What is Batch Operating System? Advantages and Disadvantages

 


        
What is Batch Operating System? Advantages and Disadvantages
What is Batch Operating System




Computers used to be quite big devices that were controlled via a console. Generally, punch cards, line printers, tape drives, or card readers were used for output, and tape drives or card readers were used for input. The system did not provide a direct interface for users, and jobs were executed in batches. These operating systems are referred to as batched operating systems, and in order to execute a job, users must first prepare it.

In the 1950s and 1960s, operating systems, sophisticated computer design, and secondary memory devices were nonexistent. Instead, punch cards or magnetic tapes were utilized as input and output, and data was processed by massive mainframe computers. Lack of hard disks was the main issue at the time.


The earliest Single-Stream batch processing systems were introduced by General Motors Research Laboratories (GMRL) in the early 1950s. Batch or group data transmission was utilized, and it only completed one job at a time. The setup time problem is resolved by the batch operating system.


What is a Batch-Processing Operating System?

In the 1970s, the batch-processing operating system gained a lot of popularity. Jobs in a batch operating system were completed in groups. This indicates that in order to expedite processing, jobs with comparable needs are bundled and carried out collectively. When utilizing batch operating systems, users don't communicate directly with the computer. Using an offline tool, such as a punch card, each user completes their task and transmits it to the computer operator. Programmers group programs with comparable needs into batches after leaving their programs with the operator.

A real-time operating system designed for batch processing is called the Batch Operating System. It organizes a segmented architecture that allows new segments to be added without affecting the existing codebase.

Organizations that need to process huge amounts of data quickly and efficiently might benefit greatly from using a batch processing operating system (BPOS), which is made to manage and process data in batches. In contrast to interactive systems, batch processing systems function by carrying out a sequence of tasks automatically, hence increasing their speed and effectiveness. This makes BPOS especially appropriate for companies that need dependable, fast processing capabilities and often handle large amounts of data.


Why are Batch Operating Systems used?

Similar jobs were scheduled into a single batch using the Batch operating system, which allowed the batch's identical jobs to run more quickly. Since the jobs were scheduled one after the other, they execute automatically from the job spool when a job is finished, requiring no user input. The setup time problem is also resolved by the batch operating system.

The primary function of the batch operating system, which was extremely basic and always ran in memory, was to move control from one work to another.

The batch operating system also has a few significant issues:

Since the jobs were only scheduled based on similarities, we were unable to rank the jobs in order of priority.
When the operator was loading work, the CPU became idle, which prevented it from being used to its fullest capacity.


Types of Batch Operating System

The batch operating systems are mostly divided into two categories. They are listed below:

  1. Simple Batched System
  2. Multi-programmed batched system


1.Simple Batched System

In a basic batch operating system, the user executed jobs without direct interaction with the computer system. On the other hand, the user had to prepare a task that contained the program, control data, and work-specific information on control cards. The computer operator, who typically received the work in the form of a punch card, was then notified. In the event of a program error, the output of the program includes results, registers, and memory dumps. The result took a while to appear—it could take hours, minutes, or days.

Its primary function was to move control from one task to another. To increase processing speed, jobs with comparable requirements were combined and run through the processor at the same time. The program created batches with comparable needs by using the operators. When the batches become available, the computer processes them one at a time. Usually, a series of jobs with their own control codes and predetermined work tasks are read by this system.


2.Multi-programmed batched system

Numerous jobs that have already been read and are waiting to run on disk are handled by spooling. To optimize CPU utilization, the operating system can select the job to run next from a pool of jobs stored on a disk. It is not possible to execute jobs that are delivered on magnetic tape or cards straight out of order. Because jobs are completed in a first-come, first-served fashion, they run consecutively. Job scheduling is made possible by storing different jobs on a direct access device, much like a disk. Multi-programming is a crucial aspect of work schedule development. Spooling and offline operations have limits when it comes to overlapping I/O. In general, one user could not keep up with all of the CPU purchases and input/output devices at once.



To increase CPU usage, jobs are grouped in the multi-programmed batched system so that the CPU only works on one job at a time. The operating system runs multiple processes concurrently in memory. After choosing one job, the operating system starts running it in memory. Ultimately, the work has to wait for a task to finish, like attaching a tape to an I/O operation. Do not wait for the operating system to transition to another task in a multiprogramming system. The CPU is returned after the current job is finished and a job is in the wait state.

 

Working of Batch Processing Operating Systems


The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) project is creating a new, open-source operating system called Batch. An operating system that is segmented and may be assembled from smaller parts to meet specific requirements is called a batch.

Pieter Abbeel, a computer scientist at Berkeley, is the project leader and main code contributor for Batch. The batch is designed to be efficient and lightweight, with grid computing scenarios being its primary application.

As of right now, the Batch project is in the progress stage, and more work needs to be done before the operating system is functional. But there has been progress in the last few months, and the project should be finished in the upcoming year.

Batch operating systems come in a variety of forms. A frequently used kind is the scheduled batch system. This kind of system is used to manage the way a number of jobs or tasks are carried out. The concurrent batch system, the real-time batch system, and the interactive batch system are further varieties of batch systems.


Characteristics of Batch Operating System


The Batch Operating System has a number of features. Here are a few of them:


  • Here, the jobs are carried out by the CPU in the order that the operator sends them to it; this suggests that the task that was provided to the CPU first would be carried out first. It's also known as "first come, first served."
  • The command or instruction that the user and the program are to carry out is referred to as the "task."
  • An instruction set supplied by the user, consisting of different programs and instructions with several similarities, is executed by a batch operating system.
  • The OS releases memory space occupied by a task upon successful completion.
  • In a batch operating system, all commands are delivered to the operator rather than the user directly interacting with the operating system.
  • After assessing the user's instructions, the operator generates a set of instructions with comparable characteristics.

Role of Batch Operating System


Multiple tasks can be effectively managed and automated by a batch operating system without requiring continuous user intervention. Among its principal functions are:

  • Job Scheduling: Setting priorities and assigning funds to the completion of tasks.
  • Resource Allocation: Conflict-free management of CPU, memory, and I/O resources.
  • Error Handling: Recognizing and correcting mistakes made while a work is being executed.Job sequencing: Cutting down on idle time to maximize performance.
  • Managing the submission, prioritization, and termination of jobs in a queue.
  • Spooling: Managing input and output data effectively to allow for concurrent job execution.
  • Efficiency: In high-throughput settings, maximizing system efficiency is essential.
  • Batch processing: Managing recurring operations with little assistance from the user.

Example of Batch Operating System

Operating systems that process data in batches include the following:

z/OS from IBM
Burroughs MCP/BCS and Unisys MCP
Enormous businesses like banks, airlines, and government agencies that need to process large amounts of data frequently employ these systems.


Advantages

The Batch Operating System has several benefits. Here are a few of them:

  • Only batch system processors are aware of how long a job will take to finish in line, and this information is difficult to predict.
  • This technology can do big jobs with ease on multiple occasions.
  • To improve processing performance, the batch operation can be split up into multiple steps.
  • Upon completion of a process, the subsequent job from the job spool executes autonomously without requiring user input.
  • CPU usage improves.


Disadvantages

  • Since the jobs were only scheduled based on similarities, we were unable to rank the jobs in order of priority.
  • When the operator was loading work, the CPU became idle, which prevented it from being used to its fullest capacity.
  • After the job was due to be completed, there was little to no interaction.
  • The system can be in a deadlock if a task is not completed or takes a lengthy time to complete (for whatever reason).
  • In the event that a process that is currently running goes into an endless loop, all of the subsequent tasks will have to wait indefinitely.
  • Since the operator is the primary group member, they must possess a high level of knowledge and expertise.
  • Debugging the batch operating system is a really challenging task.


Conclusion

In conclusion, batch processing operating systems have a lot to offer businesses that have a lot of repetitive data processing to handle. They provide an affordable solution for demanding data processing needs by reducing errors, speeding up processing, and streamlining task management.



 
What is batch operating system?

An operating system that permits several users to utilize it simultaneously without having to communicate directly with one another is known as a batch operating system. To do this, users submit their jobs to the operating system, which handles each one individually.



What is batch processing operating system?

A batch operating system takes in user jobs, processes them one at a time, and then sends the user the results. With the help of this procedure, numerous people can use the computer simultaneously without having to wait on one another.


Batch operating system used in which generation?

Transistors and batch systems—which execute tasks in batches made up of jobs—are introduced in the second generation of operating systems. This operating system only allows for the execution of one job at a time.


What is the function of batch system?

A batch operating system's primary role is the automatic execution of tasks in batches. The major function of a batch processing system is carried out by the "Batch Monitor," which is located near the bottom of the main memory.