Stream

Stream is a term used to describe a sequence of data elements made available over time. It is the antithesis of a “batch” that is done in a discrete amount and is typically an ordered list of information. Streams are often used in data handling, computing, communications, and other related topics.

Streams are useful for encoding, transmittal, storing and archiving data; compressing, filtering, and transforming data; and creating basic data models.

Streams have traditionally been used to represent data or signals that can be received or sent over long distances in serial (one bit at a time) or less commonly, parallel format.
Streams have also been used to represent data stored locally, such as the data stored on a disk or in memory, however with the increasing prevalence of distributed and cloud computing there has been an increasing need for data streams to be used over the Internet.

Streaming protocols are increasingly being used to allow for real-time delivery of multimedia data, such as movies, music, and online gaming information over the Internet. Streaming protocols are similar to traditional TCP/IP protocols, but can be employed in a distributed, high-speed, asynchronous fashion.

In addition to streaming applications, streams are used in programming languages and operating systems to provide a consistent and reliable way to handle data from multiple sources, typically over networks. This can include both large streams that receive data over the Internet, as well as small streams that handle specific data on local machines. Streams may be used in computer graphics to render images from multiple sources, or in financial applications to track data over multiple transactions.

Streams can be used to achieve high computational efficiency. For example, by passing data between multiple processing threads in a parallel stream, instead of a single centralized process, the amount of processing possible can be greatly increased while still maintaining a consistent stream of data.

Streams are increasingly being used in the world of cybersecurity, for the identification of malicious activities such as denial of service (DOS) attacks, network intrusions, and other forms of cyber criminality. Streams can be used to quickly identify and alert a network administrator of the malicious activity. By capturing traffic streams and examining for specific patterns or anomalies, a system can be alerted and have the relevant action taken before more damage is done.