fix safe chunks validation

doc/whats-new.rst

@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ Bug fixes
   <https://github.com/spencerkclark>`_.
 - Fix a few bugs affecting groupby reductions with `flox`. (:issue:`8090`, :issue:`9398`).
   By `Deepak Cherian <https://github.com/dcherian>`_.
-
+- Fix the safe_chunks validation option on the to_zarr method
+  (:issue:`5511`, :pull:`9513`). By `Joseph Nowak
+  <https://github.com/josephnowak>`_.
 
 Documentation
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

xarray/backends/zarr.py

@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def __getitem__(self, key):
         # could possibly have a work-around for 0d data here
 
 
-def _determine_zarr_chunks(enc_chunks, var_chunks, ndim, name, safe_chunks):
+def _determine_zarr_chunks(enc_chunks, var_chunks, ndim, name, safe_chunks, region):
     """
     Given encoding chunks (possibly None or []) and variable chunks
     (possibly None or []).
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def _determine_zarr_chunks(enc_chunks, var_chunks, ndim, name, safe_chunks):
 
     if len(enc_chunks_tuple) != ndim:
         # throw away encoding chunks, start over
-        return _determine_zarr_chunks(None, var_chunks, ndim, name, safe_chunks)
+        return _determine_zarr_chunks(None, var_chunks, ndim, name, safe_chunks, region)
 
     for x in enc_chunks_tuple:
         if not isinstance(x, int):
@@ -189,20 +189,38 @@ def _determine_zarr_chunks(enc_chunks, var_chunks, ndim, name, safe_chunks):
     # TODO: incorporate synchronizer to allow writes from multiple dask
     # threads
     if var_chunks and enc_chunks_tuple:
-        for zchunk, dchunks in zip(enc_chunks_tuple, var_chunks, strict=True):
-            for dchunk in dchunks[:-1]:
+        base_error = (
+            f"Specified zarr chunks encoding['chunks']={enc_chunks_tuple!r} for "
+            f"variable named {name!r} would overlap multiple dask chunks {var_chunks!r}. "
+            f"Writing this array in parallel with dask could lead to corrupted data."
+            f"Consider either rechunking using `chunk()`, deleting "
+            f"or modifying `encoding['chunks']`, or specify `safe_chunks=False`."
+        )
+
+        for zchunk, dchunks, interval in zip(
+            enc_chunks_tuple, var_chunks, region, strict=True
+        ):
+            if not safe_chunks or len(dchunks) <= 1:
+                # It is not necessary to perform any additional validation if the
+                # safe_chunks is False, or there are less than two dchunks
+                continue
+
+            start = 0
+            if interval.start:
+                # If the start of the interval is not None or 0, it means that the data
+                # is being appended or updated, and in both cases it is mandatory that
+                # the residue of the division between the first dchunk and the zchunk
+                # being equal to the border size
+                border_size = zchunk - interval.start % zchunk
+                if dchunks[0] % zchunk != border_size:
+                    raise ValueError(base_error)
+                # Avoid validating the first chunk inside the loop
+                start = 1
+
+            for dchunk in dchunks[start:-1]:
                 if dchunk % zchunk:
-                    base_error = (
-                        f"Specified zarr chunks encoding['chunks']={enc_chunks_tuple!r} for "
-                        f"variable named {name!r} would overlap multiple dask chunks {var_chunks!r}. "
-                        f"Writing this array in parallel with dask could lead to corrupted data."
-                    )
-                    if safe_chunks:
-                        raise ValueError(
-                            base_error
-                            + " Consider either rechunking using `chunk()`, deleting "
-                            "or modifying `encoding['chunks']`, or specify `safe_chunks=False`."
-                        )
+                    raise ValueError(base_error)
+
         return enc_chunks_tuple
 
     raise AssertionError("We should never get here. Function logic must be wrong.")
@@ -243,14 +261,15 @@ def _get_zarr_dims_and_attrs(zarr_obj, dimension_key, try_nczarr):
 
 
 def extract_zarr_variable_encoding(
-    variable, raise_on_invalid=False, name=None, safe_chunks=True
+    variable, region, raise_on_invalid=False, name=None, safe_chunks=True
 ):
     """
     Extract zarr encoding dictionary from xarray Variable
 
     Parameters
     ----------
     variable : Variable
+    region: tuple[slice]
     raise_on_invalid : bool, optional
 
     Returns
@@ -285,7 +304,12 @@ def extract_zarr_variable_encoding(
                 del encoding[k]
 
     chunks = _determine_zarr_chunks(
-        encoding.get("chunks"), variable.chunks, variable.ndim, name, safe_chunks
+        encoding.get("chunks"),
+        variable.chunks,
+        variable.ndim,
+        name,
+        safe_chunks,
+        region,
     )
     encoding["chunks"] = chunks
     return encoding
@@ -762,16 +786,9 @@ def set_variables(self, variables, check_encoding_set, writer, unlimited_dims=No
             if v.encoding == {"_FillValue": None} and fill_value is None:
                 v.encoding = {}
 
-            # We need to do this for both new and existing variables to ensure we're not
-            # writing to a partial chunk, even though we don't use the `encoding` value
-            # when writing to an existing variable. See
-            # https://github.com/pydata/xarray/issues/8371 for details.
-            encoding = extract_zarr_variable_encoding(
-                v,
-                raise_on_invalid=vn in check_encoding_set,
-                name=vn,
-                safe_chunks=self._safe_chunks,
-            )
+            zarr_array = None
+            write_region = self._write_region if self._write_region is not None else {}
+            write_region = {dim: write_region.get(dim, slice(None)) for dim in dims}
 
             if name in existing_keys:
                 # existing variable
@@ -801,7 +818,36 @@ def set_variables(self, variables, check_encoding_set, writer, unlimited_dims=No
                     )
                 else:
                     zarr_array = self.zarr_group[name]
-            else:
+
+                if self._append_dim is not None and self._append_dim in dims:
+                    # resize existing variable
+                    append_axis = dims.index(self._append_dim)
+                    assert write_region[self._append_dim] == slice(None)
+                    write_region[self._append_dim] = slice(
+                        zarr_array.shape[append_axis], None
+                    )
+
+                    new_shape = list(zarr_array.shape)
+                    new_shape[append_axis] += v.shape[append_axis]
+                    zarr_array.resize(new_shape)
+
+            region = tuple(write_region[dim] for dim in dims)
+
+            # We need to do this for both new and existing variables to ensure we're not
+            # writing to a partial chunk, even though we don't use the `encoding` value
+            # when writing to an existing variable. See
+            # https://github.com/pydata/xarray/issues/8371 for details.
+            # Note: Ideally there should be two functions, one for validating the chunks and
+            # another one for extracting the encoding.
+            encoding = extract_zarr_variable_encoding(
+                v,
+                region=region,
+                raise_on_invalid=vn in check_encoding_set,
+                name=vn,
+                safe_chunks=self._safe_chunks,
+            )
+
+            if name not in existing_keys:
                 # new variable
                 encoded_attrs = {}
                 # the magic for storing the hidden dimension data
@@ -833,22 +879,6 @@ def set_variables(self, variables, check_encoding_set, writer, unlimited_dims=No
                 )
                 zarr_array = _put_attrs(zarr_array, encoded_attrs)
 
-            write_region = self._write_region if self._write_region is not None else {}
-            write_region = {dim: write_region.get(dim, slice(None)) for dim in dims}
-
-            if self._append_dim is not None and self._append_dim in dims:
-                # resize existing variable
-                append_axis = dims.index(self._append_dim)
-                assert write_region[self._append_dim] == slice(None)
-                write_region[self._append_dim] = slice(
-                    zarr_array.shape[append_axis], None
-                )
-
-                new_shape = list(zarr_array.shape)
-                new_shape[append_axis] += v.shape[append_axis]
-                zarr_array.resize(new_shape)
-
-            region = tuple(write_region[dim] for dim in dims)
             writer.add(v.data, zarr_array, region)
 
     def close(self) -> None:

xarray/tests/test_backends.py

@@ -5496,24 +5496,26 @@ def test_encode_zarr_attr_value() -> None:
 
 @requires_zarr
 def test_extract_zarr_variable_encoding() -> None:
+    # The region is not useful in these cases, but I still think that it must be mandatory
+    # because the validation of the chunks is in the same function
     var = xr.Variable("x", [1, 2])
-    actual = backends.zarr.extract_zarr_variable_encoding(var)
+    actual = backends.zarr.extract_zarr_variable_encoding(var, region=tuple())
     assert "chunks" in actual
     assert actual["chunks"] is None
 
     var = xr.Variable("x", [1, 2], encoding={"chunks": (1,)})
-    actual = backends.zarr.extract_zarr_variable_encoding(var)
+    actual = backends.zarr.extract_zarr_variable_encoding(var, region=tuple())
     assert actual["chunks"] == (1,)
 
     # does not raise on invalid
     var = xr.Variable("x", [1, 2], encoding={"foo": (1,)})
-    actual = backends.zarr.extract_zarr_variable_encoding(var)
+    actual = backends.zarr.extract_zarr_variable_encoding(var, region=tuple())
 
     # raises on invalid
     var = xr.Variable("x", [1, 2], encoding={"foo": (1,)})
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=r"unexpected encoding parameters"):
         actual = backends.zarr.extract_zarr_variable_encoding(
-            var, raise_on_invalid=True
+            var, raise_on_invalid=True, region=tuple()
         )
 
 
@@ -6096,6 +6098,56 @@ def test_zarr_region_chunk_partial_offset(tmp_path):
         store, safe_chunks=False, region="auto"
     )
 
-    # This write is unsafe, and should raise an error, but does not.
-    # with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-    #     da.isel(x=slice(5, 25)).chunk(x=(10, 10)).to_zarr(store, region="auto")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        da.isel(x=slice(5, 25)).chunk(x=(10, 10)).to_zarr(store, region="auto")
+
+
+@requires_zarr
+@requires_dask
+def test_zarr_safe_chunk_append_dim(tmp_path):
+    # https://github.com/pydata/xarray/pull/8459#issuecomment-1819417545
+    store = tmp_path / "foo.zarr"
+    data = np.ones((20,))
+    da = xr.DataArray(data, dims=["x"], coords={"x": range(20)}, name="foo").chunk(x=5)
+
+    da.isel(x=slice(0, 7)).to_zarr(store, safe_chunks=True, mode="w")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        # If the first chunk is smaller than the border size then raise an error
+        da.isel(x=slice(7, 11)).chunk(x=(2, 2)).to_zarr(
+            store, append_dim="x", safe_chunks=True
+        )
+
+    da.isel(x=slice(0, 7)).to_zarr(store, safe_chunks=True, mode="w")
+    # If the first chunk is of the size of the border size then it is valid
+    da.isel(x=slice(7, 11)).chunk(x=(3, 1)).to_zarr(
+        store, safe_chunks=True, append_dim="x"
+    )
+    assert xr.open_zarr(store)["foo"].equals(da.isel(x=slice(0, 11)))
+
+    da.isel(x=slice(0, 7)).to_zarr(store, safe_chunks=True, mode="w")
+    # If the first chunk is of the size of the border size + N * zchunk then it is valid
+    da.isel(x=slice(7, 17)).chunk(x=(8, 2)).to_zarr(
+        store, safe_chunks=True, append_dim="x"
+    )
+    assert xr.open_zarr(store)["foo"].equals(da.isel(x=slice(0, 17)))
+
+    da.isel(x=slice(0, 7)).to_zarr(store, safe_chunks=True, mode="w")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        # If the first chunk is valid but the other are not then raise an error
+        da.isel(x=slice(7, 14)).chunk(x=(3, 3, 1)).to_zarr(
+            store, append_dim="x", safe_chunks=True
+        )
+
+    da.isel(x=slice(0, 7)).to_zarr(store, safe_chunks=True, mode="w")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        # If the first chunk have a size bigger than the border size but not enough
+        # to complete the size of the next chunk then an error must be raised
+        da.isel(x=slice(7, 14)).chunk(x=(4, 3)).to_zarr(
+            store, append_dim="x", safe_chunks=True
+        )
+
+    da.isel(x=slice(0, 7)).to_zarr(store, safe_chunks=True, mode="w")
+    # Append with a single chunk it's totally valid,
+    # and it does not matter the size of the chunk
+    da.isel(x=slice(7, 19)).chunk(x=-1).to_zarr(store, append_dim="x", safe_chunks=True)
+    assert xr.open_zarr(store)["foo"].equals(da.isel(x=slice(0, 19)))