After you train a model in Tensorflow:

1. How do you save the trained model?
2. How do you later restore this saved model?

Docs

• exhaustive and useful tutorial -> https://www.tensorflow.org/guide/saved_model

• Keras detailed guide to save models -> https://www.tensorflow.org/guide/keras/save_and_serialize

From the docs:

Save

# Create some variables.
v1 = tf.get_variable("v1", shape=[3], initializer = tf.zeros_initializer)
v2 = tf.get_variable("v2", shape=[5], initializer = tf.zeros_initializer)

inc_v1 = v1.assign(v1+1)
dec_v2 = v2.assign(v2-1)

# Add an op to initialize the variables.
init_op = tf.global_variables_initializer()

# Add ops to save and restore all the variables.
saver = tf.train.Saver()

# Later, launch the model, initialize the variables, do some work, and save the
# variables to disk.
with tf.Session() as sess:
  sess.run(init_op)
  # Do some work with the model.
  inc_v1.op.run()
  dec_v2.op.run()
  # Save the variables to disk.
  save_path = saver.save(sess, "/tmp/model.ckpt")
  print("Model saved in path: %s" % save_path)

Restore

tf.reset_default_graph()

# Create some variables.
v1 = tf.get_variable("v1", shape=[3])
v2 = tf.get_variable("v2", shape=[5])

# Add ops to save and restore all the variables.
saver = tf.train.Saver()

# Later, launch the model, use the saver to restore variables from disk, and
# do some work with the model.
with tf.Session() as sess:
  # Restore variables from disk.
  saver.restore(sess, "/tmp/model.ckpt")
  print("Model restored.")
  # Check the values of the variables
  print("v1 : %s" % v1.eval())
  print("v2 : %s" % v2.eval())

Tensorflow 2

This is still beta so I’d advise against for now. If you still want to go down that road here is the tf.saved_model usage guide

Tensorflow < 2

simple_save

Many good answer, for completeness I’ll add my 2 cents: simple_save. Also a standalone code example using the tf.data.Dataset API.

Python 3 ; Tensorflow 1.14

import tensorflow as tf
from tensorflow.saved_model import tag_constants

with tf.Graph().as_default():
    with tf.Session() as sess:
        ...

        # Saving
        inputs = {
            "batch_size_placeholder": batch_size_placeholder,
            "features_placeholder": features_placeholder,
            "labels_placeholder": labels_placeholder,
        }
        outputs = {"prediction": model_output}
        tf.saved_model.simple_save(
            sess, 'path/to/your/location/', inputs, outputs
        )

Restoring:

graph = tf.Graph()
with restored_graph.as_default():
    with tf.Session() as sess:
        tf.saved_model.loader.load(
            sess,
            [tag_constants.SERVING],
            'path/to/your/location/',
        )
        batch_size_placeholder = graph.get_tensor_by_name('batch_size_placeholder:0')
        features_placeholder = graph.get_tensor_by_name('features_placeholder:0')
        labels_placeholder = graph.get_tensor_by_name('labels_placeholder:0')
        prediction = restored_graph.get_tensor_by_name('dense/BiasAdd:0')

        sess.run(prediction, feed_dict={
            batch_size_placeholder: some_value,
            features_placeholder: some_other_value,
            labels_placeholder: another_value
        })

Standalone example

Original blog post

The following code generates random data for the sake of the demonstration.

1. We start by creating the placeholders. They will hold the data at runtime. From them, we create the Dataset and then its Iterator. We get the iterator’s generated tensor, called input_tensor which will serve as input to our model.
2. The model itself is built from input_tensor: a GRU-based bidirectional RNN followed by a dense classifier. Because why not.
3. The loss is a softmax_cross_entropy_with_logits, optimized with Adam. After 2 epochs (of 2 batches each), we save the “trained” model with tf.saved_model.simple_save. If you run the code as is, then the model will be saved in a folder called simple/ in your current working directory.
4. In a new graph, we then restore the saved model with tf.saved_model.loader.load. We grab the placeholders and logits with graph.get_tensor_by_name and the Iterator initializing operation with graph.get_operation_by_name.
5. Lastly we run an inference for both batches in the dataset, and check that the saved and restored model both yield the same values. They do!

Code:

import os
import shutil
import numpy as np
import tensorflow as tf
from tensorflow.python.saved_model import tag_constants


def model(graph, input_tensor):
    """Create the model which consists of
    a bidirectional rnn (GRU(10)) followed by a dense classifier

    Args:
        graph (tf.Graph): Tensors' graph
        input_tensor (tf.Tensor): Tensor fed as input to the model

    Returns:
        tf.Tensor: the model's output layer Tensor
    """
    cell = tf.nn.rnn_cell.GRUCell(10)
    with graph.as_default():
        ((fw_outputs, bw_outputs), (fw_state, bw_state)) = tf.nn.bidirectional_dynamic_rnn(
            cell_fw=cell,
            cell_bw=cell,
            inputs=input_tensor,
            sequence_length=[10] * 32,
            dtype=tf.float32,
            swap_memory=True,
            scope=None)
        outputs = tf.concat((fw_outputs, bw_outputs), 2)
        mean = tf.reduce_mean(outputs, axis=1)
        dense = tf.layers.dense(mean, 5, activation=None)

        return dense


def get_opt_op(graph, logits, labels_tensor):
    """Create optimization operation from model's logits and labels

    Args:
        graph (tf.Graph): Tensors' graph
        logits (tf.Tensor): The model's output without activation
        labels_tensor (tf.Tensor): Target labels

    Returns:
        tf.Operation: the operation performing a stem of Adam optimizer
    """
    with graph.as_default():
        with tf.variable_scope('loss'):
            loss = tf.reduce_mean(tf.nn.softmax_cross_entropy_with_logits(
                    logits=logits, labels=labels_tensor, name='xent'),
                    name="mean-xent"
                    )
        with tf.variable_scope('optimizer'):
            opt_op = tf.train.AdamOptimizer(1e-2).minimize(loss)
        return opt_op


if __name__ == '__main__':
    # Set random seed for reproducibility
    # and create synthetic data
    np.random.seed(0)
    features = np.random.randn(64, 10, 30)
    labels = np.eye(5)[np.random.randint(0, 5, (64,))]

    graph1 = tf.Graph()
    with graph1.as_default():
        # Random seed for reproducibility
        tf.set_random_seed(0)
        # Placeholders
        batch_size_ph = tf.placeholder(tf.int64, name='batch_size_ph')
        features_data_ph = tf.placeholder(tf.float32, [None, None, 30], 'features_data_ph')
        labels_data_ph = tf.placeholder(tf.int32, [None, 5], 'labels_data_ph')
        # Dataset
        dataset = tf.data.Dataset.from_tensor_slices((features_data_ph, labels_data_ph))
        dataset = dataset.batch(batch_size_ph)
        iterator = tf.data.Iterator.from_structure(dataset.output_types, dataset.output_shapes)
        dataset_init_op = iterator.make_initializer(dataset, name='dataset_init')
        input_tensor, labels_tensor = iterator.get_next()

        # Model
        logits = model(graph1, input_tensor)
        # Optimization
        opt_op = get_opt_op(graph1, logits, labels_tensor)

        with tf.Session(graph=graph1) as sess:
            # Initialize variables
            tf.global_variables_initializer().run(session=sess)
            for epoch in range(3):
                batch = 0
                # Initialize dataset (could feed epochs in Dataset.repeat(epochs))
                sess.run(
                    dataset_init_op,
                    feed_dict={
                        features_data_ph: features,
                        labels_data_ph: labels,
                        batch_size_ph: 32
                    })
                values = []
                while True:
                    try:
                        if epoch < 2:
                            # Training
                            _, value = sess.run([opt_op, logits])
                            print('Epoch {}, batch {} | Sample value: {}'.format(epoch, batch, value[0]))
                            batch += 1
                        else:
                            # Final inference
                            values.append(sess.run(logits))
                            print('Epoch {}, batch {} | Final inference | Sample value: {}'.format(epoch, batch, values[-1][0]))
                            batch += 1
                    except tf.errors.OutOfRangeError:
                        break
            # Save model state
            print('\nSaving...')
            cwd = os.getcwd()
            path = os.path.join(cwd, 'simple')
            shutil.rmtree(path, ignore_errors=True)
            inputs_dict = {
                "batch_size_ph": batch_size_ph,
                "features_data_ph": features_data_ph,
                "labels_data_ph": labels_data_ph
            }
            outputs_dict = {
                "logits": logits
            }
            tf.saved_model.simple_save(
                sess, path, inputs_dict, outputs_dict
            )
            print('Ok')
    # Restoring
    graph2 = tf.Graph()
    with graph2.as_default():
        with tf.Session(graph=graph2) as sess:
            # Restore saved values
            print('\nRestoring...')
            tf.saved_model.loader.load(
                sess,
                [tag_constants.SERVING],
                path
            )
            print('Ok')
            # Get restored placeholders
            labels_data_ph = graph2.get_tensor_by_name('labels_data_ph:0')
            features_data_ph = graph2.get_tensor_by_name('features_data_ph:0')
            batch_size_ph = graph2.get_tensor_by_name('batch_size_ph:0')
            # Get restored model output
            restored_logits = graph2.get_tensor_by_name('dense/BiasAdd:0')
            # Get dataset initializing operation
            dataset_init_op = graph2.get_operation_by_name('dataset_init')

            # Initialize restored dataset
            sess.run(
                dataset_init_op,
                feed_dict={
                    features_data_ph: features,
                    labels_data_ph: labels,
                    batch_size_ph: 32
                }

            )
            # Compute inference for both batches in dataset
            restored_values = []
            for i in range(2):
                restored_values.append(sess.run(restored_logits))
                print('Restored values: ', restored_values[i][0])

    # Check if original inference and restored inference are equal
    valid = all((v == rv).all() for v, rv in zip(values, restored_values))
    print('\nInferences match: ', valid)

This will print:

$ python3 save_and_restore.py

Epoch 0, batch 0 | Sample value: [-0.13851789 -0.3087595   0.12804556  0.20013677 -0.08229901]
Epoch 0, batch 1 | Sample value: [-0.00555491 -0.04339041 -0.05111827 -0.2480045  -0.00107776]
Epoch 1, batch 0 | Sample value: [-0.19321944 -0.2104792  -0.00602257  0.07465433  0.11674127]
Epoch 1, batch 1 | Sample value: [-0.05275984  0.05981954 -0.15913513 -0.3244143   0.10673307]
Epoch 2, batch 0 | Final inference | Sample value: [-0.26331693 -0.13013336 -0.12553    -0.04276478  0.2933622 ]
Epoch 2, batch 1 | Final inference | Sample value: [-0.07730117  0.11119192 -0.20817074 -0.35660955  0.16990358]

Saving...
INFO:tensorflow:Assets added to graph.
INFO:tensorflow:No assets to write.
INFO:tensorflow:SavedModel written to: b'/some/path/simple/saved_model.pb'
Ok

Restoring...
INFO:tensorflow:Restoring parameters from b'/some/path/simple/variables/variables'
Ok
Restored values:  [-0.26331693 -0.13013336 -0.12553    -0.04276478  0.2933622 ]
Restored values:  [-0.07730117  0.11119192 -0.20817074 -0.35660955  0.16990358]

Inferences match:  True

I am improving my answer to add more details for saving and restoring models.

In(and after) Tensorflow version 0.11:

Save the model:

import tensorflow as tf

#Prepare to feed input, i.e. feed_dict and placeholders
w1 = tf.placeholder("float", name="w1")
w2 = tf.placeholder("float", name="w2")
b1= tf.Variable(2.0,name="bias")
feed_dict ={w1:4,w2:8}

#Define a test operation that we will restore
w3 = tf.add(w1,w2)
w4 = tf.multiply(w3,b1,name="op_to_restore")
sess = tf.Session()
sess.run(tf.global_variables_initializer())

#Create a saver object which will save all the variables
saver = tf.train.Saver()

#Run the operation by feeding input
print sess.run(w4,feed_dict)
#Prints 24 which is sum of (w1+w2)*b1 

#Now, save the graph
saver.save(sess, 'my_test_model',global_step=1000)

Restore the model:

import tensorflow as tf

sess=tf.Session()    
#First let's load meta graph and restore weights
saver = tf.train.import_meta_graph('my_test_model-1000.meta')
saver.restore(sess,tf.train.latest_checkpoint('./'))


# Access saved Variables directly
print(sess.run('bias:0'))
# This will print 2, which is the value of bias that we saved


# Now, let's access and create placeholders variables and
# create feed-dict to feed new data

graph = tf.get_default_graph()
w1 = graph.get_tensor_by_name("w1:0")
w2 = graph.get_tensor_by_name("w2:0")
feed_dict ={w1:13.0,w2:17.0}

#Now, access the op that you want to run. 
op_to_restore = graph.get_tensor_by_name("op_to_restore:0")

print sess.run(op_to_restore,feed_dict)
#This will print 60 which is calculated 

This and some more advanced use-cases have been explained very well here.

A quick complete tutorial to save and restore Tensorflow models

In (and after) TensorFlow version 0.11.0RC1, you can save and restore your model directly by calling tf.train.export_meta_graph and tf.train.import_meta_graph according to https://www.tensorflow.org/programmers_guide/meta_graph.

Save the model

w1 = tf.Variable(tf.truncated_normal(shape=[10]), name='w1')
w2 = tf.Variable(tf.truncated_normal(shape=[20]), name='w2')
tf.add_to_collection('vars', w1)
tf.add_to_collection('vars', w2)
saver = tf.train.Saver()
sess = tf.Session()
sess.run(tf.global_variables_initializer())
saver.save(sess, 'my-model')
# `save` method will call `export_meta_graph` implicitly.
# you will get saved graph files:my-model.meta

Restore the model

sess = tf.Session()
new_saver = tf.train.import_meta_graph('my-model.meta')
new_saver.restore(sess, tf.train.latest_checkpoint('./'))
all_vars = tf.get_collection('vars')
for v in all_vars:
    v_ = sess.run(v)
    print(v_)

For TensorFlow version < 0.11.0RC1:

The checkpoints that are saved contain values for the Variables in your model, not the model/graph itself, which means that the graph should be the same when you restore the checkpoint.

Here’s an example for a linear regression where there’s a training loop that saves variable checkpoints and an evaluation section that will restore variables saved in a prior run and compute predictions. Of course, you can also restore variables and continue training if you’d like.

x = tf.placeholder(tf.float32)
y = tf.placeholder(tf.float32)

w = tf.Variable(tf.zeros([1, 1], dtype=tf.float32))
b = tf.Variable(tf.ones([1, 1], dtype=tf.float32))
y_hat = tf.add(b, tf.matmul(x, w))

...more setup for optimization and what not...

saver = tf.train.Saver()  # defaults to saving all variables - in this case w and b

with tf.Session() as sess:
    sess.run(tf.initialize_all_variables())
    if FLAGS.train:
        for i in xrange(FLAGS.training_steps):
            ...training loop...
            if (i + 1) % FLAGS.checkpoint_steps == 0:
                saver.save(sess, FLAGS.checkpoint_dir + 'model.ckpt',
                           global_step=i+1)
    else:
        # Here's where you're restoring the variables w and b.
        # Note that the graph is exactly as it was when the variables were
        # saved in a prior training run.
        ckpt = tf.train.get_checkpoint_state(FLAGS.checkpoint_dir)
        if ckpt and ckpt.model_checkpoint_path:
            saver.restore(sess, ckpt.model_checkpoint_path)
        else:
            ...no checkpoint found...

        # Now you can run the model to get predictions
        batch_x = ...load some data...
        predictions = sess.run(y_hat, feed_dict={x: batch_x})

Here are the docs for Variables, which cover saving and restoring. And here are the docs for the Saver.

My environment: Python 3.6, Tensorflow 1.3.0

Though there have been many solutions, most of them is based on tf.train.Saver. When we load a .ckpt saved by Saver, we have to either redefine the tensorflow network or use some weird and hard-remembered name, e.g. 'placehold_0:0','dense/Adam/Weight:0'. Here I recommend to use tf.saved_model, one simplest example given below, your can learn more from Serving a TensorFlow Model:

Save the model:

import tensorflow as tf

# define the tensorflow network and do some trains
x = tf.placeholder("float", name="x")
w = tf.Variable(2.0, name="w")
b = tf.Variable(0.0, name="bias")

h = tf.multiply(x, w)
y = tf.add(h, b, name="y")
sess = tf.Session()
sess.run(tf.global_variables_initializer())

# save the model
export_path =  './savedmodel'
builder = tf.saved_model.builder.SavedModelBuilder(export_path)

tensor_info_x = tf.saved_model.utils.build_tensor_info(x)
tensor_info_y = tf.saved_model.utils.build_tensor_info(y)

prediction_signature = (
  tf.saved_model.signature_def_utils.build_signature_def(
      inputs={'x_input': tensor_info_x},
      outputs={'y_output': tensor_info_y},
      method_name=tf.saved_model.signature_constants.PREDICT_METHOD_NAME))

builder.add_meta_graph_and_variables(
  sess, [tf.saved_model.tag_constants.SERVING],
  signature_def_map={
      tf.saved_model.signature_constants.DEFAULT_SERVING_SIGNATURE_DEF_KEY:
          prediction_signature 
  },
  )
builder.save()

Load the model:

import tensorflow as tf
sess=tf.Session() 
signature_key = tf.saved_model.signature_constants.DEFAULT_SERVING_SIGNATURE_DEF_KEY
input_key = 'x_input'
output_key = 'y_output'

export_path =  './savedmodel'
meta_graph_def = tf.saved_model.loader.load(
           sess,
          [tf.saved_model.tag_constants.SERVING],
          export_path)
signature = meta_graph_def.signature_def

x_tensor_name = signature[signature_key].inputs[input_key].name
y_tensor_name = signature[signature_key].outputs[output_key].name

x = sess.graph.get_tensor_by_name(x_tensor_name)
y = sess.graph.get_tensor_by_name(y_tensor_name)

y_out = sess.run(y, {x: 3.0})