openvino/docs/OV_Runtime_UG/ov_infer_request.md

OpenVINO™ Inference Request

OpenVINO™ Runtime uses Infer Request mechanism which allows running models on different devices in asynchronous or synchronous manners. The ov::InferRequest class is used for this purpose inside the OpenVINO™ Runtime. This class allows you to set and get data for model inputs, outputs and run inference for the model.

Creating Infer Request

The ov::InferRequest can be created from the ov::CompiledModel:

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@sphinxtab{C++}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp create_infer_request

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@sphinxtab{Python}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py create_infer_request

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@endsphinxtabset

Run Inference

The ov::InferRequest supports synchronous and asynchronous modes for inference.

Synchronous Mode

You can use ov::InferRequest::infer, which blocks the application execution, to infer a model in the synchronous mode:

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@sphinxtab{C++}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp sync_infer

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@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py sync_infer

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Asynchronous Mode

The asynchronous mode can improve application's overall frame-rate, by making it work on the host while the accelerator is busy, instead of waiting for inference to complete. To infer a model in the asynchronous mode, use ov::InferRequest::start_async:

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@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp async_infer

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@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py async_infer

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Asynchronous mode supports two ways the application waits for inference results:

• ov::InferRequest::wait_for - specifies the maximum duration in milliseconds to block the method. The method is blocked until the specified time has passed, or the result becomes available, whichever comes first. @sphinxtabset

  @sphinxtab{C++}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp wait_for

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  @sphinxtab{Python}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py wait_for

  @endsphinxtab

  @endsphinxtabset

• ov::InferRequest::wait - waits until inference result becomes available @sphinxtabset

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  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp wait

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  @sphinxtab{Python}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py wait

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Both methods are thread-safe.

When you are running several inference requests in parallel, a device can process them simultaneously, with no guarantees on the completion order. This may complicate a possible logic based on the ov::InferRequest::wait (unless your code needs to wait for the all requests). For multi-request scenarios, consider using the ov::InferRequest::set_callback method to set a callback which is called upon completion of the request:

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@sphinxtab{C++}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp set_callback

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@sphinxtab{Python}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py set_callback

@endsphinxtab

@endsphinxtabset

Note

: Use weak reference of infer_request (ov::InferRequest*, ov::InferRequest&, std::weal_ptr<ov::InferRequest>, etc.) in the callback. It is necessary to avoid cyclic references. For more details, see the Classification Async Sample.

You can use the ov::InferRequest::cancel method if you want to abort execution of the current inference request:

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@sphinxtab{C++}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp cancel

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@sphinxtab{Python}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py cancel

@endsphinxtab

@endsphinxtabset

@anchor in_out_tensors

Working with Input and Output tensors

ov::InferRequest allows you to get input/output tensors by tensor name, index, port, and without any arguments, if a model has only one input or output.

• ov::InferRequest::get_input_tensor, ov::InferRequest::set_input_tensor, ov::InferRequest::get_output_tensor, ov::InferRequest::set_output_tensor methods without arguments can be used to get or set input/output tensor for a model with only one input/output:

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  @sphinxtab{C++}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp get_set_one_tensor

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  @sphinxtab{Python}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py get_set_one_tensor

  @endsphinxtab

  @endsphinxtabset

• ov::InferRequest::get_input_tensor, ov::InferRequest::set_input_tensor, ov::InferRequest::get_output_tensor, ov::InferRequest::set_output_tensor methods with argument can be used to get or set input/output tensor by input/output index:

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  @sphinxtab{C++}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp get_set_index_tensor

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  @sphinxtab{Python}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py get_set_index_tensor

  @endsphinxtab

  @endsphinxtabset

• ov::InferRequest::get_tensor, ov::InferRequest::set_tensor methods can be used to get or set input/output tensor by tensor name:

  @sphinxtabset

  @sphinxtab{C++}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp get_set_tensor

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  @sphinxtab{Python}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py get_set_tensor

  @endsphinxtab

  @endsphinxtabset

• ov::InferRequest::get_tensor, ov::InferRequest::set_tensor methods can be used to get or set input/output tensor by port:

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  @sphinxtab{C++}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp get_set_tensor_by_port

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  @sphinxtab{Python}

  @snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py get_set_tensor_by_port

  @endsphinxtab

  @endsphinxtabset

Examples of Infer Request Usages

Presented below are examples of what the Infer Request can be used for.

Cascade of Models

ov::InferRequest can be used to organize a cascade of models. Infer Requests are required for each model. In this case, you can get the output tensor from the first request, using ov::InferRequest::get_tensor and set it as input for the second request, using ov::InferRequest::set_tensor. Keep in mind that tensors shared across compiled models can be rewritten by the first model if the first infer request is run once again, while the second model has not started yet.

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@sphinxtab{C++}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp cascade_models

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@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py cascade_models

@endsphinxtab

@endsphinxtabset

Using of ROI Tensors

It is possible to re-use shared input in several models. You do not need to allocate a separate input tensor for a model if it processes a ROI object located inside of an already allocated input of a previous model. For instance, when the first model detects objects in a video frame (stored as an input tensor) and the second model accepts detected bounding boxes (ROI inside of the frame) as input. In this case, it is allowed to re-use a pre-allocated input tensor (used by the first model) by the second model and just crop ROI without allocation of new memory, using ov::Tensor with passing ov::Tensor and ov::Coordinate as parameters.

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@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp roi_tensor

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@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py roi_tensor

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@endsphinxtabset

Using Remote Tensors

By using ov::RemoteContext you can create a remote tensor to work with remote device memory.

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@sphinxtab{C++}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.cpp remote_tensor

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@sphinxtab{Python}

@snippet docs/snippets/ov_infer_request.py remote_tensor

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@endsphinxtabset