offline processing

Offline is a mode of operation in which computers, other terminals or receiving equipment are not connected to a network - this can be a data network, the Internet, a telephone network, a mobile network or even a transmitter network.

Offline operation is an indirect, independent operation in which the computers or data processing equipment are not connected to the transmission paths used for data transmission. There is no direct connection between the inputs to the data terminal and the responses from the computer. If the devices are connected to the transmission paths and are actively controlled by the transmitted data and commands, this is called online operation.

In offline operation, the data is first stored on data carriers before it is used for processing or evaluation. In this way, fast central processing units( CPU) can work independently of slow peripheral devices. A typical example is offline printouts from printers. Here, the transmitted data is stored in the buffer of the printer and then printed out.