What does stream processing handle?

Stream processing is designed to manage and analyze data in real-time as it is generated, allowing for immediate insights and actions. This capability enables systems to handle new data continuously, whether it comes in as individual data points or in rolling batches of data. By processing data immediately upon arrival, stream processing is highly effective in scenarios where timely responses to data changes are critical, such as in financial trading, IoT applications, and real-time analytics.

The notion that stream processing can only handle a single section of data at a time misrepresents its capabilities. In fact, stream processing can efficiently work with a continuous influx of data. In contrast, processing all data after it has been collected over time suggests a batch processing approach, which is fundamentally different from the real-time focus of stream processing. Lastly, stream processing is highly relevant to real-time applications; thus, the statement about handling data with no relevance to such applications does not align with its purpose and functionality.