation, particularly Roo Code 's, due to its comprehensive feature set and versatility among AI coding tools.…

Machine Learning Guide

1
MLA 022 Code AI: Cursor, Cline, Roo, Aider, Copilot, Windsurf 55:29

14 weeks ago55:29

55:29

Vibe coding is using large language models within IDEs or plugins to generate, edit, and review code, and has recently become a prominent and evolving technique in software and machine learning engineering. The episode outlines a comparison of current code AI tools - such as Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf, Cline, Roo Code, and Aider - explaining their architectures, capabilities, agentic features, pricing, and practical recommendations for integrating them into development workflows. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-22 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Definition and Context of Vibe Coding Vibe coding refers to using large language models (LLMs) to generate or edit code directly within IDEs or through plugins. Developers interface with AI models in their coding environment by entering requests or commands in chat-like dialogues, enabling streamlined workflows for feature additions, debugging, and other tasks. Industry Reception and Concerns Industry skepticism about vibe coding centers on three issues: concerns that excessive reliance on AI can degrade code quality, skepticism over aggressive marketing reminiscent of early cryptocurrency promotions, and anxieties about job security among experienced developers. Maintaining human oversight and reviewing AI-generated changes is emphasized, with both senior engineers and newcomers encouraged to engage critically with outputs rather than use them blindly. Turnkey Web App Generators vs. Developer-Focused Tools Some AI-powered platforms function as turnkey website and app generators (for example, Lovable, Rept, and Bolt), which reduce development to prompting but limit customizability and resemble content management systems. The focus of this episode is on developer-oriented tools that operate within professional environments, distinguishing them from these all-in-one generators. Evolution of Code AI Tools and IDE Integration Most contemporary AI code assistants either fork Visual Studio Code ( Cursor , Windsurf ), or offer plugins/extensions for it, capitalizing on the popularity and adaptability of VS Code. Tools such as Copilot , Cline , Roo Code , and Aider present varied approaches ranging from command-line interfaces to customizable, open-source integrations. Functional Capabilities: Inline Edits and Agentic Features Early iterations of AI coding tools mainly provided inline code suggestions or autocompletions within active files. Modern tools now offer “agentic” features, such as analyzing file dependencies, editing across multiple files, installing packages, executing commands, interacting with web browsers, and performing broader codebase actions. Detailed Overview of Leading Tools Cursor is a popular standalone fork of VS Code, focused on integrating new models with stability and offering a flat-fee pricing model. Windsurf offers similar agentic and inline features with tiered pricing and a “just works” usability orientation. Copilot , integrated with VS Code and GitHub Code Spaces, provides agentic coding with periodic performance fluctuations and tiered pricing. Cline is open-source and model-agnostic, pioneering features like “bring your own model” (BYOM) and operating on a per-request billing structure. Roo Code , derived from Cline, prioritizes rapid feature development and customization, serving users interested in experimental capabilities. Aider is command-line only, focusing on token efficiency and precise, targeted code modifications, making it useful for surgical edits or as a fallback tool. Community and Resource Ecosystem Resources such as leaderboards enable developers to monitor progress and compare tool effectiveness. Aiding community support and updates, the Reddit community discusses use cases, troubleshooting, and rapid feature rollouts. Demonstrations such as the video of speed-demon illustrate tool capabilities in practical scenarios. Models, Pricing, and Cost Management Subscription tools like Cursor, Copilot, and Windsurf have flat or tiered pricing, with extra fees for exceeding standard quotas. Open-source solutions require API keys for model providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini), incurring per-request charges dependent on usage. OpenRouter is recommended for consolidating credits and accessing multiple AI models, streamlining administration and reducing fragmented expenses. Model Advancements and Recommendations The landscape of model performance changes rapidly, with leaders shifting from Claude 3.5, to DeepSeek, Claude 3.7, and currently to Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental, which is temporarily free and offers extended capabilities. Developers should periodically review available models, utilizing OpenRouter to select up-to-date and efficient options. Practical Usage Strategies For routine development, begin with Cursor and explore alternatives like Copilot and Windsurf for additional features. Advanced users can install Cline or Roo Code as plugins within preferred IDEs, and maintain Aider for precise code changes or fallback needs. Balancing subscription-based and open-source tools can increase cost-efficiency; thoughtful review of AI-generated edits remains essential before codebase integration. Conclusion Vibe coding, defined as using LLMs for software and machine learning development, is transforming professional workflows with new tooling and shifting best practices. Developers are encouraged to experiment with a range of tools, monitor ongoing advancements, and integrate AI responsibly into their coding routines.…

Machine Learning Guide

1
MLG 033 Transformers 43:23

14 weeks ago43:23

43:23

Links: Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/33 3Blue1Brown videos: https://3blue1brown.com/ Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Try Descript audio/video editing with AI power-tools Background & Motivation RNN Limitations: Sequential processing prevents full parallelization—even with attention tweaks—making them inefficient on modern hardware. Breakthrough: “Attention Is All You Need” replaced recurrence with self-attention, unlocking massive parallelism and scalability. Core Architecture Layer Stack: Consists of alternating self-attention and feed-forward (MLP) layers, each wrapped in residual connections and layer normalization. Positional Encodings: Since self-attention is permutation invariant, add sinusoidal or learned positional embeddings to inject sequence order. Self-Attention Mechanism Q, K, V Explained: Query (Q): The representation of the token seeking contextual info. Key (K): The representation of tokens being compared against. Value (V): The information to be aggregated based on the attention scores. Multi-Head Attention: Splits Q, K, V into multiple “heads” to capture diverse relationships and nuances across different subspaces. Dot-Product & Scaling: Computes similarity between Q and K (scaled to avoid large gradients), then applies softmax to weigh V accordingly. Masking Causal Masking: In autoregressive models, prevents a token from “seeing” future tokens, ensuring proper generation. Padding Masks: Ignore padded (non-informative) parts of sequences to maintain meaningful attention distributions. Feed-Forward Networks (MLPs) Transformation & Storage: Post-attention MLPs apply non-linear transformations; many argue they’re where the “facts” or learned knowledge really get stored. Depth & Expressivity: Their layered nature deepens the model’s capacity to represent complex patterns. Residual Connections & Normalization Residual Links: Crucial for gradient flow in deep architectures, preventing vanishing/exploding gradients. Layer Normalization: Stabilizes training by normalizing across features, enhancing convergence. Scalability & Efficiency Considerations Parallelization Advantage: Entire architecture is designed to exploit modern parallel hardware, a huge win over RNNs. Complexity Trade-offs: Self-attention’s quadratic complexity with sequence length remains a challenge; spurred innovations like sparse or linearized attention. Training Paradigms & Emergent Properties Pretraining & Fine-Tuning: Massive self-supervised pretraining on diverse data, followed by task-specific fine-tuning, is the norm. Emergent Behavior: With scale comes abilities like in-context learning and few-shot adaptation, aspects that are still being unpacked. Interpretability & Knowledge Distribution Distributed Representation: “Facts” aren’t stored in a single layer but are embedded throughout both attention heads and MLP layers. Debate on Attention: While some see attention weights as interpretable, a growing view is that real “knowledge” is diffused across the network’s parameters.…

Machine Learning Guide

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MLA 021 Databricks: Cloud Analytics and MLOps 26:28

3 years ago26:28

26:28

Databricks is a cloud-based platform for data analytics and machine learning operations, integrating features such as a hosted Spark cluster, Python notebook execution, Delta Lake for data management, and seamless IDE connectivity. Raybeam utilizes Databricks and other ML Ops tools according to client infrastructure, scaling needs, and project goals, favoring Databricks for its balanced feature set, ease of use, and support for both startups and enterprises. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-21 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Raybeam and Databricks Raybeam is a data science and analytics company, recently acquired by Dept Agency. While Raybeam focuses on data analytics, its acquisition has expanded its expertise into ML Ops and AI. The company recommends tools based on client requirements, frequently utilizing Databricks for its comprehensive nature. Understanding Databricks Databricks is not merely an analytics platform; it is a competitor in the ML Ops space alongside tools like SageMaker and Kubeflow. It provides interactive notebooks, Python code execution, and runs on a hosted Apache Spark cluster. Databricks includes Delta Lake, which acts as a storage and data management layer. Choosing the Right MLOps Tool Raybeam evaluates each client’s needs, existing expertise, and infrastructure before recommending a platform. Databricks, SageMaker, Kubeflow, and Snowflake are common alternatives, with the final selection dependent on current pipelines and operational challenges. Maintaining existing workflows is prioritized unless scalability or feature limitations necessitate migration. Databricks Features Databricks is accessible via a web interface similar to Jupyter Hub and can be integrated with local IDEs (e.g., VS Code, PyCharm) using Databricks Connect. Notebooks on Databricks can be version-controlled with Git repositories, enhancing collaboration and preventing data loss. The platform supports configuration of computing resources to match model size and complexity. Databricks clusters are hosted on AWS, Azure, or GCP, with users selecting the underlying cloud provider at sign-up. Parquet and Delta Lake Parquet files store data in a columnar format, which improves efficiency for aggregation and analytics tasks. Delta Lake provides transactional operations on top of Parquet files by maintaining a version history, enabling row edits and deletions. This approach offers a database-like experience for handling large datasets, simplifying both analytics and machine learning workflows. Pricing and Usage Pricing for Databricks depends on the chosen cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP) with an additional fee for Databricks’ services. The added cost is described as relatively small, and the platform is accessible to both individual developers and large enterprises. Databricks is recommended for newcomers to data science and ML for its breadth of features and straightforward setup. Databricks, MLflow, and Other Integrations Databricks provides a hosted MLflow solution, offering experiment tracking and model management. The platform can access data stored in services like S3, Snowflake, and other cloud provider storage options. Integration with tools such as PyArrow is supported, facilitating efficient data access and manipulation. Example Use Cases and Decision Process Migration to Databricks is recommended when a client’s existing infrastructure (e.g., on-premises Spark clusters) cannot scale effectively. The selection process involves an in-depth exploration of a client’s operational challenges and goals. Databricks is chosen for clients lacking feature-specific needs but requiring a unified data analytics and ML platform. Personal Projects by Ming Chang Ming Chang has explored automated stock trading using APIs such as Alpaca, focusing on downloading and analyzing market data. He has also developed drone-related projects with Raspberry Pi, emphasizing real-world applications of programming and physical computing. Additional Resources Databricks Homepage Delta Lake on Databricks Parquet Format Raybeam Overview MLFlow Documentation…

Machine Learning Guide

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MLA 020 Kubeflow and ML Pipeline Orchestration on Kubernetes 1:08:47

3 years ago1:08:47

1:08:47

Machine learning pipeline orchestration tools, such as SageMaker and Kubeflow, streamline the end-to-end process of data ingestion, model training, deployment, and monitoring, with Kubeflow providing an open-source, cross-cloud platform built atop Kubernetes. Organizations typically choose between cloud-native managed services and open-source solutions based on required flexibility, scalability, integration with existing cloud environments, and vendor lock-in considerations. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-20 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Dirk-Jan Verdoorn - Data Scientist at Dept Agency Managed vs. Open-Source ML Pipeline Orchestration Cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure offer managed machine learning orchestration solutions, including SageMaker (AWS) and Vertex AI (GCP). Managed services provide integrated environments that are easier to set up and operate but often result in vendor lock-in, limiting portability across cloud platforms. Open-source tools like Kubeflow extend Kubernetes to support end-to-end machine learning pipelines, enabling portability across AWS, GCP, Azure, or on-premises environments. Introduction to Kubeflow Kubeflow is an open-source project aimed at making machine learning workflow deployment on Kubernetes simple, portable, and scalable. Kubeflow enables data scientists and ML engineers to build, orchestrate, and monitor pipelines using popular frameworks such as TensorFlow, scikit-learn, and PyTorch. Kubeflow can integrate with TensorFlow Extended (TFX) for complete end-to-end ML pipelines, covering data ingestion, preprocessing, model training, evaluation, and deployment. Machine Learning Pipelines: Concepts and Motivation Production machine learning systems involve not just model training but also complex pipelines for data ingestion, feature engineering, validation, retraining, and monitoring. Pipelines automate retraining based on model performance drift or updated data, supporting continuous improvement and adaptation to changing data patterns. Scalable, orchestrated pipelines reduce manual overhead, improve reproducibility, and ensure that models remain accurate as underlying business conditions evolve. Pipeline Orchestration Analogies and Advantages ML pipeline orchestration tools in machine learning fulfill a role similar to continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) in traditional software engineering. Pipelines enable automated retraining, modularization of pipeline steps (such as ingestion, feature transformation, and deployment), and robust monitoring. Adopting pipeline orchestrators, rather than maintaining standalone models, helps organizations handle multiple models and varied business use cases efficiently. Choosing Between Managed and Open-Source Solutions Managed services (e.g., SageMaker, Vertex AI) offer streamlined user experiences and seamless integration but restrict cross-cloud flexibility. Kubeflow, as an open-source platform on Kubernetes, enables cross-platform deployment, integration with multiple ML frameworks, and minimizes dependency on a single cloud provider. The complexity of Kubernetes and Kubeflow setup is offset by significant flexibility and community-driven improvements. Cross-Cloud and Local Development Kubeflow operates on any Kubernetes environment including AWS EKS, GCP GKE, and Azure AKS, as well as on-premises or local clusters. Local and cross-cloud development are facilitated in Kubeflow, while managed services like SageMaker and Vertex AI are better suited to cloud-native workflows. Debugging and development workflows can be challenging in highly secured cloud environments; Kubeflow’s local deployment flexibility addresses these hurdles. Relationship to TensorFlow Extended (TFX) and Machine Learning Frameworks TensorFlow Extended (TFX) is an end-to-end platform for creating production ML pipelines, tightly integrated with Kubeflow for deployment and execution. While Kubeflow originally focused on TensorFlow, it has grown to support PyTorch, scikit-learn, and other major ML frameworks, offering wider applicability. TFX provides modular pipeline components (data ingestion, transformation, validation, model training, evaluation, and deployment) that execute within Kubeflow’s orchestration platform. Alternative Pipeline Orchestration Tools Airflow is a general-purpose workflow orchestrator using DAGs, suited for data engineering and automation, but less resource-capable for heavy ML training within the pipeline. Airflow often submits jobs to external compute resources (e.g., AI Platform) for resource-intensive workloads. In organizations using both Kubeflow and Airflow, Airflow may handle data workflows, while Kubeflow is reserved for ML pipelines. MLflow and other solutions also exist, each with unique integrations and strengths; their adoption depends on use case requirements. Selecting a Cloud Platform and Orchestration Approach The optimal choice of cloud platform and orchestration tool is typically guided by client needs, existing integrations (e.g., organizational use of Google or Microsoft solutions), and team expertise. Agencies with diverse client portfolios often benefit from open-source, cross-cloud tools like Kubeflow to maximize flexibility and knowledge sharing across projects. Users entrenched in a single cloud provider may prefer managed offerings for ease of use and integration, while those prioritizing portability and flexibility often choose open-source solutions. Cost Optimization in Model Training Both AWS and GCP offer cost-saving compute options for training, such as spot instances (AWS) and preemptible instances (GCP), which are suitable for non-production, batch training jobs. Production workloads that require high uptime and reliability do not typically utilize cost-saving transient compute resources, as these can be interrupted. Machine Learning Project Lifecycle Overview Project initiation begins with data discovery and validation of the client’s requirements against available data. Cloud environment selection is influenced by client infrastructure, business applications, and platform integrations rather than solely by technical features. Data cleaning, exploratory analysis, model prototyping, advanced model refinement, and deployment are handled collaboratively with data engineering and machine learning teams. The pipeline is gradually constructed in modular steps, facilitating scalable, automated retraining and integration with business applications. Educational Pathways for Data Science and Machine Learning Careers Advanced mathematics or statistics education provides a strong foundation for work in data science and machine learning. Master’s degrees in data science add the most value for candidates from non-technical undergraduate backgrounds; those with backgrounds in statistics, mathematics, or computer science may benefit more from self-study or targeted upskilling. When evaluating online or accelerated degree programs, candidates should scrutinize the curriculum, instructor engagement, and peer interaction to ensure comprehensive learning.…

Machine Learning Guide

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MLA 019 Cloud, DevOps & Architecture 1:15:21

3 years ago1:15:21

1:15:21

The deployment of machine learning models for real-world use involves a sequence of cloud services and architectural choices, where machine learning expertise must be complemented by DevOps and architecture skills, often requiring collaboration with professionals. Key concepts discussed include infrastructure as code, cloud container orchestration, and the distinction between DevOps and architecture, as well as practical advice for machine learning engineers wanting to deploy products securely and efficiently. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-19 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code ;## Translating Machine Learning Models to Production After developing and training a machine learning model locally or using cloud tools like AWS SageMaker, it must be deployed to reach end users. A typical deployment stack involves the trained model exposed via a SageMaker endpoint, a backend server (e.g., Python FastAPI on AWS ECS with Fargate), a managed database (such as AWS RDS Postgres), an application load balancer (ALB), and a public-facing frontend (e.g., React app hosted on S3 with CloudFront and Route 53). Infrastructure as Code and Automation Tools Infrastructure as code (IaC) manages deployment and maintenance of cloud resources using tools like Terraform, allowing environments to be version-controlled and reproducible. Terraform is favored for its structured approach and cross-cloud compatibility, while other tools like Cloud Formation (AWS-specific) and Pulumi offer alternative paradigms. Configuration management tools such as Ansible, Chef, and Puppet automate setup and software installation on compute instances but are increasingly replaced by containerization and Dockerfiles. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines (with tools like AWS CodePipeline or CircleCI) automate builds, testing, and code deployment to infrastructure. Containers, Orchestration, and Cloud Choices Containers, enabled by Docker, allow developers to encapsulate applications and dependencies, facilitating consistency across environments from local development to production. Deployment options include AWS ECS/Fargate for managed orchestration, Kubernetes for large-scale or multi-cloud scenarios, and simpler services like AWS App Runner and Elastic Beanstalk for small-scale applications. Kubernetes provides robust flexibility and cross-provider support but brings high complexity, making it best suited for organizations with substantial infrastructure needs and experienced staff. Use of cloud services versus open-source alternatives on Kubernetes (e.g., RDS vs. Postgres containers) affects manageability, vendor lock-in, and required expertise. DevOps and Architecture: Roles and Collaboration DevOps unites development and operations through common processes and tooling to accelerate safe production deployments and improve coordination. Architecture focuses on the holistic design of systems, establishing how different technical components fit together and serve overall business or product goals. There is significant overlap, but architecture plans and outlines systems, while DevOps engineers implement, automate, and monitor deployment and operations. Cross-functional collaboration is essential, as machine learning engineers, DevOps, and architects must communicate requirements, constraints, and changes, especially regarding production-readiness and security. Security, Scale, and When to Seek Help Security is a primary concern when moving to production, especially if handling sensitive data or personally identifiable information (PII); professional DevOps involvement is strongly advised in such cases. Common cloud security pitfalls include publicly accessible networks, insecure S3 buckets, and improper handling of secrets and credentials. For experimentation or small-scale safe projects, machine learning engineers can use tools like Terraform, Docker, and AWS managed services, but should employ cloud cost monitoring to avoid unexpected bills. Cloud Providers and Service Considerations AWS dominates the cloud market, followed by Azure (strong in enterprise/Microsoft-integrated environments) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), which offers a strong user interface but has a record of sunsetting products. Managed cloud machine learning services, such as AWS SageMaker and GCP Vertex AI, streamline model training, deployment, and monitoring. Vendor-specific tools simplify management but limit portability, while Kubernetes and its ML pipelines (e.g., Kubeflow, Apache Airflow) provide open-source, cross-cloud options with greater complexity. Recommended Learning Paths and Community Resources Learning and prototyping with Terraform, Docker, and basic cloud services is encouraged to understand deployment pipelines, but professional security review is critical before handling production-sensitive data. For those entering DevOps, structured learning with platforms like aCloudGuru or AWS’s own curricula can provide certification-ready paths. Continual learning is necessary, as tooling and best practices evolve rapidly. Reference Links Expert coworkers at Dept Matt Merrill - Principal Software Developer Jirawat Uttayaya - DevOps Lead The Ship It Podcast (frequent discussions on DevOps and architecture) DevOps Tools Terraform Ansible Visual Guides and Comparisons Which AWS container service should I use? A visual guide on troubleshooting Kubernetes deployments Public Cloud Services Comparison Killed by Google Learning Resources aCloudGuru AWS curriculum…

Machine Learning Guide

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MLA 017 AWS Local Development Environment 1:04:49

4 years ago1:04:49

1:04:49

AWS development environments for local and cloud deployment can differ significantly, leading to extra complexity and setup during cloud migration. By developing directly within AWS environments, using tools such as Lambda, Cloud9, SageMaker Studio, client VPN connections, or LocalStack, developers can streamline transitions to production and leverage AWS-managed services from the start. This episode outlines three primary strategies for treating AWS as your development environment, details the benefits and tradeoffs of each, and explains the role of infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform and CDK in maintaining replicable, trackable cloud infrastructure. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-17 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Docker Fundamentals for Development Docker containers encapsulate operating systems, packages, and code, which simplifies dependency management and deployment. Files are added to containers using either the COPY command for one-time inclusion during a build or the volume directive for live synchronization during development. Docker Compose orchestrates multiple containers on a local environment, while Kubernetes is used at larger scale for container orchestration in the cloud. Docker and AWS Integration Docker is frequently used in AWS, including for packaging and deploying Lambda functions, SageMaker jobs, and ECS/Fargate containers. Deploying complex applications like web servers and databases on AWS involves using services such as ECR for image storage, ECS/Fargate for container management, RDS for databases, and requires configuration of networking components such as VPCs, subnets, and security groups. Challenges in Migrating from Localhost to AWS Local Docker Compose setups differ considerably from AWS managed services architecture. Migrating to AWS involves extra steps such as pushing images to ECR, establishing networking with VPCs, configuring load balancers or API Gateway, setting up domain names with Route 53, and integrating SSL certificates via ACM. Configuring internal communication between services and securing databases adds complexity compared to local development. Strategy 1: Developing Entirely in the AWS Cloud Developers can use AWS Lambda’s built-in code editor, Cloud9 IDE, and SageMaker Studio to edit, run, and deploy code directly in the AWS console. Cloud-based development is not tied to a single machine and eliminates local environment setup. While convenient, in-browser IDEs like Cloud9 and SageMaker Studio are less powerful than established local tools like PyCharm or DataGrip. Strategy 2: Local Development Connected to AWS via Client VPN The AWS Client VPN enables local machines to securely access AWS VPC resources, such as RDS databases or Lambda endpoints, as if they were on the same network. This approach allows developers to continue using their preferred local IDEs while testing code against actual cloud services. Storing sensitive credentials is handled by AWS Secrets Manager instead of local files or environment variables. Example tutorials and instructions: AWS Client VPN Terraform example YouTube tutorial Creating the keys Strategy 3: Local Emulation of AWS Using LocalStack LocalStack provides local, Docker-based emulation of AWS services, allowing development and testing without incurring cloud costs or latency. The project offers a free tier supporting core serverless services and a paid tier covering more advanced features like RDS, ACM, and Route 53. LocalStack supports mounting local source files into Lambda functions, enabling direct development on the local machine with changes immediately reflected in the emulated AWS environment. This approach brings rapid iteration and cost savings, but coverage of AWS features may vary, especially for advanced or new AWS services. Infrastructure as Code: Managing AWS Environments Managing AWS resources through the web console is not sustainable for tracking or reproducing environments. Infrastructure as code (IaC) tools such as Terraform , AWS CDK , and Serverless enable declarative, version-controlled description and deployment of AWS services. Terraform offers broad multi-cloud compatibility and support for both managed and cloud-native services, whereas CDK is AWS-specific and typically more streamlined but supports fewer services. Changes made via IaC tools are automatically propagated to dependent resources, reducing manual error and ensuring consistency across environments. Benefits of AWS-First Development Developing directly in AWS or with local emulation ensures alignment between development, staging, and production environments, reducing last-minute deployment issues. Early use of AWS services can reveal managed solutions—such as Cognito for authentication or Data Wrangler for feature transformation—that are more scalable and secure than homegrown implementations. Infrastructure as code provides reproducibility, easier team onboarding, and disaster recovery. Alternatives and Kubernetes Kubernetes represents a different model of orchestrating containers and services, generally leveraging open source components inside Docker containers, independent of managed AWS services. While Kubernetes can manage deployments to AWS (via EKS), GCP, or Azure, its architecture and operational concerns differ from AWS-native development patterns. Additional AWS IDEs and Services Lambda SageMaker Studio Cloud9 Conclusion Choosing between developing in the AWS cloud, connecting local environments via VPN, or using tools like LocalStack depends on team needs, budget, and workflow preferences. Emphasizing infrastructure as code ensures environments remain consistent, maintainable, and easily reproducible.…

Machine Learning Guide

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MLA 016 AWS SageMaker MLOps 2 1:00:25

4 years ago1:00:25

1:00:25

SageMaker streamlines machine learning workflows by enabling integrated model training, tuning, deployment, monitoring, and pipeline automation within the AWS ecosystem, offering scalable compute options and flexible development environments. Cloud-native AWS machine learning services such as Comprehend and Poly provide off-the-shelf solutions for NLP, time series, recommendations, and more, reducing the need for custom model implementation and deployment. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-16 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Model Training and Tuning with SageMaker SageMaker enables model training within integrated data and ML pipelines, drawing from components such as Data Wrangler and Feature Store for a seamless workflow. Using SageMaker for training eliminates the need for manual transitions from local environments to the cloud, as models remain deployable within the AWS stack. SageMaker Studio offers a browser-based IDE environment with iPython notebook support, providing collaborative editing, sharing, and development without the need for complex local setup. Distributed, parallel training is supported with scalable EC2 instances, including AWS-proprietary chips for optimized model training and inference. SageMaker's Model Debugger and monitoring tools aid in tracking performance metrics, model drift, and bias, offering alerts via CloudWatch and accessible graphical interfaces. Flexible Development and Training Environments SageMaker supports various model creation approaches, including default AWS environments with pre-installed data science libraries, bring-your-own Docker containers, and hybrid customizations via requirements files. SageMaker JumpStart provides quick-start options for common ML tasks, such as computer vision or NLP, with curated pre-trained models and environment setups optimized for SageMaker hardware and operations. Users can leverage Autopilot for end-to-end model training and deployment with minimal manual configuration or start from JumpStart templates to streamline typical workflows. Hyperparameter Optimization and Experimentation SageMaker Experiments supports automated hyperparameter search and optimization, using Bayesian optimization to evaluate and select the best performing configurations. Experiments and training runs are tracked, logged, and stored for future reference, allowing efficient continuation of experimentation and reuse of successful configurations as new data is incorporated. Model Deployment and Inference Options Trained models can be deployed as scalable REST endpoints, where users specify required EC2 instance types, including inference-optimized chips. Elastic Inference allows attachment of specialized hardware to reduce costs and tailor inference environments. Batch Transform is available for non-continuous, ad-hoc, or large batch inference jobs, enabling on-demand scaling and integration with data pipelines or serverless orchestration. ML Pipelines, CI/CD, and Monitoring SageMaker Pipelines manages the orchestration of ML workflows, supporting CI/CD by triggering retraining and deployments based on code changes or new data arrivals. CI/CD automation includes not only code unit tests but also automated monitoring of metrics such as accuracy, drift, and bias thresholds to qualify models for deployment. Monitoring features (like Model Monitor) provide ongoing performance assessments, alerting stakeholders to significant changes or issues. Integrations and Deployment Flexibility SageMaker supports integration with Kubernetes via EKS, allowing teams to leverage universal orchestration for containerized ML workloads across cloud providers or hybrid environments. The SageMaker Neo service optimizes and packages trained models for deployment to edge devices, mobile hardware, and AWS Lambda, reducing runtime footprint and syncing updates as new models become available. Cloud-Native AWS ML Services AWS offers a variety of cloud-native services for common ML tasks, accessible via REST or SDK calls and managed by AWS, eliminating custom model development and operations overhead. Comprehend for document clustering, sentiment analysis, and other NLP tasks. Forecast for time series prediction. Fraud Detector for transaction monitoring. Lex for chatbot workflows. Personalize for recommendation systems. Poly for text-to-speech conversion. Textract for OCR and data extraction from complex documents. Translate for machine translation. Panorama for computer vision on edge devices. These services continuously improve as AWS retrains and updates their underlying models, transferring benefits directly to customers without manual intervention. Application Example: Migrating to SageMaker and AWS Services When building features such as document clustering, question answering, or recommendations, first review whether cloud-native services like Comprehend can fulfill requirements prior to investing in custom ML models. For custom NLP tasks not available in AWS services, use SageMaker to manage model deployment (e.g., deploying pre-trained Hugging Face Transformers for summarization or embeddings). Batch inference and feature extraction jobs can be triggered using SageMaker automation and event notifications, supporting modular, scalable, and microservices-friendly architectures. Tabular prediction and feature importance can be handled by pipe-lining data from relational stores through SageMaker Autopilot or traditional algorithms such as XGBoost. Recommendation workflows can combine embeddings, neural networks, and event triggers, with SageMaker handling monitoring, scaling, and retraining in response to user feedback and data drift. General Usage Guidance and Strategy Employ AWS cloud-native services where possible to minimize infrastructure management and accelerate feature delivery. Use SageMaker JumpStart and Autopilot to jump ahead in common ML scenarios, falling back to custom code and containers only when unique use cases demand. Leverage SageMaker tools for pipeline orchestration, monitoring, retraining, and model deployment to ensure scalable, maintainable, and up-to-date ML workflows. Useful Links MadeWithML overview & ML tutorials SageMaker Home SageMaker JumpStart SageMaker Model Deployment SageMaker Pipelines SageMaker Model Monitor SageMaker Kubernetes Integration SageMaker Neo…

Machine Learning Guide

1
MLA 015 AWS SageMaker MLOps 1 47:31

4 years ago47:31

47:31

SageMaker is an end-to-end machine learning platform on AWS that covers every stage of the ML lifecycle, including data ingestion, preparation, training, deployment, monitoring, and bias detection. The platform offers integrated tools such as Data Wrangler, Feature Store, Ground Truth, Clarify, Autopilot, and distributed training to enable scalable, automated, and accessible machine learning operations for both tabular and large data sets. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-15 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Amazon SageMaker: The Machine Learning Operations Platform MLOps is deploying your ML models to the cloud. See MadeWithML for an overview of tooling (also generally a great ML educational run-down.) Introduction to SageMaker and MLOps SageMaker is a comprehensive platform offered by AWS for machine learning operations (MLOps), allowing full lifecycle management of machine learning models. Its popularity provides access to extensive resources, educational materials, community support, and job market presence, amplifying adoption and feature availability. SageMaker can replace traditional local development environments, such as setups using Docker, by moving data processing and model training to the cloud. Data Preparation in SageMaker SageMaker manages diverse data ingestion sources such as CSV, TSV, Parquet files, databases like RDS, and large-scale streaming data via AWS Kinesis Firehose. The platform introduces the concept of data lakes, which aggregate multiple related data sources for big data workloads. Data Wrangler is the entry point for data preparation, enabling ingestion, feature engineering, imputation of missing values, categorical encoding, and principal component analysis, all within an interactive graphical user interface. Data wrangler leverages distributed computing frameworks like Apache Spark to process large volumes of data efficiently. Visualization tools are integrated for exploratory data analysis, offering table-based and graphical insights typically found in specialized tools such as Tableau. Feature Store Feature Store acts as a centralized repository to save and manage transformed features created during data preprocessing, ensuring different steps in the pipeline access consistent, reusable feature sets. It facilitates collaboration by making preprocessed features available to various members of a data science team and across different models. Ground Truth: Data Labeling Ground Truth provides automated and manual data labeling options, including outsourcing to Amazon Mechanical Turk or assigning tasks to internal employees via a secure AWS GUI. The system ensures quality by averaging multiple annotators’ labels and upweighting reliable workers, and can also perform automated label inference when partial labels exist. This flexibility addresses both sensitive and high-volume labeling requirements. Clarify: Bias Detection Clarify identifies and analyzes bias in both datasets and trained models, offering measurement and reporting tools to improve fairness and compliance. It integrates seamlessly with other SageMaker components for continuous monitoring and re-calibration in production deployments. Build Phase: Model Training and AutoML SageMaker Studio offers a web-based integrated development environment to manage all aspects of the pipeline visually. Autopilot automates the selection, training, and hyperparameter optimization of machine learning models for tabular data, producing an optimal model and optionally creating reproducible code notebooks. Users can take over the automated pipeline at any stage to customize or extend the process if needed. Debugger and Distributed Training Debugger provides real-time training monitoring, similar to TensorBoard, and offers notifications for anomalies such as vanishing or exploding gradients by integrating with AWS CloudWatch. SageMaker’s distributed training feature enables users to train models across multiple compute instances, optimizing for hardware utilization, cost, and training speed. The system allows for sharding of data and auto-scaling based on resource utilization monitored via CloudWatch notifications. Summary Workflow and Scalability The SageMaker pipeline covers every aspect of machine learning workflows, from ingestion, cleaning, and feature engineering, to training, deployment, bias monitoring, and distributed computation. Each tool is integrated to provide either no-code, low-code, or fully customizable code interfaces. The platform supports scaling from small experiments to enterprise-level big data solutions. Useful AWS and SageMaker Resources SageMaker DataWrangler Feature Store Ground Truth Clarify Studio AutoPilot Debugger Distributed Training JumpStart…

Machine Learning Guide

1
MLA 014 Machine Learning Hosting and Serverless Deployment 52:33

4 years ago52:33

52:33

Machine learning model deployment on the cloud is typically handled with solutions like AWS SageMaker for end-to-end training and inference as a REST endpoint, AWS Batch for cost-effective on-demand batch jobs using Docker containers, and AWS Lambda for low-usage, serverless inference without GPU support. Storage and infrastructure options such as AWS EFS are essential for managing large model artifacts, while new tools like Cortex offer open source alternatives with features like cost savings and scale-to-zero for resource management. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-14 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Cloud Providers for Machine Learning Hosting The major cloud service providers for machine learning hosting are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure. AWS is widely adopted due to rapid innovation, a large ecosystem, extensive documentation, and ease of integration with other AWS services, despite some features of GCP, such as TPUs, being attractive for specific use cases. Core Machine Learning Hosting Services 1. AWS SageMaker SageMaker is an end-to-end service for training, monitoring, and deploying machine learning models, including REST endpoint deployment for inference. It features auto-scaling, built-in monitoring, and support for Jupyter notebooks, but it incurs at least a 40% cost premium over direct EC2 usage and is always-on, which can be costly for low-traffic applications. AWS SageMaker provides REST endpoint deployment and training analytics. Google Cloud offers GCP Cloud ML with similar functionality. 2. AWS Batch AWS Batch allows one-off batch jobs, typically for resource-intensive ML training or infrequent inference, using Docker containers. Batch supports spot instances for significant cost savings and automatically shuts down resources when jobs complete, reducing always-on costs. Batch jobs can be triggered via CLI, console, or programmatically, and the service does not provide automatic deployment or monitoring functionality like SageMaker. AWS Batch enables Docker-based batch jobs and leverages ECR for container hosting. 3. AWS Lambda AWS Lambda provides serverless deployment for machine learning inference, auto-scaling to meet demand, and incurs costs only during actual usage, but it does not support GPU or Elastic Inference. Lambda functions can utilize attached AWS EFS for storing and loading large model artifacts, which helps manage deployment size and cold start performance. Only models that can perform inference efficiently on CPU within Lambda’s memory and compute limits are suitable for this approach. 4. Elastic Inference and Persistent Storage AWS Elastic Inference enables the attachment of fractional GPU resources to EC2 or SageMaker for inference workloads, driving down costs by avoiding full GPU allocation. AWS EFS (Elastic File System) is used to provide persistent, shared storage for model artifacts, allowing services like Batch and Lambda to efficiently access large files without repeated downloads. AWS EFS allows mounting persistent file systems across services. Model Optimization and Compatibility Model optimizers such as ONNX (Open Neural Network Exchange) and Intel’s OpenVINO can compress and optimize machine learning models for efficient inference, enabling CPU-only deployment with minimal loss of accuracy. ONNX helps convert models to a format that is interoperable across different frameworks and architectures, which supports serverless environments like Lambda. Emerging and Alternative Providers 1. Cortex Cortex is an open source system that orchestrates model training, deployment, and scaling on AWS, including support for spot instances and potential for scale-to-zero, reducing costs during idle periods. Cortex aims to provide SageMaker-like capabilities without the additional premium and with greater flexibility over infrastructure management. 2. Other Providers PaperSpace Gradient and FloydHub are additional providers offering ML model training and deployment services with cost-competitive offerings versus AWS. PaperSpace is highlighted as significantly less expensive than SageMaker and Batch, though AWS integration and ecosystem breadth may still steer users toward AWS-native solutions. Batch and Endpoint Model Deployment Scenarios If model usage is rare (e.g., 1–50 times per day), batch approaches such as AWS Batch are cost-effective, running containerized jobs as needed and then shutting down. For customer-facing applications requiring consistently available models, endpoint-based services like SageMaker, GCP Cloud ML, or Cortex are more appropriate. Orchestration and Advanced Architectures Kubernetes and related tools can be used to orchestrate ML models and complex pipelines at scale, enabling integration of components such as API gateways, serverless functions, and scalable training and inference systems. Tools like KubeFlow leverage Kubernetes for deploying machine learning workloads, but require higher expertise and greater management effort. Summary Table of Linked Services AWS Batch ECR (EC2 Container Registry) AWS SageMaker GCP Cloud ML Cortex PaperSpace Gradient FloydHub…

Machine Learning Guide

1
MLA 013 Tech Stack for Customer-Facing Machine Learning Products 47:37

4 years ago47:37

47:37

Primary technology recommendations for building a customer-facing machine learning product include React and React Native for the front end, serverless platforms like AWS Amplify or GCP Firebase for authentication and basic server/database needs, and Postgres as the relational database of choice. Serverless approaches are encouraged for scalability and security, with traditional server frameworks and containerization recommended only for advanced custom backend requirements. When serverless options are inadequate, use Node.js with Express or FastAPI in Docker containers, and consider adding Redis for in-memory sessions and RabbitMQ or SQS for job queues, though many of these functions can be handled by Postgres. The machine learning server itself, including deployment strategies, will be discussed separately. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-13 Try a walking desk stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Client Applications React is recommended as the primary web front-end framework due to its compositional structure, best practice enforcement, and strong community support. React Native is used for mobile applications, enabling code reuse and a unified JavaScript codebase for web, iOS, and Android clients. Using React and React Native simplifies development by allowing most UI logic to be written in a single language. Server (Backend) Options The episode encourages starting with serverless frameworks, such as AWS Amplify or GCP Firebase, for rapid scaling, built-in authentication, and security. Amplify allows seamless integration with React and handles authentication, user management, and database access directly from the client. When direct client-to-database access is insufficient, custom business logic can be implemented using AWS Lambda or Google Cloud Functions without managing entire servers. Only when serverless frameworks are insufficient should developers consider managing their own server code. Recommended traditional backend options include Node.js with Express for JavaScript environments or FastAPI for Python-centric projects, both offering strong concurrency support. Using Docker to containerize server code and deploying via managed orchestration (e.g., AWS ECS/Fargate) provides flexibility and migration capability beyond serverless. Python's FastAPI is advised for developers heavily invested in the Python ecosystem, especially if machine learning code is also in Python. Database and Supporting Infrastructure Postgres is recommended as the primary relational database, owing to its advanced features, community momentum, and versatility. Postgres can serve multiple infrastructure functions beyond storage, including job queue management and pub/sub (publish-subscribe) messaging via specific database features. NoSQL options such as MongoDB are only recommended when hierarchical, non-tabular data models or specific performance optimizations are necessary. For situations requiring in-memory session management or real-time messaging, Redis is suggested, but Postgres may suffice for many use cases. Job queuing can be accomplished with external tools like RabbitMQ or AWS SQS, but Postgres also supports job queuing via transactional locks. Cloud Hosting and Server Management Serverless deployment abstracts away infrastructure operations, improving scalability and reducing ongoing server management and security burdens. Serverless functions scale automatically and only incur charges during execution. Amplify and Firebase offer out-of-the-box user authentication, database, and cloud function support, while custom authentication can be handled with tools like AWS Cognito. Managed database hosting (e.g., AWS RDS for Postgres) simplifies backups, scaling, and failover but is distinct from full serverless paradigms. Evolution of Web Architectures The episode contrasts older monolithic frameworks (Django, Ruby on Rails) with current microservice and serverless architectures. Developers are encouraged to leverage modern tools where possible, adopting serverless and cloud-managed components until advanced customization requires traditional servers. Links Client React for web client create-react-app : quick-start React setup React Bootstrap : CSS framework (alternatives: Tailwind, Chakra, MaterialUI) react-router and easy-peasy as useful plugins React Native for mobile apps Server AWS Amplify for serverless web and mobile backends GCP Firebase AWS Serverless (underlying building blocks) AWS Lambda for serverless functions ECR , Fargate , Route53 , ELB for containerized deployment Database, Job-Queues, Sessions Postgres as the primary relational database Redis for session-management and pub/sub RabbitMQ or SQS for job queuing (with wrapper: Celery )…

Machine Learning Guide

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MLA 012 Docker for Machine Learning Workflows 31:41

5 years ago31:41