Chunk (information)

A data group is a fragment of information which is used in many multimedia file formats, such as PNG, IFF, MP3 and AVI.[1]

Each chunk contains a header which indicates some parameters (e.g. the type of chunk, comments, size etc.). Following the header is a variable area containing data, which is decoded by the program from the parameters in the header.[2] Chunks may also be fragments of information which are downloaded or managed by P2P programs.

In distributed computing, a chunk is a set of data which is sent to a processor or one of the parts of a computer for processing.