back pressure
Upstream force buildup
Back pressure is the resistance that opposes the flow of fluid, gas, or data through a system.
In plumbing and engines, it's the pressure pushing against exhaust or drainage: Poor ventilation created back pressure in the pipes.
In computing and distributed systems, back pressure is a flow-control mechanism where downstream components signal upstream ones to slow down when overwhelmed: The server implemented back pressure to prevent the queue from overflowing.
The term appears in any domain where throughput must be regulated to prevent system failure.
- counterforceMilitary-targeted strike capability
- feedback loopSelf-modifying cyclical process
- fluid dynamicsScience of flowing matter
- exhaust manifoldEngine's waste gas collector
- bottleneckConstriction limiting throughput
choke point · cavitation · psychological barriers · traffic jam · throttling · relief valve · turbulent flow · pushback · queue management · load balancing · flow control · resistance
- fluid dynamicsfluid mechanics, fluid flow, turbulence, fluid motion, streamlines
back pressurefree flow
Unhindered continuous movement
suction · negative pressure · vacuum · zero resistance · positive pressure
back pressurefree passage
Unhindered right to travel
open system · venting · blowdown · pressure relief · decompression
back, pressure, backs, backed, backing, backer, backers, backward, backwards