init version of online serving and rolling

docs/advanced/serial.rst

@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ Serializable Class
 
 ``Qlib`` provides a base class ``qlib.utils.serial.Serializable``, whose state can be dumped into or loaded from disk in `pickle` format. 
 When users dump the state of a ``Serializable`` instance, the attributes of the instance whose name **does not** start with `_` will be saved on the disk.
+However, users can use ``config`` method or override ``default_dump_all`` attribute to prevent this feature.
+
+Users can also override ``pickle_backend`` attribute to choose a pickle backend. The supported value is "pickle" (default and common) and "dill" (dump more things such as function, more information in `here <https://pypi.org/project/dill/>`_).
 
 Example
 ==========================

docs/advanced/task_management.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+.. _task_management:
+
+=================================
+Task Management
+=================================
+.. currentmodule:: qlib
+
+
+Introduction
+=============
+
+The `Workflow <../component/introduction.html>`_ part introduces how to run research workflow in a loosely-coupled way. But it can only execute one ``task`` when you use ``qrun``.
+To automatically generate and execute different tasks, ``Task Management`` provides a whole process including `Task Generating`_, `Task Storing`_, `Task Training`_ and `Task Collecting`_. 
+With this module, users can run their ``task`` automatically at different periods, in different losses, or even by different models.
+
+This whole process can be used in `Online Serving <../component/online.html>`_.
+
+An example of the entire process is shown `here <https://github.com/microsoft/qlib/tree/main/examples/model_rolling/task_manager_rolling.py>`_.
+
+Task Generating
+===============
+A ``task`` consists of `Model`, `Dataset`, `Record`, or anything added by users. 
+The specific task template can be viewed in 
+`Task Section <../component/workflow.html#task-section>`_.
+Even though the task template is fixed, users can customize their ``TaskGen`` to generate different ``task`` by task template.
+
+Here is the base class of ``TaskGen``:
+
+.. autoclass:: qlib.workflow.task.gen.TaskGen
+    :members:
+
+``Qlib`` provides a class `RollingGen <https://github.com/microsoft/qlib/tree/main/qlib/workflow/task/gen.py>`_ to generate a list of ``task`` of the dataset in different date segments.
+This class allows users to verify the effect of data from different periods on the model in one experiment. More information is `here <../reference/api.html#TaskGen>`_.
+
+Task Storing
+===============
+To achieve higher efficiency and the possibility of cluster operation, ``Task Manager`` will store all tasks in `MongoDB <https://www.mongodb.com/>`_.
+``TaskManager`` can fetch undone tasks automatically and manage the lifecycle of a set of tasks with error handling.
+Users **MUST** finish the configuration of `MongoDB <https://www.mongodb.com/>`_ when using this module.
+
+Users need to provide the MongoDB URL and database name for using ``TaskManager`` in `initialization <../start/initialization.html#Parameters>`_ or make a statement like this.
+
+    .. code-block:: python
+
+        from qlib.config import C
+        C["mongo"] = {
+            "task_url" : "mongodb://localhost:27017/", # your MongoDB url
+            "task_db_name" : "rolling_db" # database name
+        }
+
+.. autoclass:: qlib.workflow.task.manage.TaskManager
+    :members:
+
+More information of ``Task Manager`` can be found in `here <../reference/api.html#TaskManager>`_.
+
+Task Training
+===============
+After generating and storing those ``task``, it's time to run the ``task`` which is in the *WAITING* status.
+``Qlib`` provides a method called ``run_task`` to run those ``task`` in task pool, however, users can also customize how tasks are executed.
+An easy way to get the ``task_func`` is using ``qlib.model.trainer.task_train`` directly.
+It will run the whole workflow defined by ``task``, which includes *Model*, *Dataset*, *Record*.
+
+.. autofunction:: qlib.workflow.task.manage.run_task
+
+Meanwhile, ``Qlib`` provides a module called ``Trainer``. 
+
+.. autoclass:: qlib.model.trainer.Trainer
+    :members:
+
+``Trainer`` will train a list of tasks and return a list of model recorders.
+``Qlib`` offer two kinds of Trainer, TrainerR is the simplest way and TrainerRM is based on TaskManager to help manager tasks lifecycle automatically. 
+If you do not want to use ``Task Manager`` to manage tasks, then use TrainerR to train a list of tasks generated by ``TaskGen`` is enough.
+`Here <../reference/api.html#Trainer>`_ are the details about different ``Trainer``.
+
+Task Collecting
+===============
+To collect the results of ``task`` after training, ``Qlib`` provides `Collector <../reference/api.html#Collector>`_, `Group <../reference/api.html#Group>`_ and `Ensemble <../reference/api.html#Ensemble>`_ to collect the results in a readable, expandable and loosely-coupled way.
+
+`Collector <../reference/api.html#Collector>`_ can collect objects from everywhere and process them such as merging, grouping, averaging and so on. It has 2 step action including ``collect`` (collect anything in a dict) and ``process_collect`` (process collected dict).
+
+`Group <../reference/api.html#Group>`_ also has 2 steps including ``group`` (can group a set of object based on `group_func` and change them to a dict) and ``reduce`` (can make a dict become an ensemble based on some rule).
+For example: {(A,B,C1): object, (A,B,C2): object} ---``group``---> {(A,B): {C1: object, C2: object}} ---``reduce``---> {(A,B): object}
+
+`Ensemble <../reference/api.html#Ensemble>`_ can merge the objects in an ensemble. 
+For example: {C1: object, C2: object} ---``Ensemble``---> object
+
+So the hierarchy is ``Collector``'s second step corresponds to ``Group``. And ``Group``'s second step correspond to ``Ensemble``.
+
+For more information, please see `Collector <../reference/api.html#Collector>`_, `Group <../reference/api.html#Group>`_ and `Ensemble <../reference/api.html#Ensemble>`_, or the `example <https://github.com/microsoft/qlib/tree/main/examples/model_rolling/task_manager_rolling.py>`_.

docs/component/online.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+.. _online:
+
+=================================
+Online Serving
+=================================
+.. currentmodule:: qlib
+
+
+Introduction
+=============
+
+.. image:: ../_static/img/online_serving.png
+    :align: center
+
+
+In addition to backtesting, one way to test a model is effective is to make predictions in real market conditions or even do real trading based on those predictions.
+``Online Serving`` is a set of modules for online models using the latest data,
+which including `Online Manager <#Online Manager>`_, `Online Strategy <#Online Strategy>`_, `Online Tool <#Online Tool>`_, `Updater <#Updater>`_. 
+
+`Here <https://github.com/microsoft/qlib/tree/main/examples/online_srv>`_ are several examples for reference, which demonstrate different features of ``Online Serving``.
+If you have many models or `task` needs to be managed, please consider `Task Management <../advanced/task_management.html>`_.
+The `examples <https://github.com/microsoft/qlib/tree/main/examples/online_srv>`_ are based on some components in `Task Management <../advanced/task_management.html>`_ such as ``TrainerRM`` or ``Collector``.
+
+Online Manager
+=============
+
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.online.manager
+    :members:
+
+Online Strategy
+=============
+
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.online.strategy
+    :members:
+
+Online Tool
+=============
+
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.online.utils
+    :members:
+
+Updater
+=============
+
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.online.update
+    :members:

docs/index.rst

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ Document Structure
    Intraday Trading: Model&Strategy Testing <component/backtest.rst>
    Qlib Recorder: Experiment Management <component/recorder.rst>
    Analysis: Evaluation & Results Analysis <component/report.rst>
+   Online Serving: Online Management & Strategy & Tool <component/online.rst>
 
 .. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 3
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ Document Structure
    Building Formulaic Alphas <advanced/alpha.rst>
    Online & Offline mode <advanced/server.rst>
    Serialization <advanced/serial.rst>
+   Task Management <advanced/task_management.rst>
 
 .. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 3

docs/reference/api.rst

@@ -154,6 +154,70 @@ Record Template
 .. automodule:: qlib.workflow.record_temp
     :members:
 
+Task Management
+====================
+
+
+TaskGen
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.task.gen
+    :members:
+
+TaskManager
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.task.manage
+    :members:
+
+Trainer
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.model.trainer
+    :members:
+
+Collector
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.task.collect
+    :members:
+
+Group
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.model.ens.group
+    :members:
+
+Ensemble
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.model.ens.ensemble
+    :members:
+
+Utils
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.task.utils
+    :members:
+
+
+Online Serving
+====================
+
+
+Online Manager
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.online.manager
+    :members:
+
+Online Strategy
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.online.strategy
+    :members:
+
+Online Tool
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.online.utils
+    :members:
+
+RecordUpdater
+--------------------
+.. automodule:: qlib.workflow.online.update
+    :members:
+
 
 Utils
 ====================
@@ -162,4 +226,7 @@ Serializable
 --------------------
 
 .. automodule:: qlib.utils.serial.Serializable
-    :members:
+    :members:
+
+
+

docs/start/initialization.rst

@@ -75,3 +75,14 @@ Besides `provider_uri` and `region`, `qlib.init` has other parameters. The follo
                 "default_exp_name": "Experiment",
             }
         })
+- `mongo`
+    Type: dict, optional parameter, the setting of `MongoDB <https://www.mongodb.com/>`_ which will be used in some features such as `Task Management <../advanced/task_management.html>`_, with high performance and clustered processing. 
+    Users need finished `installation <https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community>`_ firstly, and run it in a fixed URL.
+
+    .. code-block:: Python
+
+        # For example, you can initialize qlib below
+        qlib.init(provider_uri=provider_uri, region=REG_CN, mongo={
+            "task_url": "mongodb://localhost:27017/",  # your mongo url
+            "task_db_name": "rolling_db", # the database name of Task Management
+        })