Multi-step agent runs combine model reasoning with sandbox code execution, document OCR, web search, and external connectors. Agentic OS normalizes these primitives into a single unit (`hive_acu`) while direct Grid API calls continue to bill per 1M input/output tokens.
Agentic OS (Forward HIVE) Agent Compute Unit (hive_acu) conversion primitives and reference rates| Primitive / operation | Metered unit | ACU per metered unit | Notes |
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| hive.agent.task.basic | per task | 0.20 ACU | Single-turn or lightweight classification, routing, and structured formatting task. |
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| hive.agent.task.standard | per task | 0.50 ACU | Standard multi-step agent execution with retrieval, tool calls, and verification. |
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| hive.agent.task.complex | per task | 1.50 ACU | Deep research, long-document synthesis, or multi-hop reasoning across large context. |
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| hive.agent.task.Workflow | per workflow | 3.00 ACU | End-to-end orchestrated multi-stage workflow with checkpointing and terminal audit. |
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| hive.tool.execution | per call | 0.10 ACU | Authenticated connector call, MCP tool invocation, or structured external API action. |
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| hive.sandbox.execution | per second | 0.05 ACU | Isolated code interpreter or document-processing sandbox compute time. |
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| hive.browser.session | per minute | 0.10 ACU | Managed headless browser automation session with DOM snapshot and action controls. |
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| hive.Compute.cpu_hour | per CPU hour | 0.20 ACU | Dedicated background worker compute for long-running data or indexing jobs. |
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| hive.storage.gb_month | per GB-month | 0.05 ACU | Encrypted tenant vault storage, indexed document chunks, and persisted run artifacts. |
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| hive.trigger.webhook | per event | 0.02 ACU | Inbound webhook trigger that validates payload signatures and dispatches a durable run. |
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| hive.trigger.schedule | per firing | 0.02 ACU | Scheduled cron or recurring automation run on an isolated `thrd_autorun_*` thread. |
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| hive.subagent.spawn | per sub-agent | 0.50 ACU | Spawning an isolated specialist sub-agent with its own scoped context and tool policy. |
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| hive.subagent.message | per message | 0.05 ACU | Structured inter-agent handoff or verification message between parent and sub-agent. |
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Worked example, subject to your metering schedule.
If your agreement meters these separately, one standard task (0.50 ACU), two tool calls (2 × 0.10 ACU) and ten sandbox seconds (10 × 0.05 ACU) total 1.20 ACU. This is illustrative arithmetic, not a customer invoice or a USD quote. Included operations are not added a second time.
Your agreement confirms the monetary ACU rate, effective date, included model inference, external-tool charges, retained resources, paused runs, retries, overages and limits. Inference included in an ACU package must not also receive a token charge. Direct Grid calls retain their separate effective terms.