In this article, we will see that what are the types of operating systems and mainly focus on Batch Operating System.

Types of operating systems :

There are in total seven types of operating systems and their names are:

1. Batch

2. MultiProgrammed

3. Multitasking

4. Real-Time OS

5. Distributed

6. Clustered

7. Embedded

• Batch Operating System :

This operating system was mainly used in the 1960s and only a few companies or organizations have computer systems at that time (NASA. ISRO). These organizations use to load their jobs/tasks on Punch cards/ Paper tape/ magnetic tape and give it to the operator, then operator uses to converts these punch cards into different batches (that means batches of a similar kind, which have similar kind of process.) Now we get different batches let say B1, B2, B3, etc. After this these batches were given to the CPU. Now while execution of the process, a scenario may occur in which the process wants to perform some Input/output operation, so in order to do that CPU stop executing that process, until that process completes its I/O operation, but there is a problem that during I/O operation of the process the CPU becomes Ideal which was the biggest disadvantage of the Batch operating system. This operating system was basically a non-pre-emptive operating system, which means if the CPU starts executing a process it will execute it completely, no other process can be executed by it in the meantime (in simple words it was unable to do multi-processing, which almost every operating system nowadays is capable of).

Examples of Batch based Operating Systems: Payroll System, Bank Statements, etc.

The problems with Batch Systems are as follows:

• Lack of interaction between the user and the job.

• CPU is often idle because the speed of the mechanical I/O devices is slower than the CPU.

• It is difficult to provide the desired priority.

This was all about Batch Operating System