1.1. What are batch applications?

The most common scenario for a batch application is exporting data to files from one system and processing them in another. Imagine you want to exchange data between two systems: you export data as files from system A and then import the data into a database on system B. Figure 1.1 illustrates this example.

Figure 1.1. A typical batch application: system A exports data to flat files, and system B uses a batch process to read the files into a database.