Understanding Request Rate Measurement in SI Units

When discussing request rates, it's crucial to specify the period over which these requests are measured. Often, dashboards fail to define this period, leading to inconsistent interpretations of data. To ensure clarity, request rates should be standardized to requests per second. While some might consider using requests per minute, this approach lacks precision. Interestingly, the SI units hertz (Hz) and becquerel (Bq) both define one event per second, but they serve different contexts. Hertz is associated with regular, periodic events, making it suitable for consistent load testing. In contrast, becquerel, typically used for radioactive decay, describes events that occur on average, fitting organic traffic patterns better.

Using becquerel for request rates is not only more convenient in terms of notation but also aligns with the nature of web traffic, which can be irregular. Despite its traditional association with radioactivity, adopting becquerel for request rates could simplify communication, especially at high volumes. Although the idea of creating a new unit like 'rips' is appealing, bending existing standards like becquerel might be more pragmatic. Ultimately, while the becquerel is not officially recognized for arbitrary events, its application to request rates could become a norm, challenging the notion that it's solely for nuclear decay.