Re-seed Performance Baseline

Purpose

Replace or advance the rolling performance baseline in the HF dataset FastVideo/performance-tracking. Legacy targets are scoped by (model_id, gpu_type). V2 targets are scoped by exact comparable identity: workload_id, variant_id, benchmark_version, hardware_profile_id, software_profile_id, and recipe_fingerprint.

Performance comparison uses the median of up to the last 5 successful, baseline-eligible records for the same target. Failed or calibration-only records are useful audit history, but they do not move the future baseline because compare_baseline.py loads records with successful_only=True and baseline_eligible_only=True.

This skill now reseeds from a reviewed batch of one or more source performance JSONs. It uploads one new success=true record per accepted source JSON; it does not blindly replicate one measurement into 3 or 5 records. The effective reseed size is therefore dynamic and equals the number of provided, validated, internally consistent source JSONs.

For baseline shifts with existing history, if the operator provides fewer than 3 records, call out that the last-5 rolling median may not move immediately. If the operator provides 3 consistent shifted records, the rolling median usually moves immediately. If the operator provides 5 consistent shifted records, the last-5 window is effectively reset to the new runtime profile. For the first approved v2 baseline of a new exact identity, one reviewed calibration seed is enough for the next comparable run to leave CALIBRATION_NEEDED.

These records are intentional operator-approved baseline resets, not ordinary independent main-branch persistence. Mark them clearly with provenance fields so the HF history remains auditable.

Use this skill when a performance test fails for an intentional and reviewed reason, such as a torch/runtime/container upgrade that legitimately increases peak memory or changes timings. This is the performance equivalent of reseed-ssim-references: backup first, scope tightly, require explicit human approval, then upload reviewed accepted baseline records.

When to use

• A PR or main run failed the rolling performance comparison by more than the allowed regression threshold, and maintainers agree the shift is caused by an intentional runtime, dependency, hardware image, or benchmark environment change rather than a FastVideo logic regression.
• One or more shifted source result JSONs have been reviewed and accepted, and the operator wants to use those exact reviewed results to advance the rolling baseline.
• The source batch is internally consistent: no provided source JSON regresses against the batch median by more than the configured tolerance.

When not to use

• The benchmark failure might be a real code regression. Fix or investigate the code path first.
• The fixed benchmark thresholds in .buildkite/performance-benchmarks/tests/*.json are too low. Those are a separate gate from the rolling HF baseline and may need a code review change.
• There is no clear source run, commit, and rationale. Baseline history is a production signal; do not edit it without provenance.
• The provided source JSONs disagree materially with each other. Rerun or investigate instead of uploading a noisy reseed batch.

Inputs

Hardcoded defaults:

• HF repo: FastVideo/performance-tracking (HF_REPO_ID override is supported by the code, but use the default unless the user explicitly asks).
• Local sync root: /tmp/perf-tracking (PERFORMANCE_TRACKING_ROOT override is supported).
• Prepared-record staging root: /tmp/performance_reseed_prepared (PERFORMANCE_RESEED_STAGING_ROOT override is supported). Keep it separate and non-nested from the sync root.
• Backup root: /tmp/performance_reseed_backup.
• Download scratch root for source artifact URLs: /tmp/performance_reseed_source.
• Baseline window: last 5 success=true, baseline_eligible=true records for the same legacy (model_id, gpu_type) target or the same v2 exact comparable identity.
• Reseed count: dynamic. Upload exactly one accepted seed record per validated source JSON.

Steps

1. Validate the target and source results

Normalize source_results to a list. If the user passes a single source_result, treat it as a one-element source_results list and report that a single record may not move the last-5 median immediately.

If any source result is a Buildkite artifact URL, download it first into a local scratch directory under /tmp/performance_reseed_source/ and use the downloaded JSON path for the rest of the workflow. If the agent cannot access the artifact because Buildkite authentication is missing, ask the user to download the artifact manually and provide the local path.

Prefer the normalized Buildkite artifact emitted by compare_baseline.py:

perf_reports/results/normalized_perf_*.json

That file is already in the HF tracking schema. Load each normalized JSON directly:

import json

with open(source_result, encoding="utf-8") as f:
    record = json.load(f)

Classify the source batch before continuing:

• Legacy source records have no v2 exact identity fields. Stop if any normalized record's model_id or gpu_type does not match the requested model_id and gpu_type.
• V2 source records have exact identity fields. Stop unless every source record has all six comparable identity fields and they are identical across the batch: workload_id, variant_id, benchmark_version, hardware_profile_id, software_profile_id, and recipe_fingerprint. Do not fall back to legacy (model_id, gpu_type) matching for v2 records.

The source records may have success: false when they came from failed rolling baseline comparisons. That is expected; only the reviewed reseed records become new success: true baseline records after explicit approval. For a first v2 baseline seed, the source records must instead be successful scheduled-main full-suite CALIBRATION_NEEDED normalized artifacts. Reject PR, local, direct-run, non-main-branch, or non-full-suite calibration artifacts as seed sources.

Sort validated source records by their original timestamp ascending before preparing the seed records. If a source timestamp is missing or unparsable, preserve input order for those records and print a warning. This makes the fresh reseed timestamps deterministic and makes it clear which records enter the last-5 window when more than 5 source JSONs are provided.

Check that HF_API_KEY is exported. The sync path may be public, but the upload path requires write access.

1a. Check source batch consistency

Before syncing or preparing uploads, reject source batches that are internally inconsistent. Use the same metric direction as compare_baseline.py:

• Lower is better: latency, memory, text_encoder_time_s, dit_time_s, vae_decode_time_s.
• Higher is better: throughput.

For each metric with at least two non-null source values:

1. Compute the source batch median.
2. For lower-is-better metrics, compute (source_value - batch_median) / batch_median.
3. For throughput, compute (batch_median - source_value) / batch_median.
4. Stop if any source record regresses against the batch median by more than max_intra_batch_regression.

Default max_intra_batch_regression to 0.05. Print a table with per-source values, batch median, and worst intra-batch regression.

This check prevents uploading a mixed batch where one JSON is materially slower or faster than the others. If the batch fails this check, ask the user to provide a cleaner batch or explicitly investigate the variance. Do not silently drop outliers unless the user gives a concrete reviewed reason and a new source list.

1b. How to obtain source results from CI

The performance CI exports normalized source results for failed rolling baseline comparisons when compare_baseline.py ran. The preferred artifacts come from:

perf_reports/results/normalized_perf_*.json

The normal operator flow is:

1. Open the failed Buildkite performance job or several reruns of the same benchmark after the accepted environment shift.
2. Download the normalized_perf_*.json artifacts for the target benchmark.
3. Pass all reviewed local paths or artifact URLs as source_results.

Do not scrape the Markdown performance summary to reconstruct JSON. The normalized JSON artifacts are the only supported source of truth for reseed metrics and provenance. Raw fastvideo/tests/performance/results/perf_*.json artifacts are not accepted by this skill. If no normalized JSON artifact is present, that run is not a valid source for baseline reseeding.

2. Sync and back up existing HF records under /tmp

Use fastvideo/performance/hf_store.py helpers directly. Do not use compare_baseline.py as a sync shortcut; on full main runs it can persist records, while this step must only fetch and back up existing history.

The sync command pattern is:

export PERFORMANCE_TRACKING_ROOT="${PERFORMANCE_TRACKING_ROOT:-/tmp/perf-tracking}"
export HF_REPO_ID="${HF_REPO_ID:-FastVideo/performance-tracking}"
python -c 'from fastvideo.performance.hf_store import sync_from_hf; import os; sync_from_hf(os.environ["PERFORMANCE_TRACKING_ROOT"], strict=True)'

For legacy records, back up the sanitized model directory under /tmp:

SHORT_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse --short=12 HEAD)
TIMESTAMP=$(date -u +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
MODEL_SAFE=$(python - <<'PY'
from fastvideo.performance.hf_store import sanitize
print(sanitize("<model_id>"))
PY
)
BACKUP_DIR="/tmp/performance_reseed_backup/${TIMESTAMP}_${SHORT_COMMIT}_${MODEL_SAFE}"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
cp -R "${PERFORMANCE_TRACKING_ROOT}/${MODEL_SAFE}" "$BACKUP_DIR/" 2>/dev/null || true

For v2 records, back up the full local tracking root after sync. Exact identity lookup scans across model directories, so a benchmark rename may have relevant history outside the current source artifact's model_id directory:

BACKUP_DIR="/tmp/performance_reseed_backup/${TIMESTAMP}_${SHORT_COMMIT}_v2_exact_identity"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
cp -R "${PERFORMANCE_TRACKING_ROOT}" "$BACKUP_DIR/tracking-root"

Write provenance next to the backup:

cat > "$BACKUP_DIR/PROVENANCE.txt" <<EOF
model_id: <model_id>
gpu_type: <gpu_type>
source_results:
  - <source_result_1>
  - <source_result_2>
reseed_record_count: <len(source_results)>
max_intra_batch_regression: <threshold>
head_commit: $(git rev-parse HEAD)
timestamp_utc: $(date -u +%FT%TZ)
reason: <intent_rationale>
EOF

If the backup has no prior records, this is not a destructive reseed; it is a first baseline seed. Continue, but report that baseline history was empty.

3. Compute old baseline and candidate shift

Load the last 5 successful baseline records for the target.

For legacy targets:

from fastvideo.performance.hf_store import load_records_for_model

records = load_records_for_model(
    "/tmp/perf-tracking",
    "<model_id>",
    "<gpu_type>",
    last_n=5,
    successful_only=True,
    baseline_eligible_only=True,
)

For v2 exact-identity targets:

from fastvideo.performance.hf_store import load_records_for_identity

records = load_records_for_identity(
    "/tmp/perf-tracking",
    {
        "workload_id": "<workload_id>",
        "variant_id": "<variant_id>",
        "benchmark_version": "<benchmark_version>",
        "hardware_profile_id": "<hardware_profile_id>",
        "software_profile_id": "<software_profile_id>",
        "recipe_fingerprint": "<recipe_fingerprint>",
    },
    last_n=5,
    successful_only=True,
    baseline_eligible_only=True,
)

Print a small table showing old medians, source batch medians, candidate medians after appending the proposed seed records, and source batch spread for:

• latency
• throughput
• memory
• text_encoder_time_s
• dit_time_s
• vae_decode_time_s

Also print how many successful old records exist. Make clear:

• 1 seed record usually does not move an existing last-5 median by itself, but it is enough to establish the first v2 baseline for a new exact identity.
• 3 consistent seed records usually move the last-5 median immediately.
• 5 consistent seed records effectively reset the last-5 window.
• The records are intentional approved baseline resets and must be labeled that way.

4. Confirm intent

Require an explicit confirmation phrase before preparing the upload:

About to RE-SEED performance baseline for <target description>. This will upload <N> new success=true records to FastVideo/performance-tracking/<sanitize(model_id)>/ or the source artifact's v2 model directory, one per accepted source JSON.

Reason: <intent_rationale> Source results: <source_results> Reseed record count: <N> Max intra-batch regression: <threshold> Note: these records come from a reviewed source batch and are intended to move the rolling median to the accepted runtime profile. They are not ordinary main-branch persistence. HEAD: <git rev-parse --short=12 HEAD> Backup: <BACKUP_DIR>

Reply confirm performance reseed to proceed, anything else to abort.

Do not continue unless the user types exactly confirm performance reseed.

5. Create the accepted seed records

Create one seed record from each normalized source result.

For first v2 baseline seeds, use the scoped utility. It validates exact identity, requires successful scheduled-main full-suite CALIBRATION_NEEDED source artifacts, preserves the normalized v2 identity and metadata fields, and writes seed records with success=true, baseline_eligible=true, and comparison_status=PASS:

python fastvideo/tests/performance/seed_baseline.py \
  --source-result <normalized_perf_1.json> \
  --source-result <normalized_perf_2.json> \
  --intent-rationale "<intent_rationale>" \
  --max-intra-batch-regression 0.05 \
  --tracking-root "${PERFORMANCE_TRACKING_ROOT}" \
  --staging-root "${PERFORMANCE_RESEED_STAGING_ROOT:-/tmp/performance_reseed_prepared}"

The utility is prepare-only and intentionally has no upload option. Upload the scoped records only after the separate confirmation in step 6.

The utility validates against an isolated fresh HF snapshot and leaves PERFORMANCE_TRACKING_ROOT untouched; that argument only proves the staging root is separate from the operator's tracking mirror. Before writing, it stops if the exact identity already has a successful baseline-eligible record or if the workload/variant/version already trusts another recipe. It atomically reserves the exact identity and writes a digest-protected upload manifest bound to the current HF endpoint, repository id, and repository type. Keep the prepared records, manifest, source files, and reservation unchanged until the operation is uploaded or explicitly cleaned up.

If the prepared seed records look correct, upload only those scoped records in step 7. Do not rerun the utility with a different source list after approval.

For legacy reseeds or accepted v2 baseline shifts from regression artifacts, create one seed record from each normalized source result. Do not copy the source JSON wholesale.

Infer the baseline field allowlist from all existing HF records for the target after syncing, including both success=true and success=false records. For legacy targets the target is (model_id, gpu_type). For v2 baseline-shift reseeds the target is the exact comparable identity. Use the union of non-provenance keys present in those target records, preserving only fields that also exist in the normalized source record or are explicitly set by the reseed workflow. Always include model_id, timestamp, success, baseline_eligible, and comparison_status because the upload path and baseline loader depend on them. Always set timestamp to a fresh reseed timestamp, success to true, baseline_eligible to true, and comparison_status to PASS. Do not include unrelated source-only fields that are absent from existing HF records.

Exclude existing provenance or operator metadata from the inferred baseline field allowlist. At minimum, exclude keys prefixed with baseline_reseed and any fields known to be local-only audit metadata.

If there are no previous HF records for the target, fall back to this default baseline field list:

• model_id
• timestamp
• commit_sha
• gpu_type
• latency
• throughput
• memory
• text_encoder_time_s
• dit_time_s
• vae_decode_time_s
• success
• baseline_eligible
• comparison_status

For v2 baseline-shift reseeds with no previous HF records for the exact identity, also preserve:

• workload_id
• variant_id
• benchmark_version
• recipe_fingerprint
• hardware_profile_id
• software_profile_id
• recipe
• hardware_profile
• software_profile
• software_comparison_profile

Do not upload extra fields from the source artifact.

Optional provenance fields are allowed and useful:

• baseline_reseed: true
• baseline_reseed_reason
• baseline_reseed_source_result
• baseline_reseed_source_timestamp
• baseline_reseed_source_success
• baseline_reseed_batch_size
• baseline_reseed_batch_index
• baseline_reseed_operator
• baseline_reseed_max_intra_batch_regression

The v2 calibration seed utility writes analogous first-seed provenance:

• baseline_seed: true
• baseline_seed_reason
• baseline_seed_source_result
• baseline_seed_source_status
• baseline_seed_source_timestamp
• baseline_seed_source_success
• baseline_seed_source_run_source
• baseline_seed_source_branch
• baseline_seed_source_test_scope
• baseline_seed_source_pr_number
• baseline_seed_batch_size
• baseline_seed_batch_index
• baseline_seed_operator

Use a fresh reseed timestamp for each seed record, not the original source result timestamp. This is required because load_records_for_model(..., last_n=5) keeps the last records after loading the model directory; stale filenames/timestamps may not enter the last-5 window and therefore may not move the median. Preserve the original source timestamp in baseline_reseed_source_timestamp.

Use the existing filename convention from _write_tracking_record(): <sanitize(timestamp)>_<sanitize(commit_sha)>.json under the sanitized model directory, but include a deterministic suffix such as _reseed_01, _reseed_02, and so on before .json so multiple records from the same batch do not overwrite each other.

If a source record already exists on HF with success=false, do not edit it in place unless the user explicitly asked for an audit-preserving correction. Prefer uploading new accepted seed records so failed history remains visible.

6. Pause before upload

Print:

• Backup directory path under /tmp.
• Prepared local record paths under PERFORMANCE_RESEED_STAGING_ROOT.
• Prepared upload-manifest path under the identity reservation.
• HF paths that will receive the new records.
• Old rolling medians.
• Source batch medians, source batch spread, reseed count, and candidate medians.
• Rationale.

Ask the user to reply exactly upload. Anything else aborts and leaves the prepared records plus backup on disk.

7. Upload only the scoped records

For a first v2 calibration seed, use the manifest uploader after the user replies exactly upload:

python -c 'from fastvideo.tests.performance.seed_baseline import upload_prepared_seed_manifest; print(upload_prepared_seed_manifest("<prepared_manifest>"))'

The uploader verifies the source and prepared-record digests, pins and scans the current HF revision, rechecks exact-identity and recipe-cohort conflicts, and writes the entire batch in one commit whose parent_commit must still be current. A concurrent Hub update makes the commit fail. Do not retry automatically: preserve staging, refresh/review remote state, and request a new explicit upload after the conflict is understood. Each record goes to:

FastVideo/performance-tracking/<sanitize(model_id)>/<record_filename>.json

Never call upload_record() once per first-seed record: that can partially land the batch and has no compare-and-swap guard.

For a legacy reseed or an accepted v2 baseline shift, the first-seed manifest validator does not apply because an eligible baseline already exists. Upload only the individually reviewed records prepared in step 5 with the shared upload_record(local_path, record, strict=True) helper. Stop on the first failure and report exactly which records reached HF; do not silently rerun or replicate the remainder.

Never bulk upload the tracking or staging root, and never modify another model's directory in the same operation.

8. Report outcome and offer cleanup

Report:

• Uploaded HF paths.
• Backup directory under /tmp.
• Local tracking root, usually /tmp/perf-tracking.
• Old baseline window count and medians.
• Source batch medians, source batch spread, reseed count, and candidate medians.
• Expected effect based on reseed count.
• Any separate threshold changes still needed in .buildkite/performance-benchmarks/tests/*.json.

Include the intent_rationale in the PR or follow-up comment so reviewers can distinguish an accepted baseline shift from a hidden regression.

After the upload is verified, ask whether the user wants to clear temporary local state. Explain what each directory is for:

• PERFORMANCE_TRACKING_ROOT, usually /tmp/perf-tracking: read-only local synced mirror used for operator review and reporting. First-v2 preparation independently proves remote state from a fresh temporary HF snapshot.
• PERFORMANCE_RESEED_STAGING_ROOT, usually /tmp/performance_reseed_prepared: prepared local seed records used for the scoped upload, plus the identity reservation and digest manifest. Keeping this separate prevents aborted preparations from appearing in later baseline reads.
• /tmp/performance_reseed_backup/<...>: local backup of the target model's pre-reseed HF history plus PROVENANCE.txt, kept so a bad reseed can be audited or corrected.
• /tmp/performance_reseed_source/<...> when used: downloaded source JSON artifacts from Buildkite URLs.

Ask:

Reseed succeeded. Do you want me to delete the local temp tracking mirror, this reseed's prepared staging records, source downloads, and reseed backup under /tmp? These files are local safety/audit artifacts only; HF already has the uploaded records.

Reply cleanup reseed temp to delete them, anything else to keep them.

Do not delete anything unless the user replies exactly cleanup reseed temp. If cleanup is requested, remove only the specific directories and prepared record paths created for this reseed. Do not remove the shared staging root when it contains other records. Remove this operation's identity reservation only with its prepared records and manifest, and never remove unrelated /tmp contents.

Failure modes and handling

• HF_API_KEY unset. Stop before upload. Do not create an untracked process that appears to have reseeded but never reached HF.
• Source result does not match target. Stop. The wrong benchmark or GPU would poison a separate baseline.
• Source batch is internally inconsistent. Stop if any source regresses against the source batch median by more than max_intra_batch_regression. Ask for cleaner sources or a reviewed explanation before continuing.
• Too few source records to move the median. Continue only after making clear that one or two records may not immediately move an existing last-5 median. This warning does not block a first v2 calibration seed for an exact identity with no eligible baseline yet.
• The source results are noisy or suspicious. Stop. Reseeding amplifies those measurements into the baseline, so they must be reviewed first.
• HF sync fails. Stop for destructive reseeds. A stale or empty sync can make the old baseline look missing.
• The exact v2 identity already has an eligible baseline. Stop. The CALIBRATION_NEEDED artifact is stale; use the reviewed baseline-shift path instead of the first-seed utility.
• The workload/variant/version trusts another recipe. Stop. The source is stale relative to the current recipe cohort and must not bypass RECIPE_MISMATCH by creating a second trusted recipe.
• The staging root already has a prepared seed for the exact identity. Stop and reuse, upload, or explicitly clean that preparation. Do not prepare another copy of the same measurement.
• The conditional Hub commit loses its parent race. Stop without retrying. Keep the preparation, refresh and review the new remote state, then request a new explicit upload only if the seed is still valid.
• Candidate still violates fixed thresholds. Report that this skill only handles the rolling HF baseline; update benchmark JSON thresholds in code review if maintainers accept the new absolute limit.
• The user aborts at either confirmation. Leave the backup and prepared records on disk. Nothing should be uploaded.
• The user declines cleanup. Keep /tmp/perf-tracking, the prepared seed records under /tmp/performance_reseed_prepared, the source download directory if any, and /tmp/performance_reseed_backup/<...> in place for audit/debugging.
• A bad seed was uploaded. Use the backup and HF history to identify the uploaded file, then remove or supersede it with an explicitly reviewed corrective record. Do not silently rewrite unrelated history.

References

• .agents/skills/reseed-ssim-references/SKILL.md — safety pattern for intentional baseline replacement.
• fastvideo/tests/performance/compare_baseline.py — normalization, rolling median comparison, and persistence rules.
• fastvideo/performance/hf_store.py — HF sync and record loading helpers.
• fastvideo/tests/performance/seed_baseline.py — first-seed preparation, staging reservation, manifest validation, and conditional batch upload.
• fastvideo/tests/performance/test_inference_performance.py — source result JSON schema.
• .buildkite/performance-benchmarks/tests/*.json — fixed absolute benchmark thresholds, separate from rolling baseline comparisons.

Changelog