When should I use batch vs real-time?

Batch: high volume, not time-sensitive, resource-intensive, natural grouping (daily, monthly). Real-time: user-facing, time-sensitive, low volume, event-driven.

What if a batch job fails midway?

Design for restart: checkpoint progress, idempotent processing (safe to rerun items), skip/retry failed items, detailed logging. Don't start from scratch.

How do I handle batch job dependencies?

Use orchestration tools (Airflow, Step Functions). Define dependencies explicitly. Build in wait/retry for upstream jobs. Monitor the full chain, not just individual jobs.

How long should batch windows be?

Depends on volume and complexity. Allow buffer for growth and retries. If jobs regularly hit window limits, optimise or split. Monitor actual vs allocated time.

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Batch Processing

Processing multiple items or transactions together as a group, typically scheduled for off-peak times.

In-Depth Explanation

Batch processing handles multiple items together as a batch rather than individually in real-time. It's efficient for high-volume, non-time-sensitive processing.

Batch characteristics:

Grouped: Many items processed together
Scheduled: Runs at defined times
Efficient: Optimised for throughput
Non-real-time: Delayed from trigger

Common batch scenarios:

Nightly data synchronisation
Monthly billing runs
Report generation
Data imports/exports
Bulk communications
System reconciliation

Batch considerations:

Window timing (when to run)
Volume handling (how much)
Error management (partial failures)
Restart/resume capability
Monitoring and logging

Business Context

Batch processing efficiently handles high volumes, reduces system load during business hours, and is cost-effective for non-urgent processing.

How Clever Ops Uses This

We design batch processing for Australian businesses, optimising for overnight windows and ensuring reliable, restartable batch jobs.

Example Use Case

"Nightly batch job that processes all daily transactions: validates data, updates accounts, generates reports, and emails summaries before business opens."