# How Software Automatically Translates Database Queries for Different Storage Systems

> A system that intercepts database queries written for traditional relational databases and automatically translates them to work with non-relational databases, allowing developers to switch storage systems without rewriting their application code.

- **Patent:** US 9535948
- **Original title:** Data access statement translation
- **Owner:** Amazon Technologies Inc
- **Granted:** 2017
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 11
- **Field:** software, ai_ml, telecommunications, ecommerce

## What it does

This patent describes a middleware layer that sits between an application and its database. When the application sends a query in a language like SQL, the system intercepts it, parses it into a structural tree, and translates it into a different query language supported by a non-relational database. After executing the new query, the system monitors the application to see if it crashes or reports errors, effectively testing if the new database can successfully replace the old one. This allows engineers to migrate data from rigid relational tables to more flexible formats without manually updating every line of their application's code.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover manual database migration scripts or manual code refactoring.
- Does not cover query translation that happens at compile-time rather than during runtime execution.
- Does not cover systems that do not perform error monitoring or failure detection after the translation occurs.

## The clever bit

The system doesn't just translate the query; it treats the translation as a live experiment by monitoring the application's response to the new database output to ensure it doesn't trigger errors or exceptions.

## Real-world examples

1. Cloud database migration tools
2. Database abstraction layers
3. Legacy application modernization platforms

## Why it matters

As companies scale, they often outgrow traditional relational databases (like MySQL) and move to NoSQL or key-value stores for better performance. Rewriting legacy code to support new database languages is expensive and risky. This patent provides a way to automate that transition, reducing the downtime and human error associated with massive infrastructure migrations.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Software Automatically Translates Database Queries for Different Storage Systems cover?

A system that intercepts database queries written for traditional relational databases and automatically translates them to work with non-relational databases, allowing developers to switch storage systems without rewriting their application code.

### Who owns patent US 9535948?

Amazon Technologies Inc owns this patent, granted in 2017.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent is expected to expire on January 3, 2037, when the invention enters the public domain.

### What is patent US 9535948 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 11 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

As companies scale, they often outgrow traditional relational databases (like MySQL) and move to NoSQL or key-value stores for better performance. Rewriting legacy code to support new database languages is expensive and risky. This patent provides a way to automate that transition, reducing the downtime and human error associated with massive infrastructure migrations.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover manual database migration scripts or manual code refactoring.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9535948/facebook-watch

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US9535948

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._