An Exploratory Study of Dataset and Model Management in Open Source Machine Learning Applications

Datasets and models are two key artifacts in machine learning (ML) applications. Although there exist tools to support dataset and model developers in managing ML artifacts, little is known about how these datasets and models are integrated into ML applications. In this paper, we study how datasets and models in ML applications are managed. In particular, we focus on how these artifacts are stored and versioned alongside the applications. After analyzing 93 repositories, we identified the most common storage location to store datasets and models is the file system, which causes availability issues. Notably, large data and model files, exceeding approximately 60 MB, are stored exclusively in remote storage and downloaded as needed. Most of the datasets and models lack proper integration with the version control system, posing potential traceability and reproducibility issues. Additionally, although datasets and models are likely to evolve during the application development, they are rarely updated in application repositories.CCS CONCEPTS• General and reference → Empirical studies; • Software and its engineering → Software development process management; • Information systems → Version management.