What Is Batch Processing?

Batch processing refers to the execution of batch jobs, where data is collected, stored, and processed at scheduled intervals. For decades, batch processing has given organizations an efficient and scalable way to process large volumes of data in predefined batches or groups.

Historically, this approach to handling data has enabled numerous operational and analytics use cases across various industries. Today, however, batch-based business functions like financial transactions, data analytics, and report generation frequently require much faster insights from the underlying data. The increasing demand for near-real and real-time data processing, has led to the rise of data processing technologies like Apache Kafka® and Apache Flink®.

Let's dive into how batch processing works so you can understand the best times to use it and when to combine in with real-time streaming solutions like the Confluent data streaming platform.