External Memory | NumKong for Python

NumKong implements the Python buffer protocol for zero-copy interop with NumPy, PyTorch, and other buffer-aware libraries. Two additional primitives cover pointer-level workflows: data_ptr reads the integer address out of any Tensor, and from_pointer() wraps any integer address back into one.

data_ptr returns the raw address, suitable for passing into ctypes, CUDA, or any FFI boundary. from_pointer(address, shape, dtype, *, strides=None, owner=None) creates a non-owning Tensor view. The optional owner keeps the source object alive for the lifetime of the view.

import numpy as np
import numkong as nk

# Round-trip through an integer address
matrix = nk.zeros((3, 4), dtype='float32')
address = matrix.data_ptr
matrix_view = nk.from_pointer(address, (3, 4), 'float32', owner=matrix)

# Wrap a NumPy array with zero copies
embeddings = np.random.randn(1024).astype(np.float32)
embeddings_view = nk.from_pointer(embeddings.ctypes.data, (1024,), 'float32', owner=embeddings)
nk.dot(embeddings, embeddings_view)  # same underlying data

PyTorch tensors already implement the buffer protocol, so most functions accept them directly. For explicit pointer-level control, or to go the other direction, the same primitives apply:

import torch

query = torch.randn(512)
nk.dot(query, query)  # buffer protocol, zero copy

# Explicit pointer wrap
query_view = nk.from_pointer(query.data_ptr(), tuple(query.shape), 'float32', owner=query)

# NumKong → PyTorch: 1D via buffer protocol, N-D via NumPy bridge
flat = torch.frombuffer(memoryview(nk_tensor), dtype=torch.float32)
shaped = torch.as_tensor(np.asarray(nk_tensor))

CUDA unified memory, pinned buffers, and mmap’d files all work the same way — any CPU-accessible pointer is valid.

import ctypes, mmap

# CUDA unified memory (ensure CPU accessibility first)
cudart = ctypes.CDLL("libcudart.so")
unified_ptr = ctypes.c_void_p()
cudart.cudaMallocManaged(ctypes.byref(unified_ptr), 4096, 1)
cudart.cudaDeviceSynchronize()
unified = nk.from_pointer(unified_ptr.value, (1024,), 'float32')

# Memory-mapped file
with open("data.bin", "r+b") as f:
    mapping = mmap.mmap(f.fileno(), 0)
    mapped = nk.from_pointer(ctypes.addressof(
        ctypes.c_char.from_buffer(mapping)),
        (1024,), 'float32', owner=mapping)