How Databases Keep Read-Only Copies Up-to-Date
Amazon's 2016 patent describes a system for efficiently updating read-only copies of a distributed database by sending specific change notifications, ensuring read-only nodes show accurate data.
Original patent title: “Efficient replication of system transactions for read-only nodes of a distributed database”
Amazon's 2016 patent describes a system for efficiently updating read-only copies of a distributed database by sending specific change notifications, ensuring read-only nodes show accurate data. Granted to Amazon Technologies Inc in 2016 with 23 claims and 108 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent details how a distributed database system manages updates across multiple nodes. When a change is made to the main database (the read-write node), the system breaks down the update into smaller steps called 'system transactions.' For each transaction, it generates 'change notifications' that list exactly what needs to be altered. Crucially, it marks the very last notification for each transaction. These notifications, including the final one, are then sent to read-only nodes (read replicas). This 'last change' notification tells the read-only nodes precisely when they can present a consistent, updated view of the database to users requesting data, ensuring they don't show outdated information while an update is still being applied.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems where read-only nodes are updated without specific 'change notifications' indicating the exact modifications.
- Does not cover systems that don't identify a specific 'last change' notification to signal the completion of a transaction.
- Does not cover scenarios where read-only nodes are updated by sending the entire database state rather than incremental changes.
- Does not cover systems where read-only nodes cannot determine a consistent database state for read requests based on the received notifications.
- Does not cover updates to read-only nodes that are not part of a larger distributed database system.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The key innovation is identifying and signaling the *last* change notification for each transaction. This allows read-only nodes to precisely know when a transaction is fully applied and the database state is consistent, avoiding the need for complex locking or waiting for all potential changes.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Amazon Web Services (AWS) database services like RDS and Aurora
Distributed database systems with read replicas
High-availability database architectures
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent is foundational for modern cloud database services, enabling services like Amazon RDS and Aurora to provide highly available and consistent data. Efficiently replicating data to read replicas is critical for scaling database read performance and ensuring data integrity in large-scale systems.
Filed
September 20, 2013
Granted
March 8, 2016
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Amazon Technologies Inc. (AWS) is the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more → and continues to be a dominant player in cloud databases, likely leveraging this technology in services like Amazon RDS and Aurora. Other major cloud providers and database vendors also implement similar replication strategies.
Market impact
This patent addresses a core challenge in distributed databases: keeping read replicas synchronized efficiently. Its principles are vital for enabling scalable, high-performance read operations in cloud-based database systems, a massive market segment.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent details how a distributed database system manages updates across multiple nodes. When a change is made to the main database (the read-write node), the system breaks down the update into smaller steps called 'system transactions.' For each transaction, it generates 'change notifications' that list exactly what needs to be altered. Crucially, it marks the very last notification for each transaction. These notifications, including the final one, are then sent to read-only nodes (read replicas). This 'last change' notification tells the read-only nodes precisely when they can present a consistent, updated view of the database to users requesting data, ensuring they don't show outdated information while an update is still being applied.
The clever bit
The key innovation is identifying and signaling the *last* change notification for each transaction. This allows read-only nodes to precisely know when a transaction is fully applied and the database state is consistent, avoiding the need for complex locking or waiting for all potential changes.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems where read-only nodes are updated without specific 'change notifications' indicating the exact modifications.
- Does not cover systems that don't identify a specific 'last change' notification to signal the completion of a transaction.
- Does not cover scenarios where read-only nodes are updated by sending the entire database state rather than incremental changes.
- Does not cover systems where read-only nodes cannot determine a consistent database state for read requests based on the received notifications.
- Does not cover updates to read-only nodes that are not part of a larger distributed database system.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
High impact
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$780K – $2.5M
Midpoint $1.6M · 7.3 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Kharatishvili, T., Madhavarapu, P. J., & Gupta, A. W. (2016). How Databases Keep Read-Only Copies Up-to-Date (U.S. Patent No. 9,280,591). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9280591/amazon-emr-elastic-mapreduce
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Databases Keep Read-Only Copies Up-to-Date cover?
Amazon's 2016 patent describes a system for efficiently updating read-only copies of a distributed database by sending specific change notifications, ensuring read-only nodes show accurate data.
Who owns patent US 9280591?
Amazon Technologies Inc owns this patent, granted in 2016.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on March 8, 2036, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 9280591 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 108 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent is foundational for modern cloud database services, enabling services like Amazon RDS and Aurora to provide highly available and consistent data. Efficiently replicating data to read replicas is critical for scaling database read performance and ensuring data integrity in large-scale systems.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems where read-only nodes are updated without specific 'change notifications' indicating the exact modifications.
Same assignee
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