seniorPyTorch
How does PyTorch handle distributed gradient synchronization ordering?
Updated May 17, 2026
Short answer
DDP uses autograd hooks and gradient bucketing to synchronize gradients efficiently.
Deep explanation
During backward pass, DDP attaches hooks to parameter gradients. Once gradients for a bucket are ready, all-reduce is triggered asynchronously. Bucketing reduces communication frequency and overlaps compute with communication.
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