read replica
compound.compound. a copy of a database that is used only for looking at information, not for changing it. This helps a website or app run faster because the main database doesn't have to do all the work alone.
compound. a read-only copy of a primary database instance used to offload query traffic and improve application performance. It synchronises with the primary source to ensure data consistency while handling intensive retrieval tasks.
The website uses a read replica to show product prices quickly.
To prevent the main server from slowing down during peak hours, the engineers directed all reporting tools to a read replica.
Implementing a read replica allows for horizontal scaling of database workloads, ensuring that heavy analytical queries do not contend for resources with the primary write-heavy transaction stream.
A compound formed from the verb read, derived from the Old English rædan, and the noun replica, which entered English via the Italian replica from the Latin replicare.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly used in cloud computing and database administration contexts; often paired with the verb 'promote' if it is turned into a primary database.
Last updated July 22, 2026