Skip to content

Fix shape inference failure with file-backed external data - #31169

Open
yoonseok-kim wants to merge 1 commit into
microsoft:mainfrom
yoonseok-kim:fix/file-backed-external-shape-inference
Open

Fix shape inference failure with file-backed external data#31169
yoonseok-kim wants to merge 1 commit into
microsoft:mainfrom
yoonseok-kim:fix/file-backed-external-shape-inference

Conversation

@yoonseok-kim

Copy link
Copy Markdown

Description

This change allows ONNX shape inference to consume file-backed external initializers when their values are required.

  • Materialize the requested external initializer into a temporary TensorProto.
  • Keep the original graph initializer external so runtime loading can continue to use the file-backed data.
  • Reuse the existing temp_tensor_protos_ lifetime, so the temporary data is released after node shape inference.
  • Add a graph test that stores ReduceSum.axes in external data, loads the model, verifies the inferred output shape, and confirms that the graph initializer remains external.

Motivation and Context

ONNX models can store initializer payloads in separate external-data files. This includes offline-optimized artifacts saved by ONNX Runtime as well as models created or repackaged by other tooling. Such a model can place values required by shape inference, such as Reshape.shape, in an external-data file.

When the model is loaded again, InferenceContextImpl::getInputData() returns a TensorProto whose payload is still external. ONNX shape inference does not load file-backed external data, so loading fails with a ShapeInferenceError even though the artifact was successfully produced by ONNX Runtime.

This is the failure reported in #21325 for an offline-optimized model, but the underlying issue is not specific to offline optimization. A similar failure was previously reported in #11137.

ONNX Runtime already materializes in-memory external initializers into temporary TensorProto values for shape inference, as implemented in #26263. This change extends the same approach to file-backed external initializers. Only initializer values requested by shape inference are read; the original graph initializer and the runtime file-backed loading path are unchanged.

Fixes #21325

Testing

  • Added GraphTest.ShapeInferenceWithFileBackedExternalData, which verifies that:
    • the inferred ReduceSum output shape is correct; and
    • the graph initializer remains file-backed after model loading.

@azure-pipelines

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Azure Pipelines:
There may be pipelines that require an authorized user to comment /azp run to run.

@microsoft-github-policy-service

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Contributor

@yoonseok-kim please read the following Contributor License Agreement(CLA). If you agree with the CLA, please reply with the following information.

@microsoft-github-policy-service agree [company="{your company}"]

Options:

  • (default - no company specified) I have sole ownership of intellectual property rights to my Submissions and I am not making Submissions in the course of work for my employer.
@microsoft-github-policy-service agree
  • (when company given) I am making Submissions in the course of work for my employer (or my employer has intellectual property rights in my Submissions by contract or applicable law). I have permission from my employer to make Submissions and enter into this Agreement on behalf of my employer. By signing below, the defined term “You” includes me and my employer.
@microsoft-github-policy-service agree company="Microsoft"
Contributor License Agreement

Contribution License Agreement

This Contribution License Agreement (“Agreement”) is agreed to by the party signing below (“You”),
and conveys certain license rights to Microsoft Corporation and its affiliates (“Microsoft”) for Your
contributions to Microsoft open source projects. This Agreement is effective as of the latest signature
date below.

  1. Definitions.
    “Code” means the computer software code, whether in human-readable or machine-executable form,
    that is delivered by You to Microsoft under this Agreement.
    “Project” means any of the projects owned or managed by Microsoft and offered under a license
    approved by the Open Source Initiative (www.opensource.org).
    “Submit” is the act of uploading, submitting, transmitting, or distributing code or other content to any
    Project, including but not limited to communication on electronic mailing lists, source code control
    systems, and issue tracking systems that are managed by, or on behalf of, the Project for the purpose of
    discussing and improving that Project, but excluding communication that is conspicuously marked or
    otherwise designated in writing by You as “Not a Submission.”
    “Submission” means the Code and any other copyrightable material Submitted by You, including any
    associated comments and documentation.
  2. Your Submission. You must agree to the terms of this Agreement before making a Submission to any
    Project. This Agreement covers any and all Submissions that You, now or in the future (except as
    described in Section 4 below), Submit to any Project.
  3. Originality of Work. You represent that each of Your Submissions is entirely Your original work.
    Should You wish to Submit materials that are not Your original work, You may Submit them separately
    to the Project if You (a) retain all copyright and license information that was in the materials as You
    received them, (b) in the description accompanying Your Submission, include the phrase “Submission
    containing materials of a third party:” followed by the names of the third party and any licenses or other
    restrictions of which You are aware, and (c) follow any other instructions in the Project’s written
    guidelines concerning Submissions.
  4. Your Employer. References to “employer” in this Agreement include Your employer or anyone else
    for whom You are acting in making Your Submission, e.g. as a contractor, vendor, or agent. If Your
    Submission is made in the course of Your work for an employer or Your employer has intellectual
    property rights in Your Submission by contract or applicable law, You must secure permission from Your
    employer to make the Submission before signing this Agreement. In that case, the term “You” in this
    Agreement will refer to You and the employer collectively. If You change employers in the future and
    desire to Submit additional Submissions for the new employer, then You agree to sign a new Agreement
    and secure permission from the new employer before Submitting those Submissions.
  5. Licenses.
  • Copyright License. You grant Microsoft, and those who receive the Submission directly or
    indirectly from Microsoft, a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable license in the
    Submission to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, and distribute
    the Submission and such derivative works, and to sublicense any or all of the foregoing rights to third
    parties.
  • Patent License. You grant Microsoft, and those who receive the Submission directly or
    indirectly from Microsoft, a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable license under
    Your patent claims that are necessarily infringed by the Submission or the combination of the
    Submission with the Project to which it was Submitted to make, have made, use, offer to sell, sell and
    import or otherwise dispose of the Submission alone or with the Project.
  • Other Rights Reserved. Each party reserves all rights not expressly granted in this Agreement.
    No additional licenses or rights whatsoever (including, without limitation, any implied licenses) are
    granted by implication, exhaustion, estoppel or otherwise.
  1. Representations and Warranties. You represent that You are legally entitled to grant the above
    licenses. You represent that each of Your Submissions is entirely Your original work (except as You may
    have disclosed under Section 3). You represent that You have secured permission from Your employer to
    make the Submission in cases where Your Submission is made in the course of Your work for Your
    employer or Your employer has intellectual property rights in Your Submission by contract or applicable
    law. If You are signing this Agreement on behalf of Your employer, You represent and warrant that You
    have the necessary authority to bind the listed employer to the obligations contained in this Agreement.
    You are not expected to provide support for Your Submission, unless You choose to do so. UNLESS
    REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING, AND EXCEPT FOR THE WARRANTIES
    EXPRESSLY STATED IN SECTIONS 3, 4, AND 6, THE SUBMISSION PROVIDED UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IS
    PROVIDED WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTY OF
    NONINFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
  2. Notice to Microsoft. You agree to notify Microsoft in writing of any facts or circumstances of which
    You later become aware that would make Your representations in this Agreement inaccurate in any
    respect.
  3. Information about Submissions. You agree that contributions to Projects and information about
    contributions may be maintained indefinitely and disclosed publicly, including Your name and other
    information that You submit with Your Submission.
  4. Governing Law/Jurisdiction. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and
    the parties consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the federal courts sitting in King County,
    Washington, unless no federal subject matter jurisdiction exists, in which case the parties consent to
    exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the Superior Court of King County, Washington. The parties waive all
    defenses of lack of personal jurisdiction and forum non-conveniens.
  5. Entire Agreement/Assignment. This Agreement is the entire agreement between the parties, and
    supersedes any and all prior agreements, understandings or communications, written or oral, between
    the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be assigned by Microsoft.

@yoonseok-kim
yoonseok-kim force-pushed the fix/file-backed-external-shape-inference branch 2 times, most recently from 52768e4 to b5769da Compare July 30, 2026 13:42
Materialize file-backed external initializers into temporary TensorProto values when ONNX shape inference requests their data. Keep the graph initializers external so runtime loading can continue to use mmap.
@yoonseok-kim
yoonseok-kim force-pushed the fix/file-backed-external-shape-inference branch from b5769da to dbe461e Compare July 30, 2026 13:49
Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment

Labels

None yet

Projects

None yet

Development

Successfully merging this pull request may close these issues.

Model saved with offline basic optimizations will not load - ShapeInferenceError

1 participant