
ray-data
Scalable data processing for ML workloads. Streaming execution across CPU/GPU, supports Parquet/CSV/JSON/images. Integrates with Ray Train, PyTorch, TensorFlow. Scales from single machine to 100s of nodes. Use for batch inference, data preprocessing, multi-modal data loading, or distributed ETL pipelines.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/orchestra-research/ai-research-skills --skill ray-data- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads ray-data automatically when relevant.
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Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Ray Data - Scalable ML Data Processing
Distributed data processing library for ML and AI workloads.
When to use Ray Data
Use Ray Data when:
- Processing large datasets (>100GB) for ML training
- Need distributed data preprocessing across cluster
- Building batch inference pipelines
- Loading multi-modal data (images, audio, video)
- Scaling data processing from laptop to cluster
Key features:
- Streaming execution: Process data larger than memory
- GPU support: Accelerate transforms with GPUs
- Framework integration: PyTorch, TensorFlow, HuggingFace
- Multi-modal: Images, Parquet, CSV, JSON, audio, video
Use alternatives instead:
- Pandas: Small data (<1GB) on single machine
- Dask: Tabular data, SQL-like operations
- Spark: Enterprise ETL, SQL queries
Quick start
Installation
pip install -U 'ray[data]'
Load and transform data
import ray
# Read Parquet files
ds = ray.data.read_parquet("s3://bucket/data/*.parquet")
# Transform data (lazy execution)
ds = ds.map_batches(lambda batch: {"processed": batch["text"].str.lower()})
# Consume data
for batch in ds.iter_batches(batch_size=100):
print(batch)
Integration with Ray Train
import ray
from ray.train import ScalingConfig
from ray.train.torch import TorchTrainer
# Create dataset
train_ds = ray.data.read_parquet("s3://bucket/train/*.parquet")
def train_func(config):
# Access dataset in training
train_ds = ray.train.get_dataset_shard("train")
for epoch in range(10):
for batch in train_ds.iter_batches(batch_size=32):
# Train on batch
pass
# Train with Ray
trainer = TorchTrainer(
train_func,
datasets={"train": train_ds},
scaling_config=ScalingConfig(num_workers=4, use_gpu=True)
)
trainer.fit()
Reading data
From cloud storage
import ray
# Parquet (recommended for ML)
ds = ray.data.read_parquet("s3://bucket/data/*.parquet")
# CSV
ds = ray.data.read_csv("s3://bucket/data/*.csv")
# JSON
ds = ray.data.read_json("gs://bucket/data/*.json")
# Images
ds = ray.data.read_images("s3://bucket/images/")
From Python objects
# From list
ds = ray.data.from_items([{"id": i, "value": i * 2} for i in range(1000)])
# From range
ds = ray.data.range(1000000) # Synthetic data
# From pandas
import pandas as pd
df = pd.DataFrame({"col1": [1, 2, 3], "col2": [4, 5, 6]})
ds = ray.data.from_pandas(df)
Transformations
Map batches (vectorized)
# Batch transformation (fast)
def process_batch(batch):
batch["doubled"] = batch["value"] * 2
return batch
ds = ds.map_batches(process_batch, batch_size=1000)
Row transformations
# Row-by-row (slower)
def process_row(row):
row["squared"] = row["value"] ** 2
return row
ds = ds.map(process_row)
Filter
# Filter rows
ds = ds.filter(lambda row: row["value"] > 100)
Group by and aggregate
# Group by column
ds = ds.groupby("category").count()
# Custom aggregation
ds = ds.groupby("category").map_groups(lambda group: {"sum": group["value"].sum()})
GPU-accelerated transforms
# Use GPU for preprocessing
def preprocess_images_gpu(batch):
import torch
images = torch.tensor(batch["image"]).cuda()
# GPU preprocessing
processed = images * 255
return {"processed": processed.cpu().numpy()}
ds = ds.map_batches(
preprocess_images_gpu,
batch_size=64,
num_gpus=1 # Request GPU
)
Writing data
# Write to Parquet
ds.write_parquet("s3://bucket/output/")
# Write to CSV
ds.write_csv("output/")
# Write to JSON
ds.write_json("output/")
Performance optimization
Repartition
# Control parallelism
ds = ds.repartition(100) # 100 blocks for 100-core cluster
Batch size tuning
# Larger batches = faster vectorized ops
ds.map_batches(process_fn, batch_size=10000) # vs batch_size=100
Streaming execution
# Process data larger than memory
ds = ray.data.read_parquet("s3://huge-dataset/")
for batch in ds.iter_batches(batch_size=1000):
process(batch) # Streamed, not loaded to memory
Common patterns
Batch inference
import ray
# Load model
def load_model():
# Load once per worker
return MyModel()
# Inference function
class BatchInference:
def __init__(self):
self.model = load_model()
def __call__(self, batch):
predictions = self.model(batch["input"])
return {"prediction": predictions}
# Run distributed inference
ds = ray.data.read_parquet("s3://data/")
predictions = ds.map_batches(BatchInference, batch_size=32, num_gpus=1)
predictions.write_parquet("s3://output/")
Data preprocessing pipeline
# Multi-step pipeline
ds = (
ray.data.read_parquet("s3://raw/")
.map_batches(clean_data)
.map_batches(tokenize)
.map_batches(augment)
.write_parquet("s3://processed/")
)
Integration with ML frameworks
PyTorch
# Convert to PyTorch
torch_ds = ds.to_torch(label_column="label", batch_size=32)
for batch in torch_ds:
# batch is dict with tensors
inputs, labels = batch["features"], batch["label"]
TensorFlow
# Convert to TensorFlow
tf_ds = ds.to_tf(feature_columns=["image"], label_column="label", batch_size=32)
for features, labels in tf_ds:
# Train model
pass
Supported data formats
| Format | Read | Write | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parquet | ✅ | ✅ | ML data (recommended) |
| CSV | ✅ | ✅ | Tabular data |
| JSON | ✅ | ✅ | Semi-structured |
| Images | ✅ | ❌ | Computer vision |
| NumPy | ✅ | ✅ | Arrays |
| Pandas | ✅ | ❌ | DataFrames |
Performance benchmarks
Scaling (processing 100GB data):
- 1 node (16 cores): ~30 minutes
- 4 nodes (64 cores): ~8 minutes
- 16 nodes (256 cores): ~2 minutes
GPU acceleration (image preprocessing):
- CPU only: 1,000 images/sec
- 1 GPU: 5,000 images/sec
- 4 GPUs: 18,000 images/sec
Use cases
Production deployments:
- Pinterest: Last-mile data processing for model training
- ByteDance: Scaling offline inference with multi-modal LLMs
- Spotify: ML platform for batch inference
References
- Transformations Guide - Map, filter, groupby operations
- Integration Guide - Ray Train, PyTorch, TensorFlow
Resources
- Docs: https://docs.ray.io/en/latest/data/data.html
- GitHub: https://github.com/ray-project/ray ⭐ 36,000+
- Version: Ray 2.40.0+
- Examples: https://docs.ray.io/en/latest/data/examples/overview.html
FAQ
What does the ray-data skill do?
Scalable data processing for ML workloads. Streaming execution across CPU/GPU, supports Parquet/CSV/JSON/images. Integrates with Ray Train, PyTorch, TensorFlow. Scales from single machine to 100s of nodes. Use for batch inference, data preprocessing, multi-modal data loading, or distributed ETL pipelines.
How do I install ray-data?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/orchestra-research/ai-research-skills --skill ray-data in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/ray-data/ (personal) or .claude/skills/ray-data/ (project).
Which AI agents can use ray-data?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is ray-data safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains ray-data?
It is published by orchestra-research in orchestra-research/ai-research-skills. It has 977 recorded installs.
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