Techniques for making a replica of a particular group of database objects of a database on a particular node that does not initially have the particular group of database objects include transferring description data from a first node to the particular node during a first time period. The description data describes the particular group of database objects at a first time. The first time period begins at the first time and ends at a second time. During the first time period, a request from a user of the database to perform an operation involving particular data in the particular group of database objects is processed.