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[Bugfix][Attention] Resolve kernel block-size constraints per layer head size - #58491

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@xutingl xutingl commented Sep 24, 2026

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Purpose

FlashAttentionBackend.get_supported_kernel_block_sizes() decides its FA4 hd256 page constraint ([128] on SM100/SM110) from the model-wide ModelConfig head size. Layers with a different head size, in practice a spec-decode drafter (DFlash, EAGLE-3, DSpark, MTP) with smaller heads than its target, therefore get the target's constraint instead of their own at every place block sizes are chosen:

  1. backend selection under a user --block-size (validate_configuration);
  2. the default block size (Platform.update_block_size_for_backend, which since [Bugfix] Pick a KV block size supported by every attention backend #49845 consults every backend found in the loaded layers, including the drafter's);
  3. each KV cache group's kernel block size (prepare_kernel_block_sizes / select_common_block_size);
  4. a sliding-window layer's own block size (_largest_kernel_block_within).

Example: Qwen3.8-27B (GDN hybrid, head size 256, full attention on FlashInfer) + z-lab/Qwen3.8-27B-DFlash2 (head size 128, FlashAttention) on GB200. The Mamba alignment gives an 832-token block, which the drafter's 128-token page constraint does not divide.

#58207 notes the same failure for Qwen3.6-35B-A3B + DFlash on B300.

Fix

Resolve a backend's block-size constraints from the head size of the layers it serves. head_size is FlashAttention's only per-layer input to the decision, and it is available at all four sites.

  • AttentionBackend.get_supported_kernel_block_sizes_for_head_size(head_size) and supports_block_size_for_head_size(head_size, block_size), defaulting to the model-wide methods (None means model-wide). Other backends are unchanged, including CPU_MLA's exact-size supports_block_size override. The block-size test shared by supports_block_size moves into supports_kernel_block_size.
  • FlashAttentionBackend overrides both, resolving the hd256 page from the given head size.
  • validate_configuration checks the block size for the layer's head size.
  • Platform._find_non_ssm_backend_head_sizes collects distinct (backend, head size) pairs from the layers; _preferred_block_size_for_backends takes the head sizes as an optional parallel argument. _find_non_ssm_backends, its CPU/XPU callers and the later alignment phases are unchanged.
  • select_common_block_size takes optional per-backend head sizes; prepare_kernel_block_sizes passes each attention group's. Other callers are unchanged.
  • _largest_kernel_block_within takes the layer's head size.

Only layers whose head size differs from the model-wide one change. A smaller-head drafter behind a head-size-256 target is no longer held to the 128-token page. Conversely, a head-size-256 drafter behind a smaller-head target now makes the default block size 128 model-wide, as a head-size-256 target does, instead of silently running FA2 when the block size is not a multiple of 128.

Supersedes #58425, which only covered site 3.

Test Plan

pytest tests/kernels/attention/test_attention_selector.py -k fa4_hd256_block_size_advertisement
pytest tests/v1/worker/test_gpu_model_runner.py -k "select_common_block_size or preferred_block_size"
pytest tests/v1/worker/test_attn_utils.py -k "kernel_block_size or hisparse_block_size or preserve_global"

E2E on one GB200: Qwen3.8-27B (bf16) + z-lab/Qwen3.8-27B-DFlash2 (num_speculative_tokens=7), default block size and --block-size 64, on main and with this PR; single-request decode benchmark with the acceptance length pinned to 3.

Test Result

Unit tests pass (new: test_fa4_hd256_block_size_advertisement_per_head_size, test_preferred_block_size_resolves_constraints_per_head_size, test_select_common_block_size_resolves_sizes_per_head_size).

main (8b660ce) this PR
default block size block 896, Mamba padding 9.54%, KV cache 578k tokens, TPOT 4.53 ms block 832, padding 1.71%, KV cache 605k tokens, TPOT 4.53 ms
--block-size 64 drafter precluded from FlashAttention, eager FlashInfer draft, TPOT 7.88 ms drafter on FlashAttention with CUDA graphs, TPOT 4.51 ms

Code written with AI assistance (Claude); reviewed, tested and validated end to end by the author.

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@mergify mergify Bot added the bug Something isn't working label Sep 24, 2026
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mergify Bot commented Sep 24, 2026

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This pull request has merge conflicts that must be resolved before it can be
merged. Please rebase the PR, @xutingl.

https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks/syncing-a-fork

@xutingl

xutingl commented Sep 24, 2026

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Replaced by #58630 (redesigned on the spec-keyed hook from #53175).

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