The term ‘batch job’ originated in the days of mainframe computers when users entered programs onto punch cards. The user would give a batch of these programmed cards to the system operator, who would then feed them into the computer.

The definition and usage of batching has undergone changes in recent years, and we are finding new ways to perform these tasks. At its core, though, background processing will never die. Whether for routine organizational processes, like payroll, or to keep servers from being tied up during the workday, batch jobs will be essential for years to come.

With this in mind, we have put together this introduction to batching and batch jobs, with a focus on how they’ll maintain their value for enterprises and employee workflows.

How does batching work?

In the simplest terms, a batch job is a scheduled program that is assigned to run on a computer without further user interaction. Batch jobs are often queued up during working hours, then executed during the evening or weekend when the computer is idle.

Once the batch job is submitted, the job enters into a queue where it waits until the system is ready to process the job. If the job queue contains many jobs waiting to be processed, the system processes the jobs either in chronological order or by priority.

Batch jobs are frequently used to automate tasks that need to be performed on a regular basis, like payroll, but don’t necessarily need to occur during the day or have an employee interacted with the system. Jobs that happen on a regular basis are incorporated into batch schedules.

In some computer systems, batch jobs run in the background while interactive programs run in the foreground, giving these interactive programs priority over batch programs. This makes sense because batch jobs are provided with more allocated memory than those performed in the foreground. They are used to process high volumes of data that would normally consume long-term memory if run in the foreground.

The most valuable benefits of batch jobs include:

• Large programs can utilize more dedicated servers when the work processes are in night mode.
• With fewer users or employees online during off hours, the performance will be faster and more efficient at night. During the day it could be restricted to fewer servers and numbers needed.
• Employees are freed up to focus on less repeatable, more creative tasks.

Batch job use cases

Traditional batch jobs are still highly relevant activities in almost every business computing environment to this day despite the advances in modern technologies.

A telephone billing application is a perfect example of a batch job. First, the application reads the phone call records from the enterprise information system. Then, the app generates a monthly bill for each customer account. This type of task can run without anyone interfering with it.

Other common uses of batch jobs include: