PyTorch Lightning - High-Level Training Framework Quick start
PyTorch Lightning organizes PyTorch code to eliminate boilerplate while maintaining flexibility.
Installation:
pip install lightning
Convert PyTorch to Lightning (3 steps):
import lightning as L import torch from torch import nn from torch.utils.data import DataLoader, Dataset
Step 1: Define LightningModule (organize your PyTorch code)
class LitModel(L.LightningModule): def init(self, hidden_size=128): super().init() self.model = nn.Sequential( nn.Linear(28 * 28, hidden_size), nn.ReLU(), nn.Linear(hidden_size, 10) )
def training_step(self, batch, batch_idx):
x, y = batch
y_hat = self.model(x)
loss = nn.functional.cross_entropy(y_hat, y)
self.log('train_loss', loss) # Auto-logged to TensorBoard
return loss
def configure_optimizers(self):
return torch.optim.Adam(self.parameters(), lr=1e-3)
Step 2: Create data
train_loader = DataLoader(train_dataset, batch_size=32)
Step 3: Train with Trainer (handles everything else!)
trainer = L.Trainer(max_epochs=10, accelerator='gpu', devices=2) model = LitModel() trainer.fit(model, train_loader)
That's it! Trainer handles:
GPU/TPU/CPU switching Distributed training (DDP, FSDP, DeepSpeed) Mixed precision (FP16, BF16) Gradient accumulation Checkpointing Logging Progress bars Common workflows Workflow 1: From PyTorch to Lightning
Original PyTorch code:
model = MyModel() optimizer = torch.optim.Adam(model.parameters()) model.to('cuda')
for epoch in range(max_epochs): for batch in train_loader: batch = batch.to('cuda') optimizer.zero_grad() loss = model(batch) loss.backward() optimizer.step()
Lightning version:
class LitModel(L.LightningModule): def init(self): super().init() self.model = MyModel()
def training_step(self, batch, batch_idx):
loss = self.model(batch) # No .to('cuda') needed!
return loss
def configure_optimizers(self):
return torch.optim.Adam(self.parameters())
Train
trainer = L.Trainer(max_epochs=10, accelerator='gpu') trainer.fit(LitModel(), train_loader)
Benefits: 40+ lines → 15 lines, no device management, automatic distributed
Workflow 2: Validation and testing class LitModel(L.LightningModule): def init(self): super().init() self.model = MyModel()
def training_step(self, batch, batch_idx):
x, y = batch
y_hat = self.model(x)
loss = nn.functional.cross_entropy(y_hat, y)
self.log('train_loss', loss)
return loss
def validation_step(self, batch, batch_idx):
x, y = batch
y_hat = self.model(x)
val_loss = nn.functional.cross_entropy(y_hat, y)
acc = (y_hat.argmax(dim=1) == y).float().mean()
self.log('val_loss', val_loss)
self.log('val_acc', acc)
def test_step(self, batch, batch_idx):
x, y = batch
y_hat = self.model(x)
test_loss = nn.functional.cross_entropy(y_hat, y)
self.log('test_loss', test_loss)
def configure_optimizers(self):
return torch.optim.Adam(self.parameters(), lr=1e-3)
Train with validation
trainer = L.Trainer(max_epochs=10) trainer.fit(model, train_loader, val_loader)
Test
trainer.test(model, test_loader)
Automatic features:
Validation runs every epoch by default Metrics logged to TensorBoard Best model checkpointing based on val_loss Workflow 3: Distributed training (DDP)
Same code as single GPU!
model = LitModel()
8 GPUs with DDP (automatic!)
trainer = L.Trainer( accelerator='gpu', devices=8, strategy='ddp' # Or 'fsdp', 'deepspeed' )
trainer.fit(model, train_loader)
Launch:
Single command, Lightning handles the rest
python train.py
No changes needed:
Automatic data distribution Gradient synchronization Multi-node support (just set num_nodes=2) Workflow 4: Callbacks for monitoring from lightning.pytorch.callbacks import ModelCheckpoint, EarlyStopping, LearningRateMonitor
Create callbacks
checkpoint = ModelCheckpoint( monitor='val_loss', mode='min', save_top_k=3, filename='model-{epoch:02d}-{val_loss:.2f}' )
early_stop = EarlyStopping( monitor='val_loss', patience=5, mode='min' )
lr_monitor = LearningRateMonitor(logging_interval='epoch')
Add to Trainer
trainer = L.Trainer( max_epochs=100, callbacks=[checkpoint, early_stop, lr_monitor] )
trainer.fit(model, train_loader, val_loader)
Result:
Auto-saves best 3 models Stops early if no improvement for 5 epochs Logs learning rate to TensorBoard Workflow 5: Learning rate scheduling class LitModel(L.LightningModule): # ... (training_step, etc.)
def configure_optimizers(self):
optimizer = torch.optim.Adam(self.parameters(), lr=1e-3)
# Cosine annealing
scheduler = torch.optim.lr_scheduler.CosineAnnealingLR(
optimizer,
T_max=100,
eta_min=1e-5
)
return {
'optimizer': optimizer,
'lr_scheduler': {
'scheduler': scheduler,
'interval': 'epoch', # Update per epoch
'frequency': 1
}
}
Learning rate auto-logged!
trainer = L.Trainer(max_epochs=100) trainer.fit(model, train_loader)
When to use vs alternatives
Use PyTorch Lightning when:
Want clean, organized code Need production-ready training loops Switching between single GPU, multi-GPU, TPU Want built-in callbacks and logging Team collaboration (standardized structure)
Key advantages:
Organized: Separates research code from engineering Automatic: DDP, FSDP, DeepSpeed with 1 line Callbacks: Modular training extensions Reproducible: Less boilerplate = fewer bugs Tested: 1M+ downloads/month, battle-tested
Use alternatives instead:
Accelerate: Minimal changes to existing code, more flexibility Ray Train: Multi-node orchestration, hyperparameter tuning Raw PyTorch: Maximum control, learning purposes Keras: TensorFlow ecosystem Common issues
Issue: Loss not decreasing
Check data and model setup:
Add to training_step
def training_step(self, batch, batch_idx): if batch_idx == 0: print(f"Batch shape: {batch[0].shape}") print(f"Labels: {batch[1]}") loss = ... return loss
Issue: Out of memory
Reduce batch size or use gradient accumulation:
trainer = L.Trainer( accumulate_grad_batches=4, # Effective batch = batch_size × 4 precision='bf16' # Or 'fp16', reduces memory 50% )
Issue: Validation not running
Ensure you pass val_loader:
WRONG
trainer.fit(model, train_loader)
CORRECT
trainer.fit(model, train_loader, val_loader)
Issue: DDP spawns multiple processes unexpectedly
Lightning auto-detects GPUs. Explicitly set devices:
Test on CPU first
trainer = L.Trainer(accelerator='cpu', devices=1)
Then GPU
trainer = L.Trainer(accelerator='gpu', devices=1)
Advanced topics
Callbacks: See references/callbacks.md for EarlyStopping, ModelCheckpoint, custom callbacks, and callback hooks.
Distributed strategies: See references/distributed.md for DDP, FSDP, DeepSpeed ZeRO integration, multi-node setup.
Hyperparameter tuning: See references/hyperparameter-tuning.md for integration with Optuna, Ray Tune, and WandB sweeps.
Hardware requirements CPU: Works (good for debugging) Single GPU: Works Multi-GPU: DDP (default), FSDP, or DeepSpeed Multi-node: DDP, FSDP, DeepSpeed TPU: Supported (8 cores) Apple MPS: Supported
Precision options:
FP32 (default) FP16 (V100, older GPUs) BF16 (A100/H100, recommended) FP8 (H100) Resources Docs: https://lightning.ai/docs/pytorch/stable/ GitHub: https://github.com/Lightning-AI/pytorch-lightning ⭐ 29,000+ Version: 2.5.5+ Examples: https://github.com/Lightning-AI/pytorch-lightning/tree/master/examples Discord: https://discord.gg/lightning-ai Used by: Kaggle winners, research labs, production teams