clearml-docs/docs/hyperdatasets/dataset.md

title
Datasets and Dataset Versions

ClearML Enterprise's Datasets and Dataset versions provide the internal data structure and functionality for the following purposes:

• Connecting source data to the ClearML Enterprise platform
• Using ClearML Enterprise's GIT-like Dataset versioning
• Integrating the powerful features of Dataviews with an experiment
• Annotating images and videos

Datasets consist of versions with SingleFrames and / or FrameGroups. Each Dataset can contain multiple versions, where each version can have multiple children that inherit their parent's SingleFrames and / or FrameGroups. This inheritance includes the frame metadata and data connecting the source data to the ClearML Enterprise platform, as well as the other metadata and data.

These parent-child version relationships can be represented as version trees with a root-level parent. A Dataset can contain one or more trees.

Dataset version state

Dataset versions can have either Draft or Published status.

A Draft version is editable, so frames can be added to and deleted and / or modified from the Dataset.

A Published version is read-only, which ensures reproducible experiments and preserves a version of a Dataset. Child versions can only be created from Published versions. To create a child of a Draft Dataset version, it must be published first.

Example Datasets

ClearML Enterprise provides Example Datasets, available to in the ClearML Enterprise platform, with frames already built, and ready for your experimentation. Find these example Datasets in the ClearML Enterprise WebApp (UI). They appear with an "Example" banner in the WebApp (UI).

Usage

Creating Datasets

Use the Dataset.create method to create a Dataset. It will contain an empty version named Current.

from allegroai import Dataset

myDataset = Dataset.create(dataset_name='myDataset')

Or, use the DatasetVersion.create_new_dataset method.

from allegroai import DatasetVersion

myDataset = DatasetVersion.create_new_dataset(dataset_name='myDataset Two')

To raise a ValueError exception if the Dataset exists, specify the raise_if_exists parameters as True.

• With Dataset.create

try:
    myDataset = Dataset.create(dataset_name='myDataset One', raise_if_exists=True)
except ValueError:
    print('Dataset exists.')

• Or with DatasetVersion.create_new_dataset

try:
    myDataset = DatasetVersion.create_new_dataset(dataset_name='myDataset Two', raise_if_exists=True)
except ValueError:
    print('Dataset exists.')

Additionally, create a Dataset with tags and a description.

myDataset = DatasetVersion.create_new_dataset(dataset_name='myDataset', 
                                              tags=['One Tag', 'Another Tag', 'And one more tag'], 
                                              description='some description text')

Accessing current Dataset

To get the current Dataset, use the DatasetVersion.get_current method.

myDataset = DatasetVersion.get_current(dataset_name='myDataset')

Deleting Datasets

Use the Dataset.delete method to delete a Dataset.

Delete an empty Dataset (no versions).

Dataset.delete(dataset_name='MyDataset', delete_all_versions=False, force=False)

Delete a Dataset containing only versions whose status is Draft.

Dataset.delete(dataset_name='MyDataset', delete_all_versions=True, force=False)

Delete a Dataset even if it contains versions whose status is Published.

Dataset.delete(dataset_name='MyDataset', delete_all_versions=True, force=True)

Dataset Versioning

Dataset versioning refers to the group of ClearML Enterprise SDK and WebApp (UI) features for creating, modifying, and deleting Dataset versions.

ClearML Enterprise supports simple and sophisticated Dataset versioning, including simple version structures and advanced version structures.

In a simple version structure, a parent can have one and only one child, and the last child in the Dataset versions tree must be a Draft. This simple structure allows working with a single set of versions of a Dataset. Create children and publish versions to preserve data history. Each version whose status is Published in a simple version structure is referred to as a snapshot.

In an advanced version structure, at least one parent has more than one child (this can include more than one parent version at the root level), or the last child in the Dataset versions tree is Published.

Creating a version in a simple version structure may convert it to an advanced structure. This happens when creating a Dataset version that yields a parent with two children, or when publishing the last child version.

Versioning Usage

Manage Dataset versioning using the DatasetVersion class in the ClearML Enterprise SDK.

Creating snapshots

If the Dataset contains only one version whose status is Draft, snapshots of the current version can be created. When creating a snapshot, the current version becomes the snapshot (it keeps the same version ID), and the newly created version (with its new version ID) becomes the current version.

To create a snapshot, use the DatasetVersion.create_snapshot method.

Snapshot naming

In the simple version structure, ClearML Enterprise supports two methods for snapshot naming:

• Timestamp naming - If only the Dataset name or ID is provided, the snapshot is named snapshot with a timestamp appended.
  The timestamp format is ISO 8601 (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.SSSSSS). For example, snapshot 2020-03-26T16:55:38.441671.

  Example:

  from allegroai import DatasetVersion
  
  myDataset = DatasetVersion.create_snapshot(dataset_name='MyDataset')
  

  After the statement above runs, the previous current version keeps its existing version ID, and it becomes a snapshot named snapshot with a timestamp appended. The newly created version with a new version ID becomes the current version, and its name is Current.

• User-specified snapshot naming - If the publish_name parameter is provided, it will be the name of the snapshot name.

  Example:

  myDataset = DatasetVersion.create_snapshot(dataset_name='MyDataset', publish_name='NewSnapshotName')
  

  After the above statement runs, the previous current version keeps its existing version ID and becomes a snapshot named NewSnapshotName. The newly created version (with a new version ID) becomes the current version, and its name is Current.

Current version naming

In the simple version structure, ClearML Enterprise supports two methods for current version naming:

• Default naming - If the child_name parameter is not provided, Current is the current version name.
• User-specified current version naming - If the child_name parameter is provided, that child name becomes the current version name.

For example, after the following statement runs, the previous current version keeps its existing version ID and becomes a snapshot named snapshot with the timestamp appended. The newly created version (with a new version ID) is the current version, and its name is NewCurrentVersionName.

myDataset = DatasetVersion.create_snapshot(dataset_name='MyDataset', 
                                           child_name='NewCurrentVersionName')

Adding metadata and comments

Add a metadata dictionary and / or comment to a snapshot.

For example:

myDataset = DatasetVersion.create_snapshot(dataset_name='MyDataset',
                                           child_metadata={'abc':'1234','def':'5678'}, 
                                           child_comment='some text comment')

Creating child versions

Create a new version from any version whose status is Published.

To create a new version, call the DatasetVersion.create_version method, and provide:

• Either the Dataset name or ID
• The parent version name or ID from which the child inherits frames
• The new version's name.

For example, create a new version named NewChildVersion from the existing version PublishedVersion, where the new version inherits the frames of the existing version. If NewChildVersion already exists, it is returned.

myVersion = DatasetVersion.create_version(dataset_name='MyDataset',
                                          parent_version_names=['PublishedVersion'], 
                                          version_name='NewChildVersion')

To raise a ValueError exception if NewChildVersion exists, set raise_if_exists to True.

myVersion = DatasetVersion.create_version(dataset_name='MyDataset',
                                          parent_version_names=['PublishedVersion'], 
                                          version_name='NewChildVersion',
                                          raise_if_exists=True))

Creating root-level parent versions

Create a new version at the root-level. This is a version without a parent, and it contains no frames.

myDataset = DatasetVersion.create_version(dataset_name='MyDataset', 
                                          version_name='NewRootVersion')

Getting versions

To get a version or versions, use the DatasetVersion.get_version and DatasetVersion.get_versions methods, respectively.

Getting a list of all versions

myDatasetversion = DatasetVersion.get_versions(dataset_name='MyDataset')

Getting a list of all published versions

myDatasetversion = DatasetVersion.get_versions(dataset_name='MyDataset', 
                                               only_published=True)

Getting a list of all drafts versions

myDatasetversion = DatasetVersion.get_versions(dataset_name='MyDataset', 
                                               only_draft=True)

Getting the current version

If more than one version exists, ClearML Enterprise outputs a warning.

myDatasetversion = DatasetVersion.get_version(dataset_name='MyDataset')

Getting a specific version

myDatasetversion = DatasetVersion.get_version(dataset_name='MyDataset', 
                                              version_name='VersionName')

Deleting versions

Delete versions which are status Draft using the Dataset.delete_version method.

from allegroai import Dataset

myDataset = Dataset.get(dataset_name='MyDataset')
myDataset.delete_version(version_name='VersionToDelete')

Publishing versions

Publish (make read-only) versions which are status Draft using the Dataset.publish_version method. This includes the current version, if the Dataset is in the simple version structure.

myVersion = DatasetVersion.get_version(dataset_name='MyDataset', 
                                       version_name='VersionToPublish')

myVersion.publish_version()