Serverless GPU cloud platform for running ML workloads. Use when you need on-demand GPU access without infrastructure management, deploying ML models as APIs, or running batch jobs with automatic scaling.
npx skills add https://github.com/Orchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs --skill modal-serverless-gpu
Comprehensive guide to running ML workloads on Modal's serverless GPU cloud platform.
Use Modal when:
Key features:
Use alternatives instead:
pip install modal
modal setup # Opens browser for authentication
import modal
app = modal.App("hello-gpu")
@app.function(gpu="T4")
def gpu_info():
import subprocess
return subprocess.run(["nvidia-smi"], capture_output=True, text=True).stdout
@app.local_entrypoint()
def main():
print(gpu_info.remote())
Run: modal run hello_gpu.py
import modal
app = modal.App("text-generation")
image = modal.Image.debian_slim().pip_install("transformers", "torch", "accelerate")
@app.cls(gpu="A10G", image=image)
class TextGenerator:
@modal.enter()
def load_model(self):
from transformers import pipeline
self.pipe = pipeline("text-generation", model="gpt2", device=0)
@modal.method()
def generate(self, prompt: str) -> str:
return self.pipe(prompt, max_length=100)[0]["generated_text"]
@app.local_entrypoint()
def main():
print(TextGenerator().generate.remote("Hello, world"))
| Component | Purpose |
|-----------|---------|
| App | Container for functions and resources |
| Function | Serverless function with compute specs |
| Cls | Class-based functions with lifecycle hooks |
| Image | Container image definition |
| Volume | Persistent storage for models/data |
| Secret | Secure credential storage |
| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| modal run script.py | Execute and exit |
| modal serve script.py | Development with live reload |
| modal deploy script.py | Persistent cloud deployment |
| GPU | VRAM | Best For |
|-----|------|----------|
| T4 | 16GB | Budget inference, small models |
| L4 | 24GB | Inference, Ada Lovelace arch |
| A10G | 24GB | Training/inference, 3.3x faster than T4 |
| L40S | 48GB | Recommended for inference (best cost/perf) |
| A100-40GB | 40GB | Large model training |
| A100-80GB | 80GB | Very large models |
| H100 | 80GB | Fastest, FP8 + Transformer Engine |
| H200 | 141GB | Auto-upgrade from H100, 4.8TB/s bandwidth |
| B200 | Latest | Blackwell architecture |
# Single GPU
@app.function(gpu="A100")
# Specific memory variant
@app.function(gpu="A100-80GB")
# Multiple GPUs (up to 8)
@app.function(gpu="H100:4")
# GPU with fallbacks
@app.function(gpu=["H100", "A100", "L40S"])
# Any available GPU
@app.function(gpu="any")
# Basic image with pip
image = modal.Image.debian_slim(python_version="3.11").pip_install(
"torch==2.1.0", "transformers==4.36.0", "accelerate"
)
# From CUDA base
image = modal.Image.from_registry(
"nvidia/cuda:12.1.0-cudnn8-devel-ubuntu22.04",
add_python="3.11"
).pip_install("torch", "transformers")
# With system packages
image = modal.Image.debian_slim().apt_install("git", "ffmpeg").pip_install("whisper")
volume = modal.Volume.from_name("model-cache", create_if_missing=True)
@app.function(gpu="A10G", volumes={"/models": volume})
def load_model():
import os
model_path = "/models/llama-7b"
if not os.path.exists(model_path):
model = download_model()
model.save_pretrained(model_path)
volume.commit() # Persist changes
return load_from_path(model_path)
@app.function()
@modal.fastapi_endpoint(method="POST")
def predict(text: str) -> dict:
return {"result": model.predict(text)}
from fastapi import FastAPI
web_app = FastAPI()
@web_app.post("/predict")
async def predict(text: str):
return {"result": await model.predict.remote.aio(text)}
@app.function()
@modal.asgi_app()
def fastapi_app():
return web_app
| Decorator | Use Case |
|-----------|----------|
| @modal.fastapi_endpoint() | Simple function → API |
| @modal.asgi_app() | Full FastAPI/Starlette apps |
| @modal.wsgi_app() | Django/Flask apps |
| @modal.web_server(port) | Arbitrary HTTP servers |
@app.function()
@modal.batched(max_batch_size=32, wait_ms=100)
async def batch_predict(inputs: list[str]) -> list[dict]:
# Inputs automatically batched
return model.batch_predict(inputs)
# Create secret
modal secret create huggingface HF_TOKEN=hf_xxx
@app.function(secrets=[modal.Secret.from_name("huggingface")])
def download_model():
import os
token = os.environ["HF_TOKEN"]
@app.function(schedule=modal.Cron("0 0 * * *")) # Daily midnight
def daily_job():
pass
@app.function(schedule=modal.Period(hours=1))
def hourly_job():
pass
@app.function(
container_idle_timeout=300, # Keep warm 5 min
allow_concurrent_inputs=10, # Handle concurrent requests
)
def inference():
pass
@app.cls(gpu="A100")
class Model:
@modal.enter() # Run once at container start
def load(self):
self.model = load_model() # Load during warm-up
@modal.method()
def predict(self, x):
return self.model(x)
@app.function()
def process_item(item):
return expensive_computation(item)
@app.function()
def run_parallel():
items = list(range(1000))
# Fan out to parallel containers
results = list(process_item.map(items))
return results
@app.function(
gpu="A100",
memory=32768, # 32GB RAM
cpu=4, # 4 CPU cores
timeout=3600, # 1 hour max
container_idle_timeout=120,# Keep warm 2 min
retries=3, # Retry on failure
concurrency_limit=10, # Max concurrent containers
)
def my_function():
pass
# Test locally
if __name__ == "__main__":
result = my_function.local()
# View logs
# modal app logs my-app
| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| Cold start latency | Increase container_idle_timeout, use @modal.enter() |
| GPU OOM | Use larger GPU (A100-80GB), enable gradient checkpointing |
| Image build fails | Pin dependency versions, check CUDA compatibility |
| Timeout errors | Increase timeout, add checkpointing |
Assess Kubernetes workloads and cluster configuration for AKS Automatic compatibility. Identifies incompatibilities, generates fixes, and guides migration from AKS Standard to AKS Automatic. WHEN: migrate to AKS Automatic, check AKS Automatic readiness, validate manifests for Automatic, assess cluster for Automatic compatibility, fix deployment for Automatic compatibility, identify AKS Automatic migration blockers, is my cluster ready for AKS Automatic.
Discovers available Azure OpenAI model capacity across regions and projects. Analyzes quota limits, compares availability, and recommends optimal deployment locations based on capacity requirements. USE FOR: find capacity, check quota, where can I deploy, capacity discovery, best region for capacity, multi-project capacity search, quota analysis, model availability, region comparison, check TPM availability. DO NOT USE FOR: actual deployment (hand off to preset or customize after discovery), quota increase requests (direct user to Azure Portal), listing existing deployments.
Interactive guided deployment flow for Azure OpenAI models with full customization control. Step-by-step selection of model version, SKU (GlobalStandard/Standard/ProvisionedManaged), capacity, RAI policy (content filter), and advanced options (dynamic quota, priority processing, spillover). USE FOR: custom deployment, customize model deployment, choose version, select SKU, set capacity, configure content filter, RAI policy, deployment options, detailed deployment, advanced deployment, PTU deployment, provisioned throughput. DO NOT USE FOR: quick deployment to optimal region (use preset).
Unified Azure OpenAI model deployment skill with intelligent intent-based routing. Handles quick preset deployments, fully customized deployments (version/SKU/capacity/RAI policy), and capacity discovery across regions and projects. USE FOR: deploy model, deploy gpt, create deployment, model deployment, deploy openai model, set up model, provision model, find capacity, check model availability, where can I deploy, best region for model, capacity analysis. DO NOT USE FOR: listing existing deployments (use foundry_models_deployments_list MCP tool), deleting deployments, agent creation (use agent/create), project creation (use project/create).
Intelligently deploys Azure OpenAI models to optimal regions by analyzing capacity across all available regions. Automatically checks current region first and shows alternatives if needed. USE FOR: quick deployment, optimal region, best region, automatic region selection, fast setup, multi-region capacity check, high availability deployment, deploy to best location. DO NOT USE FOR: custom SKU selection (use customize), specific version selection (use customize), custom capacity configuration (use customize), PTU deployments (use customize).
This skill should be used when working with LaminDB, an open-source data framework for biology that makes data queryable, traceable, reproducible, and FAIR. Use when managing biological datasets (scRNA-seq, spatial, flow cytometry, etc.), tracking computational workflows, curating and validating data with biological ontologies, building data lakehouses, or ensuring data lineage and reproducibility in biological research. Covers data management, annotation, ontologies (genes, cell types, diseases, tissues), schema validation, integrations with workflow managers (Nextflow, Snakemake) and MLOps platforms (W&B, MLflow), and deployment strategies.
Latch platform for bioinformatics workflows. Build pipelines with Latch SDK, @workflow/@task decorators, deploy serverless workflows, LatchFile/LatchDir, Nextflow/Snakemake integration.
Run Python code in the cloud with serverless containers, GPUs, and autoscaling. Use when deploying ML models, running batch processing jobs, scheduling compute-intensive tasks, or serving APIs that require GPU acceleration or dynamic scaling.
Take orchestra-research/modal-serverless-gpu from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.
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same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.
The instructions reference pip.
Without those the skill loads but fails at the first command.