the final stage in a process or a task not apparent to the user. A common usage is in a compiler. A compiler's back-end generates machine language and performs optimizations specific to the machine's architecture. The term can also be used in the context of Open System Interconnect (OSI) network applications. A standard for layering of protocols (protocol stack) to implement it were was developed in 1978 as a framework for international standards in heterogeneous computer network architecture. The architecture is split between seven layers (lowest to highest):
1. physical layer
2. data link layer
3. network layer
4. transport layer
5. session layer
6. presentation layer
7. application layer
Generally each layer uses the layer immediately below it and provides a service to the layer above in a "back ended" way.
In the third generation of network computing, web servers perform back-end database computing where its controlled and managed. But third generation computing takes advantage of the new interactive server/client interactive technology like Sun's Java and Microsoft's Microsoft's ActiveX/CORBA . Users on the client side want to interact in various ways such as perform sensitivity (what-if) type of analyses.