The subject technology generates and stores a new version set of one or more table-metadata files, the new version set of one or more table-metadata files comprising table metadata for a new version of a database table. The subject technology determines that a plurality of table-metadata files are not included in a cache. The subject technology downloads, in parallel, the plurality of table-metadata files from immutable storage. The subject technology stores, in the cache, the plurality of table-metadata files. The subject technology reads, among the plurality of table-metadata files, a first table-metadata file before a second table-metadata file has been fully downloaded, the plurality of table-metadata files comprising at least the first table-metadata file and the second table-metadata file.