Enabling Google Colab Disconnection

Introduction

Google Colab is a cloud-based platform that allows users to execute code and run machine learning models using powerful hardware without any installation requirements. It is a perfect tool for data analysis, machine learning, and deep learning enthusiasts.

However, when working with Google Colab, users may encounter a disconnection issue due to various reasons, such as network connectivity problems, idle timeout, or notebook crashes. This can be frustrating, especially when running time-consuming models. Fortunately, there are several ways to enable Colab disconnection, which will help prevent data loss and allow users to resume their work.

How to enable Google Colab disconnection

Method 1: Install ColabAutoConnect

An easy way to enable Colab disconnection is by installing the ColabAutoConnect extension. This extension reconnects your Colab session automatically, so you won't have to do it manually every time it times out. Here's how to install it:

1. Create a new Colab notebook or open an existing one.
2. Navigate to the "file" and then click "New notebook".
3. Click on the !pip install git+https://github.com/andersonkmi/colabtools.git#egg=colabtools&subdirectory=google-colab
4. Click on Runtime and then "Restart Runtime". This will restart your notebook kernel.
5. After restarting, click on "Runtime" and then "Run all". This will install the ColabAutoConnect extension and run it for you.

Method 2: Use ngrok

Another way to prevent disconnection is by using ngrok. Ngrok is a secure tunneling service that allows the user to expose a local server behind a NAT or firewall to the internet. Follow these steps to use ngrok:

1. Open your Colab notebook, and click on "Runtime".
2. Click on "Change runtime type".
3. Select "GPU" or "TPU" as required.
4. Scroll down and click on "SOFTWARE".
5. Add !wget https://bin.equinox.io/c/4VmDzA7iaHb/ngrok-stable-linux-amd64.zip and !unzip ngrok-stable-linux-amd64.zip to the code cell.
6. After installation, save your authentication token in the environment variable by running this code:

import os
os.environ['NGROK_AUTH_TOKEN'] = 'your ngrok auth token here'

7. Restart the runtime by clicking "Runtime" and then "Restart runtime", or by using CTRL + M.
8. After restarting, run the following code to connect to ngrok:

get_ipython().system_raw('./ngrok authtoken $NGROK_AUTH_TOKEN && ./ngrok http 8888 &')

9. Copy the ngrok URL from the output, and use it to access your Colab notebook from anywhere.

Method 3: Use SessionKeepalive

SessionKeepalive is another useful extension that renews your Google Colab session by sending regular requests to the server. This keeps the notebook active and prevents disconnection. Here's how to install and use it:

1. Open a new Colab notebook or an existing one.
2. Paste the following code in the first cell.

!pip install kora -q
from kora import ngrok
!ngrok.authtoken = "your ngrok auth token here"

3. Run the code cell.
4. Now, add the following code in the second cell and run it:

!pip install jupyter_http_over_ws -q
!jupyter serverextension enable --py jupyter_http_over_ws
!echo "c.NotebookApp.allow_origin = '*'" >> ~/.jupyter/jupyter_notebook_config.py
!echo "c.NotebookApp.ip = '0.0.0.0'" >> ~/.jupyter/jupyter_notebook_config.py
!echo "c.NotebookApp.port = 8888" >> ~/.jupyter/jupyter_notebook_config.py
jupyter notebook --NotebookApp.allow_origin='https://colab.research.google.com' --port=8888 --NotebookApp.port_retries=0 --no-browser &

5. Now, copy the generated ngrok URL and use it to access your notebook.

Conclusion

Enabling Colab disconnection is vitally important when running long-running models, as the platform may disconnect unexpectedly due to a variety of reasons. However, with the methods outlined in this guide, users can keep their sessions active, prevent data loss, and continue their work without interruption.