Expert: Scottgem - 5/19/2004

Question
Could ypu define what real-time processing means, and on-line processing?
Also what is the differences between the two?

Answer
From whatis.com (a great glossary of computer terms)

Real time is a level of computer responsiveness that a user senses as sufficiently immediate or that enables the computer to keep up with some external process (for example, to present visualizations of the weather as it constantly changes). Real-time is an adjective pertaining to computers or processes that operate in real time. Real time describes a human rather than a machine sense of time.

In the days when mainframe batch computers were predominant, an expression for a mainframe that interacted immediately with users working from connected terminals was online in real time.

Online is the condition of being connected to a network of computers or other devices. The term is frequently used to describe someone who is currently connected to the Internet.

Comparing the two is apples and oranges. Online generally refers to something done while connected to the Internet. Realtime processing refers to transactions that are performed immediately.

In the past, transactions were processed in either real time or batch. For example; someone might order airline tickets. A telephone operator would take the order, punch the info into a terminal where it would be stored until enough transactions were accumulated and then they would be processed. Now, most transactions are done real time, where the tickets are entered into the system and registered immediately.

Hope this helps,
Scott<>

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