batch operation system (BOS)
Batch processing(BOS) is a type of operating system processing that dates back to the early days of data processing. Programs and data are entered into the computer and processed by it in a connected "batch", i.e. not individually, one after the other.
In most cases, the data is processed in several successive program runs. As soon as the job has been transferred to the computer system, the user can no longer intervene in the program sequence. The opposite to this is the dialog mode, where the user can actively intervene in the program sequence.
The term batch processing can be traced back to the beginning of electronic data processing, when data was still entered via a stack of punched cards. The data processing systems processed these stacks with a program. Only then did the actual processing, storage and output begin.
Operating systems for batch processing include OS/390, z/OS and MVS from IBM, and BS2000 from Siemens.