Backend
The backend handles an application’s server-side rules and data. It is more than a database or an administration screen.
Execute authoritative rules on the server
The backend is the server-side part of an application. It processes requests, checks rules and permissions, and accesses databases or other systems as needed. A database may be part of it but is not the whole backend.
In a fictional customer portal, a web interface and mobile application request the same delivery address. The backend checks each time whether the signed-in person may access that address. A valid address identifier alone is insufficient.
An administration screen is sometimes informally called a backend too. Technically, that screen also has a user interface and calls server-side functions. When defining project scope, specify whether you mean administration, server logic or both.
Sources
Related terms
- FrontendThe frontend is an application’s user-facing interface. Helpful browser feedback does not replace authoritative server-side checks.
- APIAn API defines how software can use functions or data offered by other software.
- Full-stack developmentFull-stack development covers frontend and backend work. The term describes scope, not automatically team size or staffing.
- Legacy systemAn existing system still in use, with technical and business dependencies accumulated over time.
- Multi-tenancyMulti-tenancy supports separate customer or group scopes in one solution. A tenant is not automatically one person or one database.
- Browser cacheThe browser cache stores suitable HTTP responses for later use. Reuse and revalidation follow the applicable rules.
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