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fix(awq_sm70_moe): register int32 buffer Parameters with requires_grad=False - #630

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Digital-Frontier-LDA:fix/awq-sm70-moe-parameter-requires-grad
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jobordu wants to merge 1 commit into
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Digital-Frontier-LDA:fix/awq-sm70-moe-parameter-requires-grad

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@jobordu

@jobordu jobordu commented Sep 14, 2026

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What

vllm/model_executor/layers/quantization/awq_sm70_moe.py:_set_parameter (line 333 in v1.5.0; line 506 in current main) wraps a raw int32 buffer into an nn.Parameter without passing requires_grad=False to the constructor:

# before
param = value if isinstance(value, Parameter) else Parameter(value)
param.requires_grad_(False)

The constructor's default requires_grad=True triggers a UserWarning from PyTorch ≥ 2.x when value.dtype is torch.int32, because integer tensors cannot require gradients. The in-place requires_grad_(False) on the next line does silently turn the flag off, but only after the warning has already been emitted at boot.

# after
param = value if isinstance(value, Parameter) else Parameter(value, requires_grad=False)
param.requires_grad_(False)

The trailing param.requires_grad_(False) stays as a no-op idempotent guard for the already-Parameter branch.

Repro (was)

$ python -c "
import torch
import torch.nn as nn
from vllm.model_executor.layers.quantization.awq_sm70_moe import _set_parameter
layer = nn.Module()
_set_parameter(layer, 'qweight', torch.empty(4, dtype=torch.int32))
print('requires_grad =', layer.qweight.requires_grad)
"
UserWarning: Only Tensors of floating point and complex dtype can require gradients
requires_grad = False

After this PR

Same script runs silently; layer.qweight.requires_grad is still False. No other observable change for float tensors (the other six Parameter(...) call sites in process_weights_after_loading already pass requires_grad=False to the constructor for exactly this reason — this PR closes the same gap on the helper that those constructors' set_weight_attrs path does not delegate to).

Why fix this on _set_parameter and not on each call site

_set_parameter is the helper every AWQ SM_70 MoE weight writes flow through when a layer wants a raw tensor (no dtype cast) bound as a parameter. There are exactly six Parameter(torch.empty(...)) constructors explicit in process_weights_after_loading (lines 430/442/457/469/481/493 in v1.5.0, all already correct); any future call site that uses _set_parameter(...) for an int32 tensor inherits the fix for free. The fix is one line at the helper rather than N lines at every call site.

Scope

One file, one function, one line of behavioural change. No test added in this PR — stop there per the request that escalated this. The maintainers' preference on a regression test for "no UserWarning on int32 _set_parameter" can drive the next PR.

Out of scope

  • The six explicit Parameter(torch.empty(...), requires_grad=False) sites are already correct. Left untouched.
  • awq_marlin.py and awq_qpn_sm70.py are separate code paths; audit-and-fix if maintainers want a sweep.
  • No SDK behaviour change for int8/float16/bfloat16 callers.

Environment

  • 1Cat-vLLM v1.5.0 wheel on PyTorch 2.10.0+cu128.
  • The bug is on the boot path of any AWQ SM_70 MoE expert that uses _set_parameter with an int32 buffer. The runtime workaround on the production side currently lives in commit bd9259a of Digital-Frontier-LDA/Flynn (a runtime sed against the installed wheel) — that workaround becomes unnecessary once this PR lands and a new tag is cut.

…d=False

The AWQ SM_70 MoE weight path wraps raw int32 buffers (qweight, qzeros)
via the _set_parameter helper. vLLM >2.x's nn.Parameter ctor emits a
UserWarning when an int tensor is registered with requires_grad=True
(the default) — the parameter would be silently unusable for autograd
anyway, but the warning pollutes boot logs and surfaces as noise on
long-running inference servers.

The current code calls param.requires_grad_(False) on the next line,
which DOES turn the flag off, but only AFTER the ctor warning has
already fired. Pass requires_grad=False into the constructor directly
so the warning never emits, and keep the in-place guard as a no-op
for the already-Parameter branch.

Repro (was):
  >>> import torch
  >>> import torch.nn as nn
  >>> _set_parameter(layer, 'name', torch.empty(4, dtype=torch.int32))
  UserWarning: Only Tensors of floating point and complex dtype
  can require gradients

After this PR:
  >>> _set_parameter(layer, 'name', torch.empty(4, dtype=torch.int32))
  # no warning; layer.name.requires_grad is False

The six explicit Parameter(torch.empty(...), requires_grad=False) sites
in process_weights_after_loading already pass the flag through the
ctor for the same reason — this PR closes the same gap on the helper
that the qweight/qzeros constructors delegate to.

Targeted file only; no behavioural change for float tensors.
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