Budget Accountability (Score 1, Interesting)

SUN seems to have missed the mark. Even in research, budgets are an issue. If an organization has n dollars to spend in solving a problem, results are expected using n dollars. When you purchase equipment, you can re-compile /re-run the job without adding to your expenses. In order to properly budget a research task (in terms of CPU time) you must know the amount of time required to solve the problem. If you are responsible for the decision to use the SUN Grid and your problem takes longer to run than expected (even at $1/CPU/hour) you could get intro trouble.

For example:
A problem that runs 25% longer than expected
Budgeted: 10,000 CPUS x 16 hours = $160,000
Actual: 10,000 CPUS x 20 hours = $200,000

This 4-hour / $40,000 overrun could prove detrimental to one's career.