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How to test

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The unit tests and end-to-end tests provided in the \Tests folder are run as part of the check-in workflow on the build server on the Windows and Linux platforms. You can run the tests for your platform locally to verify that your code changes didn't break any test.

Unit tests

Unit test are currently only supported (and checked) for GPU builds.

On Windows

Make sure you set up the Boost libraries and environment variables as well as the Boost test runner for Visual Studio. For instructions see here.

Restart Visual Studio and go to to the 'Test --> Test Settings' menu. There set the default processor architecture to x64 and uncheck the option 'Keep Test Execution Engine Running'. In the Test Explorer window select Group by Traits (next to the search field). After a rebuild you should see all unit tests in the Test Explorer. You can run and debug using the context menu.

On Linux

First you need to install the Boost libraries. For instructions see here.

Then you can build unit test binaries in the same way as the CNTK binary, as specified here. The binaries are created in the same folder as the CNTK binary. The following unit tests are currently available:

  • mathtests -- unit tests for math operations
  • readertests -- unit tests for readers
  • networktests -- unit tests for network operations
  • brainscripttests -- unit tests for brainscript
  • evaltests -- unit tests for Eval

You can launch each unit test by running the corresponding binary file. You can also use command line parameters described by Boost Unit Test Framework to control running tests and test output.

End-to-end tests

The CNTK end-to-end tests can be run on Linux and Windows using the Python script 'TestDriver.py' located in \Tests\EndToEndTests. Alternatively they can be run and debugged from Visual Studio. In the following we detail:

  • How to use the TestDriver.py script.
  • Prerequisites to use TestDriver.py on Windows.
  • How to run and debug end-to-end tests from Visual studio.

How to use the TestDriver.py script.

Start a shell (CygWin Bash shell under Windows) and change directory to the Tests\EndToEndTests folder of your local CNTK repository (note: c:\src\CNTK in CygWin is /cygdrive/c/src/CNTK/). Start with one of the following commands to learn the usage and options of the TestDriver:

python TestDriver.py -h

python TestDriver.py run -h

python TestDriver.py list -h

To list all available end-to-end tests run

python TestDriver.py list

To run a single test, for example Image/QuickE2E, execute

python TestDriver.py run Image/QuickE2E

You can add for example '-d gpu' to only run the test using a GPU or '-f debug' to only run the test using the debug build. See python TestDriver.py run -h for all options.

To run all tests from the nightly builds execute

python TestDriver.py run -t nightly

Prerequisites to use TestDriver.py on Windows.

  1. Install Anaconda Python 2.7 (not 3.5) from here: https://www.continuum.io/downloads which contains the most of the popular Python packages. Alternatively install Python 2.7 https://www.python.org/downloads/ and install required additional packages as prompted.

  2. Install CygWin from http://cygwin.com/install.html During installation select "Install from Internet" (default selection). IMPORTANT: At Select Packages screen type "yaml" in the search field and expand the Python section. Select "python2-yaml: Python Lib YAML bindings" (NOT "python3-yaml"). Similarly, type "python2-setuptools" in the search field, expand the Python section, and select "python2-setuptools" for installation. Then finish installation.

  3. Make sure you have Microsoft MPI installed (there should be an environment variable named MSMPI_BIN. For this you need to download and run the exe and not the msi)

  4. Launch a Cygwin Bash shell.

  5. Run "easy_install-2.7 pip"

  6. Run "pip install six"

Note: Some tests require an environment variable named CNTK_EXTERNAL_TESTDATA_SOURCE_DIRECTORY pointing to where the data resides. If the external data is not available those tests will be skipped.

How to run and debug end-to-end tests from Visual Studio.

You can generate the Visual Studio debug command arguments using the -n options on the TestDriver for a specific end-to-end test:

python TestDriver.py run -n Image/QuickE2E

From the output of the above command you simply copy the 'VS debugging command args' to the command arguments of the CNTK project in Visual Studio (Right click on CNTK project -> Properties -> Configuration Properties -> Debugging -> Command Arguments). Start debugging the CNTK project.