This document is relevant for: Inf1, Inf2, Trn1, Trn2, Trn3

Migration Guide from Neuron Profiler to Neuron Explorer#

This guide provides detailed information for migrating from Neuron Profiler or Neuron Profiler 2.0 to Neuron Explorer.

Overview#

Neuron Explorer is the recommended profiling tool for AWS Neuron workloads, replacing both Neuron Profiler and Neuron Profiler 2.0. This guide helps you transition your profiling workflows to Neuron Explorer.

Key Differences#

The following table summarizes the key differences between Neuron Profiler/Profiler 2.0 and Neuron Explorer:

Feature

Neuron Profiler / Profiler 2.0

Neuron Explorer

CLI tool

neuron-profile

neuron-explorer

Device Profiling

Yes

Yes (enhanced)

System Profiling

Yes (Profiler 2.0 only)

Yes

Hierarchy Viewer

No

Yes

Source Code Viewer

Yes (Device profiles)

Yes (Device profiles)

AI Recommendation Viewer

No

Yes (for NKI profiles)

IDE Integration

No

Yes (VSCode Extension)

Database Viewer

No

Yes

Tensor Viewer

No

Yes

Additional Installation Requirements

InfluxDB installation required

None

Update CLI Commands#

Replace neuron-profile with neuron-explorer in your scripts and workflows. The following commands are subject to change before GA:

Neuron Profiler Command

Neuron Explorer Command

neuron-profile view -d ./output

neuron-explorer view -d ./output

neuron-profile view -n file.neff -s profile.ntff

neuron-explorer view -n file.neff -s profile.ntff

neuron-profile capture -n file.neff -s profile.ntff

neuron-explorer capture -n file.neff -s profile.ntff

Frequently Asked Questions#

Do I need to install InfluxDB for Neuron Explorer?#

No. Unlike Neuron Profiler, Neuron Explorer requires no external installation or setup.

How do I view existing profiles captured with Neuron Profiler?#

Existing NEFF and NTFF files captured with Neuron Profiler are fully compatible with Neuron Explorer. To view them:

# View a single device profile
neuron-explorer view -n file.neff -s profile.ntff

The profiles will be reprocessed using Neuron Explorer’s processing pipeline, which may provide additional insights not available in the original Neuron Profiler view.

How do I capture profiles with Neuron Explorer?#

Neuron Explorer provides the neuron-explorer capture command for standalone NEFF profiling, similar to neuron-profile capture:

# Capture a device profile
neuron-explorer capture -n file.neff -s profile.ntff

You can also use the framework profiling APIs or environment variables to capture profiles during your actual workload execution. For NKI kernel profiling, continue using the nki.benchmark or nki.profile APIs as documented in the NKI profiling guide.

What new features does Neuron Explorer provide?#

Neuron Explorer introduces several new capabilities:

  • Hierarchy Viewer: Visualize execution from model layers down to hardware operations. See Hierarchy Viewer.

  • Source Code Viewer: Navigate between source code and profile data. See Source Code Viewer.

  • AI Recommendation Viewer: Get AI-powered optimization suggestions for NKI profiles. See AI Recommendation Viewer.

  • Database Viewer: Run custom queries on profiling data. See Database Viewer.

  • Tensor Viewer: Examine tensor information including shapes and memory usage. See Tensor Viewer.

  • VSCode Extension: View profiles directly in your IDE with native code linking support.

  • System Trace Viewer: Enhanced system-level profiling visualization. See System Trace Viewer.

How do I get help during migration?#

This document is relevant for: Inf1, Inf2, Trn1, Trn2, Trn3