LitServe: FastAPI on Steroids for Serving AI Models — Tutorial with Llama 3.2 Vision

I recently tried an open-source gem called LitServe, no more wrestling with serving AI models.

LitServe is from the creators of PyTorch Lightning, and it’s essentially an enhanced serving engine for AI models built on top of FastAPI.

It adds a bunch of AI-specific features like batching, streaming, and GPU autoscaling.

So, instead of setting up a new FastAPI server for each model (which, let’s be honest, can be a pain), LitServe streamlines the whole process.

It’s at least twice as fast as a plain FastAPI setup.

They achieved this speed boost by optimizing multi-worker handling specifically for AI workloads.

Before getting hands-on, here’s a quick rundown of what makes LitServe stand out:

• Speed Demon: More than 2x faster than standard FastAPI servers.
• User-Friendly: Super easy to get up and running.
• Flexible: Supports a variety of models — LLMs, non-LLMs, you name it.
• Bring Your Own Model: Works with PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow, etc.
• Built on FastAPI: So you get all the goodness of FastAPI with extra features.
• Scalable: GPU autoscaling, batching, streaming — the works.
• Deployment Options: Self-host or go for a managed service.