Learn BIGDL with Real Code Examples
Updated Nov 24, 2025
Practical Examples
Train CNN for image classification on ImageNet dataset using Spark cluster
Train RNN for text prediction using distributed data streams
Build recommendation system with user-item interactions at scale
Evaluate model using distributed metrics and logging
Deploy trained model for batch or streaming inference on Spark
Troubleshooting
Ensure Spark cluster memory and cores are properly configured
Monitor distributed training logs for performance bottlenecks
Check data partitioning for balanced workload
Validate model serialization and deserialization
Update BigDL and Spark versions for compatibility
Testing Guide
Train on sample dataset before scaling
Validate training convergence with metrics
Test batch vs distributed execution
Check model serialization and loading
Verify inference correctness on cluster nodes
Deployment Options
Deploy trained models on Spark cluster for batch inference
Use Spark Structured Streaming for real-time predictions
Export models to ONNX/TensorFlow for serving elsewhere
Integrate BigDL with production ML pipelines
Automate retraining pipelines with Spark jobs
Tools Ecosystem
Apache Spark 3.x for distributed computation
Hadoop/HDFS or cloud storage for big data
Python/Scala APIs for model scripting
TensorFlow/PyTorch import/export for interoperability
MLlib for complementary ML tasks
Integrations
Spark SQL and DataFrames for preprocessing
Streaming pipelines via Spark Structured Streaming
ONNX and TensorFlow/Keras models import/export
Cloud object storage (S3, Azure, GCS)
BigDL + Spark MLlib hybrid pipelines
Productivity Tips
Cache data to improve training speed
Use small-scale experiments before full cluster training
Keep pipelines modular
Leverage existing Spark ML and SQL for preprocessing
Monitor cluster resources to prevent bottlenecks
Challenges
Optimizing cluster resources for training
Debugging distributed models
Handling data skew and partitioning
Ensuring reproducibility across nodes
Integrating with heterogeneous big data sources