Backpressure
A flow-control mechanism that constrains upstream work when downstream processing capacity cannot keep pace with the incoming load.
Boundaries
Backpressure is not synonymous with rate limiting. Backpressure reacts to downstream capacity, whereas rate limiting usually enforces an admission rate according to policy.
Related Concepts
- Flow Control
- Rate Limiting
- Load Shedding
- Tail Latency
- Queueing Theory