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App. Res. of Comp. Accepted Paper
Vol. 42, 2025 No. 10

Sic: incremental checkpointing for large language model training

Wang Zhiqianga
Zhu Wenzhea
Yan Chaomeia
Li Yongkuna,b
a. School of Computer Science & Technology, b. Anhui Province Key Laboratory of High Performance Computing, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
DOI: 10.19734/j.issn.1001-3695.2025.04.0081

Abstract

Large language model training frequently encounters software and hardware failures, prolonging runtimes and wasting resources. Checkpointing is a key fault tolerance mechanism, yet conventional full checkpoints limit checkpoint frequency and incur high storage costs. This paper proposes Significance-aware Incremental Checkpointing (SIC) , which employs a layer-wise online filtering algorithm to identify critical parameter updates per network layer and uses a dynamic threshold adjustment mechanism to adaptively preserve essential changes without losing vital information. A theoretical analysis bounds SIC’s impact on convergence. Empirical results show that saving just 2% of parameters per iteration maintains both accuracy and convergence; under identical overhead constraints, SIC raises checkpoint frequency by 9-17 times compared to state-of-the-art full checkpointing while reducing storage overhead to 3%. Thus, SIC achieves both high efficiency and minimal storage cost.

Foundation Support

国家自然科学基金面上项目(62472392)

Publish Information

DOI: 10.19734/j.issn.1001-3695.2025.04.0081
Publish at: Application Research of Computers Accepted Paper, Vol. 42, 2025 No. 10

Publish History

[2025-06-04] Accepted Paper

Cite This Article

王志强, 朱文喆, 闫超美, 等. SIC：面向大语言模型训练的增量检查点技术 [J]. 计算机应用研究, 2025, 42 (10). (2025-06-04). https://doi.org/10.19734/j.issn.1001-3695.2025.04.0081. (Wang Zhiqiang, Zhu Wenzhe, Yan Chaomei, et al. Sic: incremental checkpointing for large language model training [J]. Application Research of Computers, 2025, 42 (10). (2025-06-04). https://doi.org/10.19734/j.issn.1001-3695.2025.04.0081. )

About the Journal

  • Application Research of Computers Monthly Journal
  • Journal ID ISSN 1001-3695
    CN  51-1196/TP

Application Research of Computers, founded in 1984, is an academic journal of computing technology sponsored by Sichuan Institute of Computer Sciences under the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province.

Aiming at the urgently needed cutting-edge technology in this discipline, Application Research of Computers reflects the mainstream technology, hot technology and the latest development trend of computer application research at home and abroad in a timely manner. The main contents of the journal include high-level academic papers in this discipline, the latest scientific research results and major application results. The contents of the columns involve new theories of computer discipline, basic computer theory, algorithm theory research, algorithm design and analysis, blockchain technology, system software and software engineering technology, pattern recognition and artificial intelligence, architecture, advanced computing, parallel processing, database technology, computer network and communication technology, information security technology, computer image graphics and its latest hot application technology.

Application Research of Computers has many high-level readers and authors, and its readers are mainly senior and middle-level researchers and engineers engaged in the field of computer science, as well as teachers and students majoring in computer science and related majors in colleges and universities. Over the years, the total citation frequency and Web download rate of Application Research of Computers have been ranked among the top of similar academic journals in this discipline, and the academic papers published are highly popular among the readers for their novelty, academics, foresight, orientation and practicality.

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