Using Amazon DynamoDB global tables

Jason Hunter, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

March 2024 (document history)

Global tables build on the global Amazon DynamoDB footprint to provide you with a fully managed, multi-Region, and multi-active database that delivers fast and local read and write performance for massively scaled, global applications. Global tables replicate your DynamoDB tables automatically across your choice of AWS Regions. No application changes are required because global tables use existing DynamoDB APIs. There are no upfront costs or commitments for using global tables, and you pay only for the resources you use.

This guide explains how to use DynamoDB global tables effectively. It provides key facts about global tables, explains the feature’s primary use cases, introduces a taxonomy of three different write models you should consider, walks through the four main request routing choices you might implement, discusses ways to evacuate a Region that’s live or a Region that’s offline, explains how to think about throughput capacity planning, and provides a checklist of things to consider when you deploy global tables.

This guide fits into a larger context of AWS multi-Region deployments, as covered in the AWS Multi-Region Fundamentals whitepaper and the Data resiliency design patterns with AWS video.

Contents

• Overview

• Write modes

• Routing strategies

• Evacuation processes

• Throughput capacity planning

• Preparation checklist

• FAQ

• Conclusion and resources