Enable pickling of ModelPtr

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ See also our [versioning policy](https://amici.readthedocs.io/en/latest/versioni
   This is a wrapper for both `amici.run_simulation` and
   `amici.run_simulations`, depending on the type of the `edata` argument.
   It also supports passing some `Solver` options as keyword arguments.
+* `amici.ModelPtr` now supports sufficient pickling for use in
+  multi-processing contexts. This works only if the amici-generated model
+  package exists in the same file system location and does not change until
+  unpickling.
 
 ## v0.X Series
 

python/sdist/amici/swig_wrappers.py

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import logging
 import warnings
 from collections.abc import Sequence
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 
 import amici
@@ -342,3 +343,57 @@ def _Model__simulate(
             solver=_get_ptr(solver),
             edata=_get_ptr(edata),
         )
+
+
+def restore_model(
+    module_name: str, module_path: Path, settings: dict, checksum: str = None
+) -> amici.Model:
+    """
+    Recreate a model instance with given settings.
+
+    For use in ModelPtr.__reduce__.
+
+    :param module_name:
+        Name of the model module.
+    :param module_path:
+        Path to the model module.
+    :param settings:
+        Model settings to be applied.
+        See `set_model_settings` / `get_model_settings`.
+    :param checksum:
+        Checksum of the model extension to verify integrity.
+    """
+    from . import import_model_module
+
+    model_module = import_model_module(module_name, module_path)
+    model = model_module.get_model()
+    model.module = model_module._self
+    set_model_settings(model, settings)
+
+    if checksum is not None and checksum != file_checksum(
+        model.module.extension_path
+    ):
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"Model file checksum does not match the expected checksum "
+            f"({checksum}). The model file may have been modified "
+            f"after the model was pickled."
+        )
+
+    return model
+
+
+def file_checksum(
+    path: str | Path, algorithm: str = "sha256", chunk_size: int = 8192
+) -> str:
+    """
+    Compute checksum for `path` using `algorithm` (e.g. 'md5', 'sha1', 'sha256').
+    Returns the hexadecimal digest string.
+    """
+    import hashlib
+
+    path = Path(path)
+    h = hashlib.new(algorithm)
+    with path.open("rb") as f:
+        for chunk in iter(lambda: f.read(chunk_size), b""):
+            h.update(chunk)
+    return h.hexdigest()

python/tests/test_swig_interface.py

@@ -5,12 +5,15 @@
 
 import copy
 import numbers
+import pickle
 from math import nan
 
 import amici
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 import xarray
+from amici import SteadyStateSensitivityMode
+from amici.testing import skip_on_valgrind
 
 
 def test_version_number(pysb_example_presimulation_module):
@@ -664,3 +667,33 @@ def test_reporting_mode_obs_llh(sbml_example_presimulation_module):
                 assert rdata.ssigmay is None
                 assert rdata.sllh.size > 0
                 assert not np.isnan(rdata.sllh).any()
+
+
+@skip_on_valgrind
+def test_pickle_model(sbml_example_presimulation_module):
+    model_module = sbml_example_presimulation_module
+    model = model_module.get_model()
+
+    assert (
+        model.get_steady_state_sensitivity_mode()
+        == SteadyStateSensitivityMode.integrationOnly
+    )
+    model.set_steady_state_sensitivity_mode(
+        SteadyStateSensitivityMode.newtonOnly
+    )
+
+    model_pickled = pickle.loads(pickle.dumps(model))
+    # ensure it's re-picklable
+    model_pickled = pickle.loads(pickle.dumps(model_pickled))
+    assert (
+        model_pickled.get_steady_state_sensitivity_mode()
+        == SteadyStateSensitivityMode.newtonOnly
+    )
+
+    model_pickled.set_steady_state_sensitivity_mode(
+        SteadyStateSensitivityMode.integrateIfNewtonFails
+    )
+    assert (
+        model.get_steady_state_sensitivity_mode()
+        != model_pickled.get_steady_state_sensitivity_mode()
+    )

swig/model.i

@@ -195,6 +195,20 @@ def simulate(
 def __deepcopy__(self, memo):
     return self.clone()
 
+def __reduce__(self):
+    from amici.swig_wrappers import restore_model, get_model_settings, file_checksum
+
+    return (
+        restore_model,
+        (
+            self.get_name(),
+            Path(self.module.__spec__.origin).parent,
+            get_model_settings(self),
+            file_checksum(self.module.extension_path),
+        ),
+        {}
+    )
+
 
 @overload
 def simulate(

swig/modelname.template.i

@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@ import sysconfig
 from pathlib import Path
 
 ext_suffix = sysconfig.get_config_var('EXT_SUFFIX')
+extension_path = Path(__file__).parent / f'_TPL_MODELNAME{ext_suffix}'
 _TPL_MODELNAME = amici._module_from_path(
     'TPL_MODELNAME._TPL_MODELNAME' if __package__ or '.' in __name__
     else '_TPL_MODELNAME',
-    Path(__file__).parent / f'_TPL_MODELNAME{ext_suffix}',
+    extension_path,
 )
 
 def _get_import_time():