from a file to load into a database before committing the transaction. The number of messages to dequeue from a queue. The number of requests to send within one payload. Common batch processing usage Efficient bulk database updates and automated transaction processing, as contrasted to interactive online transaction processing (OLTP) applications. The extract, transform, load (ETL) step in populating data warehouses is inherently a batch process in most implementations. Performing bulk operations on digital images such as resizing, conversion, watermarking, or otherwise editing a group of image files. Converting computer files from one format to another. For example, a batch job may convert proprietary and legacy files to common standard formats for end-user queries and display. Notable batch scheduling and execution environments The IBM mainframe z/OS operating system or platform has arguably the most highly refined and evolved set of batch processing facilities owing to its origins, long history, and continuing evolution. Today such systems commonly support hundreds or even thousands of concurrent online and batch tasks within a single operating system image. Technologies that aid concurrent batch and online processing include Job Control Language (JCL), scripting languages such as REXX, Job Entry Subsystem (JES2 and JES3), Workload Manager (WLM), Automatic Restart Manager (ARM), Resource Recovery Services (RRS), IBM Db2 data sharing, Parallel Sysplex, unique performance optimizations such as HiperDispatch, I/O channel architecture, and several others. The Unix programs cron, at, and batch (today batch is a variant of at) allow for complex scheduling of jobs. Windows has a job scheduler. Most high-performance computing clusters use batch processing to maximize cluster usage. See also Background process Batch file Batch renaming - to rename lots of files automatically without human intervention, in order to save time and effort BatchPipes - for utility that increases batch performance Processing modes Production support - for batch job/schedule/stream support High-throughput computing Notes References Job scheduling