A computon is a combined unit of computing power, including
processor cycles,
memory
Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered ...
,
disk storage
Disk storage (also sometimes called drive storage) is a general category of storage mechanisms where data is recorded by various electronic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical changes to a surface layer of one or more rotating disks. A disk drive is ...
and
bandwidth, proposed in 2005 by researchers at
Hewlett-Packard, with the word being a cross between "
computation
Computation is any type of arithmetic or non-arithmetic calculation that follows a well-defined model (e.g., an algorithm).
Mechanical or electronic devices (or, historically, people) that perform computations are known as '' computers''. An esp ...
" and "
photon
A photon () is an elementary particle that is a quantum of the electromagnetic field, including electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves, and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force. Photons are Massless particle, massless ...
", the name for a packet of
electromagnetic energy
In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge. It is the second-strongest of the four fundamental interactions, after the strong force, and it is the dominant force in the interactions o ...
. HP hoped that the computon would become the computing industry's equivalent to
public utility
A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and ...
's
watt-hour
A kilowatt-hour ( unit symbol: kW⋅h or kW h; commonly written as kWh) is a unit of energy: one kilowatt of power for one hour. In terms of SI derived units with special names, it equals 3.6 megajoules (MJ). Kilowatt-hours are a common bi ...
.
See also
*
Computron
*
Grid computing
Grid computing is the use of widely distributed computer resources to reach a common goal. A computing grid can be thought of as a distributed system with non-interactive workloads that involve many files. Grid computing is distinguished from ...
*
Distributed computing
A distributed system is a system whose components are located on different networked computers, which communicate and coordinate their actions by passing messages to one another from any system. Distributed computing is a field of computer sci ...
*
Computronium
Computronium is a material hypothesized by Norman Margolus and Tommaso Toffoli of MIT in 1991 to be used as " programmable matter", a substrate for computer modeling of virtually any real object.
It also refers to a arrangement of matter that ...
References
Who wants to buy a computon? The Economist, 12 March 2005 ''Grid computing: Electricity is sold by the kilowatt-hour. Now a researcher has proposed that computing power should be sold by the computon''
* {{cite web , url=http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/itspending/story/0,10801,81522,00.html , title=HP takes new pricing path for utility-based computing - It plans to measure on-demand IT services with a 'computon' metric , first=Thomas , last=Hoffman , date=May 26, 2003 , website=
Computerworld
''Computerworld'' (abbreviated as CW) is an ongoing decades old professional publication which in 2014 "went digital." Its audience is information technology (IT) and business technology professionals, and is available via a publication website ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030624090635/http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/itspending/story/0,10801,81522,00.html , archive-date=24 June 2003 , url-status=dead
External links
Sun Power Units
Computer performance