# Instantly Copy TB-Size Datasets: The Magic of Copy-on-Write

DevFeed: [Instantly Copy TB-Size Datasets: The Magic of Copy-on-Write](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/instantly-copy-tb-size-datasets-the-magic-of-copy-on-write-5451.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://neon.com/blog/instantly-copy-tb-size-datasets-the-magic-of-copy-on-write>)

Author: Rishi Raj Jain

Published: 2025-01-02T18:17:59Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Blog -- Neon Docs](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/blog-neon-docs.md>)

Topics: [Serverless](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/serverless.md>), [Database](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/database.md>), [datasets](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/datasets.md>), [Vercel](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/vercel.md>)

Tags: [company](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/company.md>), [compute](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/compute.md>), [database](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/database.md>), [datasets](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/datasets.md>), [demo](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/demo.md>), [product](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/product.md>), [serverless-architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/serverless-architecture.md>), [speed](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/speed.md>), [storage](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/storage.md>), [vercel](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/vercel.md>)

## AI overview

This article presents a demo of Neon's copy-on-write database branching. A 1 TB Postgres dataset can be copied almost instantly because branches initially reference the parent's data pages, then store changed pages separately. Branches are isolated, can support development, testing, and Vercel previews, and can be reset to the parent state instantly.

## Source excerpt

Neon's serverless architecture with decoupled storage and compute makes it possible to offer database branching via copy-on-write. This feature is among the most loved by teams using Neon, but if you've never seen it in action, it's hard to visualize how it works or why it's usef...