Batch work is an old method of processing data through a computer program or set of programs. It was developed to allocate processing power and system resources evenly throughout the day when mainframe computers were expensive. Batch jobs are still used today for tasks such as printing and cleaning temporary files. IBM has developed software systems for large batch processing, and every desktop operating system includes some means of scheduling batch jobs. Scripting languages and scheduling daemons have also evolved to facilitate the preparation and organization of batch jobs.
Batch work is probably one of the oldest methods of using and managing computer resources. Quite simply, a user collects a certain amount of data, usually in the form of files, and sets up a batch job to run all those files through a particular computer program or set of programs simultaneously. In contrast to an interactive computer session, in which the user actively sends commands and receives input requests from the computer, the batch job encompasses all the work the user wanted to do on those files and data in a single operation.
In the early days of computing, huge mainframe computers were expensive to own and run. As a result, batch work was conceived as a way for users to submit a job to a computer for processing that could allocate processing power and system resources evenly throughout the day. Eventually, as mainframes hired remote users via terminals, the normal workday featured more interactive sessions which kept the mainframe busy. The batch jobs were then scheduled in queues to operate at night. This way, the cost of these expensive computer systems was better justified.
As the information technology industry has continued to thrive and computers have spread to the desktop, batch work has continued to remain a staple of computer use, although many batch jobs are invisible to most computer users typical desktops. Some of the more common batch jobs that can be overlooked are simple processes that happen behind the scenes every day. Batch printing is a form of batch job where documents are sent to a printer and scheduled for output. Another typical batch job is cleaning temporary files that are accumulated during the use of various computer programs throughout the day.
There are other types of batch jobs that can process multiple files according to user-defined specifications. Image manipulation programs have built-in batch processing methods that allow the user to perform repetitive operations on a mass of images. In other broader contexts, batch processing is also responsible for numerous task-related tasks. Computer generated reports at the end of the day, summarizing all collected data, are a common batch job performed. Busy databases also accept batch jobs so that when large amounts of collected data could stress the database, it can be added to the database in batches.
As a result of the utility of batch work, additional techniques for working with batches continue to evolve. IBM® has developed operating systems and entire software systems for its computing platforms that are specifically geared towards large batch processing and scheduling tasks. Every desktop computer operating system also includes some means of scheduling or working with batch jobs. Scripting languages have evolved that facilitate the preparation and organization of batch jobs that require the use of multiple software programs, and scheduling daemons such as UNIX cron or Microsoft® job scheduler can run a batch job as a user specific with unique permissions for security purposes.
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