test(spmd): retire the mixed-kernel xfail and cover documented flags

[georgebisbas]

What this PR offers

A tests-and-example-only hardening pass over the SPMD ST suite — no compiler or runtime changes (5 files, +247/−7). It retires a stale xfail that was misreporting a fixed bug, adds the first executed coverage for two documented pl.spmd kwargs, enables a long-commented ragged-context case, and fixes two hygiene items.

#	Item	Was	Now
F1	test_spmd_mixed_kernel precision xfail (test_spmd.py)	stale, non-strict marker	retired — XPASSed 4/4 in sim (a2a3sim ×3, a5sim) and pypto#2887's device log recorded the same XPASS; now a normal assertion
F2	stale path in test_golden_writer.py comment	pointed at tests/st/codegen/test_paged_attention_spmd.py (does not exist)	corrected to the module's current home
F3	ragged context_len paged-attention case	commented out	enabled — the varctx path now has end-to-end coverage
F4a	allow_early_resolve=True on pl.spmd	parser + codegen UT only	new executed ST: SPMDEarlyResolveProgram / test_spmd_early_resolve
F4b	dumps=[...] on pl.spmd	manifest test covered pl.submit only	new grid-dump section in test_dump_tag.py: correctness + two --dump-args manifest assertions (single dispatch retained; roles cover input + inout)
F6	example Run: line (examples/models/09_paged_attention_spmd.py)	missing	added

Verification

Sim Docker (same commit, a2a3sim / a5sim):

Check	Result
tests/st/runtime/cross_core/test_spmd.py	9 / 9 passed (both platforms)
same file, -k mixed_kernel, before the marker removal	4× XPASS (a2a3sim ×3, a5sim)
ragged test_paged_attention_spmd_ptoas[4-16-128-128-context_len3-32768]	1 passed
tests/st/runtime/framework_and_models/test_dump_tag.py full, --dump-args	11 passed
tests/ut/codegen/test_golden_writer.py	46 passed
ruff + pre-commit on the changed files	clean

Developer verification — NPU (Ascend 910B2 / a2a3, via the shared task queue, at branch commit 16c07767):

Job	Result
tests/st/runtime/cross_core/test_spmd.py (a2a3)	9 passed — test_spmd_mixed_kernel[a2a3] PASSED as a normal test (not xfail/XPASS/skipped); test_spmd_early_resolve[a2a3] PASSED
ragged case nodeid above (a2a3)	1 passed
tests/st/runtime/framework_and_models/test_dump_tag.py -k SpmdDumps --dump-args (a2a3)	3 passed — manifest: one task_id; roles input + inout

The only warning in the hardware run is the known attrs={"split": …} deprecation (F9 below) — recorded, not a failure. The branch touches no distributed/HCCL surface.

Notes for review

• The test_spmd_mixed_kernel retirement is evidence-backed (sim XPASS ×4 + pypto#2887's device log) and was re-confirmed on hardware before this PR — a future need to re-xfail would itself be a finding.
• test_spmd_early_resolve proves the flag survives lowering and does not change the computed result; it does not observe whether dispatch was actually staged early (that needs a swimlane / L2 record) — stated in the test docstring.
• Out of scope, deliberately (tracked separately): F4c (optimizations=[pl.cross_core_slot(...)] on pl.spmd reaching the pipe-buffer sizing), F5 (example @pl.jit migration — own PR), F7 (behavioural sync_start test), F9 (corpus-wide attrs={"split": …} → pl.func_attr migration, 22 sites / 5 files).

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📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 5452182 and 16c0776.

📒 Files selected for processing (5)

• examples/models/09_paged_attention_spmd.py
• tests/st/runtime/cross_core/test_spmd.py
• tests/st/runtime/framework_and_models/test_dump_tag.py
• tests/st/runtime/framework_and_models/test_paged_attention_spmd.py
• tests/ut/codegen/test_golden_writer.py

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📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

The changes add SPMD coverage for early resolve and selective dumps, remove an expected-failure marker, activate a paged-attention test case, and update the related example command and test-helper comment.

Changes

SPMD Early Resolve

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Early-resolve test path tests/st/runtime/cross_core/test_spmd.py	Adds a platform-parameterized four-block addition test with allow_early_resolve=True. Removes the expected-failure marker from the mixed-kernel SPMD test.

SPMD Selective Dump

Layer / File(s)	Summary
SPMD selective-dump pipeline and checks tests/st/runtime/framework_and_models/test_dump_tag.py	Adds a two-dispatch SPMD test that selects bindings in the first dispatch. Checks numerical correctness and, when applicable, verifies the manifest contains entries from one dispatch with input and inout roles.

Paged Attention SPMD

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Paged-attention example and test case tests/st/runtime/framework_and_models/test_paged_attention_spmd.py, examples/models/09_paged_attention_spmd.py, tests/ut/codegen/test_golden_writer.py	Enables the batch-4 variable-context test case, adds an a2a3sim example command, and updates the test-module path in a helper comment.

Priority: ⬇️ Low

Estimated code review effort: 3 (Moderate) | ~20 minutes

Change: Other

Merge Risk: ⚪ Minimal · up to 16c07

This change adds test coverage and small documentation fixes without changing product behavior. No merge-blocking risk was found.

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 4

✅ Passed checks (4 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly summarizes the main changes: retiring the mixed-kernel xfail and adding coverage for documented SPMD flags.
Description check	✅ Passed	The description is detailed and directly explains the SPMD test, example, and hygiene changes in the pull request.
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.

✨ Finishing Touches 💡 1

🛠️ Fix failing CI checks 💡

• Commit to this branch
• Create a new PR

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