Backpressure
Managing system load when demand exceeds capacity.
What is Backpressure?
Backpressure is the mechanism for handling overload:
- Slow down producers when consumers can’t keep up
- Prevent system collapse
- Maintain quality of service
Backpressure Signals
The platform signals overload through:
- HTTP 429 (Too Many Requests)
- Increased latency
- Queue depth metrics
- Explicit backpressure headers
Client Behavior
When receiving backpressure signals:
- Reduce sending rate
- Implement exponential backoff
- Buffer locally if possible
- Shed load if necessary
Rate Limiting
Rate limits protect the system:
- Per-tenant limits
- Per-device limits
- API rate limits
- Burst allowances
Queue Management
Internal queues buffer spikes:
- Bounded queue sizes
- Overflow policies
- Priority handling
Graceful Degradation
Under extreme load:
- Prioritize critical data
- Defer non-essential processing
- Maintain core functionality
- Alert operators
Monitoring
Track backpressure indicators:
- Queue depths
- Rejection rates
- Client retries
- Processing latency
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