diff --git a/astrai/parallel/__init__.py b/astrai/parallel/__init__.py
index 03f13bf..c04d550 100644
--- a/astrai/parallel/__init__.py
+++ b/astrai/parallel/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+from astrai.parallel.backend import (
+    AccumOptimizer,
+    AccumScheduler,
+    BackendFactory,
+    BaseTrainingBackend,
+)
 from astrai.parallel.module import ColumnParallelLinear, RowParallelLinear
 from astrai.parallel.setup import (
     get_current_device,
@@ -17,4 +23,8 @@ __all__ = [
     "spawn_parallel_fn",
     "RowParallelLinear",
     "ColumnParallelLinear",
+    "BackendFactory",
+    "BaseTrainingBackend",
+    "AccumOptimizer",
+    "AccumScheduler",
 ]
diff --git a/astrai/parallel/backend.py b/astrai/parallel/backend.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63c2d2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/astrai/parallel/backend.py
@@ -0,0 +1,183 @@
+"""Unified training backend — parallel strategy + gradient accumulation."""
+
+import contextlib
+import logging
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from typing import Optional, Tuple
+
+import torch
+import torch.nn as nn
+from torch.nn.parallel import DistributedDataParallel as DDP
+from torch.optim import Optimizer
+from torch.optim.lr_scheduler import LRScheduler
+from torch.utils.data import DataLoader
+
+from astrai.factory import BaseFactory
+from astrai.parallel.setup import get_rank, get_world_size
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class AccumOptimizer:
+    def __init__(self, optimizer: Optimizer, backend: "BaseTrainingBackend"):
+        self.optimizer = optimizer
+        self._backend = backend
+
+    def step(self, closure=None):
+        if self._backend._sync_gradients:
+            self.optimizer.step(closure)
+
+    def zero_grad(self):
+        if self._backend._sync_gradients:
+            self.optimizer.zero_grad()
+
+    @property
+    def param_groups(self):
+        return self.optimizer.param_groups
+
+    def state_dict(self):
+        return self.optimizer.state_dict()
+
+    def load_state_dict(self, d):
+        self.optimizer.load_state_dict(d)
+
+
+class AccumScheduler:
+    def __init__(self, scheduler: LRScheduler, backend: "BaseTrainingBackend"):
+        self.scheduler = scheduler
+        self._backend = backend
+
+    def step(self):
+        if self._backend._sync_gradients:
+            self.scheduler.step()
+
+    def state_dict(self):
+        return self.scheduler.state_dict()
+
+    def load_state_dict(self, d):
+        self.scheduler.load_state_dict(d)
+
+    def get_last_lr(self):
+        return self.scheduler.get_last_lr()
+
+
+class BaseTrainingBackend(ABC):
+    def __init__(self, grad_accum_steps: int = 1):
+        self.grad_accum_steps = max(grad_accum_steps, 1)
+        self._step: int = 0
+        self._sync_gradients: bool = True
+
+    def prepare(
+        self,
+        model: nn.Module,
+        optimizer: Optional[Optimizer] = None,
+        dataloader: Optional[DataLoader] = None,
+        scheduler: Optional[LRScheduler] = None,
+    ) -> Tuple[
+        nn.Module, Optional[Optimizer], Optional[DataLoader], Optional[LRScheduler]
+    ]:
+        model = self._prepare_model(model)
+        if optimizer is not None:
+            optimizer = AccumOptimizer(optimizer, self)
+        if scheduler is not None:
+            scheduler = AccumScheduler(scheduler, self)
+        return model, optimizer, dataloader, scheduler
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def _prepare_model(self, model: nn.Module) -> nn.Module:
+        pass
+
+    def _no_sync(self, model: nn.Module):
+        return contextlib.nullcontext()
+
+    @contextmanager
+    def accumulate(self, model: nn.Module):
+        self._step += 1
+        self._sync_gradients = self._step % self.grad_accum_steps == 0
+        if not self._sync_gradients:
+            with self._no_sync(model):
+                yield
+        else:
+            yield
+
+    def backward(self, loss: torch.Tensor):
+        loss.backward()
+
+    def unwrap_model(self, model: nn.Module) -> nn.Module:
+        return model
+
+    @property
+    def use_distributed(self) -> bool:
+        return get_world_size() > 1
+
+
+class BackendFactory(BaseFactory[BaseTrainingBackend]):
+    pass
+
+
+@BackendFactory.register("single")
+class SingleDeviceBackend(BaseTrainingBackend):
+    def _prepare_model(self, model: nn.Module) -> nn.Module:
+        return model
+
+
+@BackendFactory.register("ddp")
+class DDPTrainingBackend(BaseTrainingBackend):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        grad_accum_steps: int = 1,
+        dim: int = 0,
+        broadcast_buffers: bool = True,
+        init_sync: bool = True,
+        process_group=None,
+        bucket_cap_mb: int = 25,
+        find_unused_parameters: bool = False,
+        check_reduction: bool = False,
+        gradient_as_bucket_view: bool = False,
+        static_graph: bool = False,
+        delay_all_reduce_named_params=None,
+        param_to_hook_all_reduce=None,
+        mixed_precision=None,
+        device_mesh=None,
+    ):
+        super().__init__(grad_accum_steps=grad_accum_steps)
+        self._ddp_kwargs = dict(
+            dim=dim,
+            broadcast_buffers=broadcast_buffers,
+            init_sync=init_sync,
+            process_group=process_group,
+            bucket_cap_mb=bucket_cap_mb,
+            find_unused_parameters=find_unused_parameters,
+            check_reduction=check_reduction,
+            gradient_as_bucket_view=gradient_as_bucket_view,
+            static_graph=static_graph,
+            delay_all_reduce_named_params=delay_all_reduce_named_params,
+            param_to_hook_all_reduce=param_to_hook_all_reduce,
+            mixed_precision=mixed_precision,
+            device_mesh=device_mesh,
+        )
+
+    def _prepare_model(self, model: nn.Module) -> nn.Module:
+        if not self.use_distributed:
+            logger.warning("DDP backend selected but world_size=1, model not wrapped")
+            return model
+        local_rank = get_rank()
+        model = DDP(
+            model,
+            device_ids=[local_rank],
+            output_device=local_rank,
+            **self._ddp_kwargs,
+        )
+        logger.info("Model wrapped with DDP (world_size=%d)", get_world_size())
+        return model
+
+    def _no_sync(self, model: nn.Module):
+        if isinstance(model, DDP):
+            return model.no_sync()
+        return contextlib.nullcontext()
+
+    def unwrap_model(self, model: nn.Module) -> nn.Module:
+        if isinstance(model, DDP):
+            return model.module
+        return model