Media Server 23.3

# Optimize Analysis Performance with a GPU

Media Server can use a graphics card (GPU) to perform some processing tasks. Using a GPU rather than the CPU can significantly increase the speed of analysis tasks that use Convolutional Neural Networks.

This section describes how to achieve optimum performance when you accelerate the following tasks using a GPU.

- Face recognition.
- Face demographics analysis.
- Image classification.

When you are using a GPU to accelerate processing, configure your analysis task with `NumParallel=1`. To specify the number of video frames to process concurrently on the GPU, set the parameter `GPUNumParallel`. The value of this parameter must be a power of 2, such as 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and so on.

    [Demographics]
    Type=Demographics
    Input=FaceDetect.DataWithSource
    NumParallel=1
    GPUNumParallel=32

You should choose the highest possible value for `GPUNumParallel`; the limit is the amount of memory available on your GPU. If you set a value that is too high and the GPU runs out of memory, analysis will fail. You can monitor the amount of GPU memory used by Media Server with the `nvidia-smi` tool.

If you are processing low numbers of frames, Media Server might send video frames to the GPU before there are enough for a complete batch. You can configure the amount of time that Media Server waits for video frames by setting the configuration parameter `GPUBatchingDuration`. To maximize throughput and use the GPU most efficiently, configure a long `GPUBatchingDuration` so that Media Server waits until there is a full batch of video frames to analyze. If you are processing low volumes of frames or require the analysis results as rapidly as possible, you can reduce the duration.

If your analysis task supports the configuration parameter `SampleInterval`, you can decrease the interval. (For more information about sample intervals, see Choose the Rate of Ingestion). Analysis with a GPU is significantly faster than with a CPU and so Media Server can process significantly more frames. In the case of face recognition and demographics analysis, which process the output of another analysis task, set the `SampleInterval` parameter on the first analysis task (face detection).

    [FaceDetect]
    Type=FaceDetect
    // NumParallel is set because Face Detection uses the CPU for analysis
    NumParallel=8
    FaceDirection=Front
    MinSize=200 pixels
    SampleInterval=0ms

    [Demographics]
    Type=Demographics
    Input=FaceDetect.DataWithSource
    NumParallel=1
    GPUNumParallel=32

In this example, face detection attempts to process every frame because `SampleInterval=0ms`. Every frame that contains a detected face is written to the `FaceDetect.DataWithSource` track, and the demographics analysis task processes these frames using the GPU.

## Object Class Recognition and Vehicle Recognition

Object class recognition and vehicle recognition do not support the configuration parameter `GPUNumParallel`. However, you can change the number of CPU threads by setting the configuration parameter `NumParallel`. For example, if you set `NumParallel=2`, the analysis engine will consume two CPU threads and each thread will send video frames to the GPU one at a time (so two frames are processed concurrently).

As for other analysis tasks, the limit is the amount of memory available on your GPU. If you set a value that is too high and the GPU runs out of memory, analysis will fail. You can monitor the amount of GPU memory used by Media Server with the `nvidia-smi` tool.

Analysis with a GPU is significantly faster than with a CPU, so Media Server can process significantly more frames. You can reduce the value of the `SampleInterval` parameter for your task, so that Media Server processes a greater proportion of the video frames.

Copyright 2023 Open Text
Version 23.3 | Last updated June 2023

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Product: IDOL Media Server 23.3

Topic Title: Optimize Analysis Performance with a GPU