tutorial-train-deploy-image-classification-model-vscode.md

title	titleSuffix	description	services	ms.service	ms.subservice	ms.topic	author	ms.author	ms.date	ms.custom
Tutorial: Train image classification model: VS Code (preview)	Azure Machine Learning	Learn how to train an image classification model using TensorFlow and the Azure Machine Learning Visual Studio Code Extension	machine-learning	machine-learning	core	tutorial	ssalgadodev	ssalgado	05/25/2021	contperf-fy20q4, cliv2, event-tier1-build-2022

Train an image classification TensorFlow model using the Azure Machine Learning Visual Studio Code Extension (preview)

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Learn how to train an image classification model to recognize hand-written numbers using TensorFlow and the Azure Machine Learning Visual Studio Code Extension.

In this tutorial, you learn the following tasks:

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• Understand the code
• Create a workspace
• Create a GPU cluster for training
• Train a model

Prerequisites

• Azure subscription. If you don't have one, sign up to try the free or paid version of Azure Machine Learning. If you're using the free subscription, only CPU clusters are supported.
• Install Visual Studio Code, a lightweight, cross-platform code editor.
• Azure Machine Learning Studio Visual Studio Code extension. For install instructions see the Setup Azure Machine Learning Visual Studio Code extension guide
• CLI (v2). For installation instructions, see Install, set up, and use the CLI (v2)
• Clone the community driven repository

      git clone https://github.com/Azure/azureml-examples.git

Understand the code

The code for this tutorial uses TensorFlow to train an image classification machine learning model that categorizes handwritten digits from 0-9. It does so by creating a neural network that takes the pixel values of 28 px x 28 px image as input and outputs a list of 10 probabilities, one for each of the digits being classified. Below is a sample of what the data looks like.

Create a workspace

The first thing you have to do to build an application in Azure Machine Learning is to create a workspace. A workspace contains the resources to train models as well as the trained models themselves. For more information, see what is a workspace.

1. Open the azureml-examples/cli/jobs/single-step/tensorflow/mnist directory from the community driven repository in Visual Studio Code.

2. On the Visual Studio Code activity bar, select the Azure icon to open the Azure Machine Learning view.

3. In the Azure Machine Learning view, right-click your subscription node and select Create Workspace.

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4. A specification file appears. Configure the specification file with the following options.

   $schema: https://azuremlschemas.azureedge.net/latest/workspace.schema.json
   name: TeamWorkspace
   location: WestUS2
   friendly_name: team-ml-workspace
   description: A workspace for training machine learning models
   tags:
     purpose: training
     team: ml-team

   The specification file creates a workspace called TeamWorkspace in the WestUS2 region. The rest of the options defined in the specification file provide friendly naming, descriptions, and tags for the workspace.

5. Right-click the specification file and select Azure ML: Execute YAML. Creating a resource uses the configuration options defined in the YAML specification file and submits a job using the CLI (v2). At this point, a request to Azure is made to create a new workspace and dependent resources in your account. After a few minutes, the new workspace appears in your subscription node.

6. Set TeamWorkspace as your default workspace. Doing so places resources and jobs you create in the workspace by default. Select the Set Azure ML Workspace button on the Visual Studio Code status bar and follow the prompts to set TeamWorkspace as your default workspace.

For more information on workspaces, see how to manage resources in VS Code.

Create a GPU cluster for training

A compute target is the computing resource or environment where you run training jobs. For more information, see the Azure Machine Learning compute targets documentation.

1. In the Azure Machine Learning view, expand your workspace node.

2. Right-click the Compute clusters node inside your workspace's Compute node and select Create Compute

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3. A specification file appears. Configure the specification file with the following options.

   $schema: https://azuremlschemas.azureedge.net/latest/compute.schema.json
   name: gpu-cluster
   type: amlcompute
   size: Standard_NC12
   
   min_instances: 0
   max_instances: 3
   idle_time_before_scale_down: 120

   The specification file creates a GPU cluster called gpu-cluster with at most 3 Standard_NC12 VM nodes that automatically scales down to 0 nodes after 120 seconds of inactivity.

   For more information on VM sizes, see sizes for Linux virtual machines in Azure.

4. Right-click the specification file and select Azure ML: Execute YAML.

After a few minutes, the new compute target appears in the Compute > Compute clusters node of your workspace.

Train image classification model

During the training process, a TensorFlow model is trained by processing the training data and learning patterns embedded within it for each of the respective digits being classified.

Like workspaces and compute targets, training jobs are defined using resource templates. For this sample, the specification is defined in the job.yml file which looks like the following:

$schema: https://azuremlschemas.azureedge.net/latest/commandJob.schema.json
code: 
    local_path: src
command: >
    python train.py
environment: azureml:AzureML-TensorFlow2.4-Cuda11-OpenMpi4.1.0-py36:1
compute:
    target: azureml:gpu-cluster
experiment_name: tensorflow-mnist-example
description: Train a basic neural network with TensorFlow on the MNIST dataset.

This specification file submits a training job called tensorflow-mnist-example to the recently created gpu-cluster computer target that runs the code in the train.py Python script. The environment used is one of the curated environments provided by Azure Machine Learning which contains TensorFlow and other software dependencies required to run the training script. For more information on curated environments, see Azure Machine Learning curated environments.

To submit the training job:

1. Open the job.yml file.
2. Right-click the file in the text editor and select Azure ML: Execute YAML.

At this point, a request is sent to Azure to run your experiment on the selected compute target in your workspace. This process takes several minutes. The amount of time to run the training job is impacted by several factors like the compute type and training data size. To track the progress of your experiment, right-click the current run node and select View Run in Azure portal.

When the dialog requesting to open an external website appears, select Open.

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When the model is done training, the status label next to the run node updates to "Completed".

Next steps

In this tutorial, you learn the following tasks:

[!div class="checklist"]

• Understand the code
• Create a workspace
• Create a GPU cluster for training
• Train a model

For next steps, see:

• Create and manage Azure Machine Learning resources using Visual Studio Code.
• Connect Visual Studio Code to a compute instance for a full development experience.
• For a walkthrough of how to edit, run, and debug code locally, see the Python hello-world tutorial.
• Run Jupyter Notebooks in Visual Studio Code using a remote Jupyter server.
• For a walkthrough of how to train with Azure Machine Learning outside of Visual Studio Code, see Tutorial: Train and deploy a model with Azure Machine Learning.