Principle:Bentoml BentoML Model Export Import
| Principle Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Principle Name | Model Export Import |
| Workflow | Model_Store_Management |
| Domain | ML_Serving, Model_Management |
| Related Principle | Principle:Bentoml_BentoML_Model_Persistence, Principle:Bentoml_BentoML_Model_Cloud_Sync |
| Implemented By | Implementation:Bentoml_BentoML_Models_Export_Import |
| Last Updated | 2026-02-13 15:00 GMT |
Overview
Model Export Import is the principle of serializing model artifacts from the local store into portable file formats and restoring them back. This enables model sharing across environments, teams, and organizations without requiring a centralized registry like BentoCloud.
Core Concept
Exporting and importing model artifacts for portability and sharing decouples model distribution from any specific registry or cloud service. A model can be exported to a self-contained archive file, transferred via any mechanism (shared drive, email, CI artifact, cloud storage), and imported into a different BentoML installation.
Theory
Model export serializes a model from the local store into a portable file format (tar, gzip, xz, bzip2, zip, or folder). Import reverses this process, reconstructing the model in the target store with all its metadata intact.
Supporting remote protocols (S3, FTP, and other fsspec-compatible backends) enables direct integration with cloud storage and CI/CD pipelines. This provides:
- Team Collaboration: Models can be shared between team members who may not have access to the same BentoCloud instance
- Disaster Recovery: Exported models serve as backups that can be restored to any BentoML installation
- CI/CD Integration: Models can be exported as build artifacts and imported in deployment pipelines
- Air-Gapped Environments: Models can be transferred to environments without network access
Supported Formats
| Format | Extension | Description |
|---|---|---|
bentomodel |
.bentomodel |
Default BentoML archive format (tar-based) |
gz |
.gz |
Gzip-compressed tar archive |
xz |
.xz |
XZ-compressed tar archive |
bz2 |
.bz2 |
Bzip2-compressed tar archive |
tar |
.tar |
Uncompressed tar archive |
zip |
.zip |
ZIP archive |
folder |
(directory) | Direct folder copy |
Design Principles
Format Flexibility
Multiple archive formats accommodate different constraints. Compressed formats minimize transfer sizes, while the folder format enables direct inspection and modification of model artifacts.
Remote Protocol Support
Integration with fsspec enables direct export/import to/from remote storage systems:
# Export directly to S3
bentoml.models.export_model("my_model:latest", "s3://my-bucket/models/")
# Import from S3
bentoml.models.import_model("s3://my-bucket/models/my_model-v1.bentomodel")
Round-Trip Fidelity
The export/import cycle preserves all model information: artifact files, metadata, labels, creation time, framework context, and custom objects. An imported model is indistinguishable from the original in the store.
Self-Contained Archives
Each exported archive contains everything needed to reconstruct the model: the model.yaml descriptor, all artifact files, and any custom objects. No external dependencies or additional downloads are required for import.
Relationship to Other Principles
- Model Persistence: Export operates on models that were previously persisted to the local store.
- Model Cloud Sync: Export/import provides an alternative to push/pull for environments without BentoCloud access.
- Model Versioning: Exported models retain their original tags, which are restored on import.