Streaming vs Batch Data Processing Streaming data processing handles data as soon as it appears. It keeps dashboards fresh and enables instant reactions. Batch processing collects data over a period and processes it later. Both approaches have a place in a modern data stack.
How streaming works Data arrives as events and is processed in near real time, often within small time windows. Windowing groups events into minutes or hours to compute totals, averages, or trends. The system tracks state and handles retries, late data, and out-of-order arrivals to stay accurate. How batch works Data is gathered into a dataset, then a job reads, transforms, and loads results. This approach is easier to reason about, test, and reproduce. It handles large workloads well, but results are available after the scheduled run. When to choose Real-time needs: dashboards, alerts, fraud checks. Heavy transformations or long analyses that can wait for a scheduled run. Simpler maintenance and more predictable behavior for small teams. Pros and cons Streaming pros: low latency, continuous insights, scalable with backpressure. Streaming cons: higher development effort, complex fault handling, potential late data. Batch pros: simplicity, deterministic results, easier testing. Batch cons: data freshness lags, scheduling and storage overhead. A simple example An online store uses streaming to check fraud in real time and to update stock as orders arrive. A nightly batch job summarizes revenue, customer activity, and inventory, then refreshes dashboards and reports.
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