diff --git a/dataherald/api/fastapi.py b/dataherald/api/fastapi.py
index 187dfa7b..cca85643 100644
--- a/dataherald/api/fastapi.py
+++ b/dataherald/api/fastapi.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 from bson import json_util
 from fastapi import BackgroundTasks, HTTPException
 from overrides import override
-from sqlalchemy import MetaData, inspect
 
 from dataherald.api import API
 from dataherald.api.types import Query
@@ -87,6 +86,22 @@ def scan_db(
             )
 
         scanner = self.system.instance(Scanner)
+        all_tables = scanner.get_all_tables_and_views(database)
+        if scanner_request.table_names:
+            for table in scanner_request.table_names:
+                if table not in all_tables:
+                    raise HTTPException(
+                        status_code=404, detail=f"Table named: {table} doesn't exist"
+                    )  # noqa: B904
+        else:
+            scanner_request.table_names = all_tables
+
+        scanner.synchronizing(
+            scanner_request.table_names,
+            scanner_request.db_connection_id,
+            DBScannerRepository(self.storage),
+        )
+
         background_tasks.add_task(
             async_scanning, scanner, database, scanner_request, self.storage
         )
@@ -230,10 +245,9 @@ def list_table_descriptions(
             db_connection_repository = DatabaseConnectionRepository(self.storage)
             db_connection = db_connection_repository.find_by_id(db_connection_id)
             database = SQLDatabase.get_sql_engine(db_connection)
-            inspector = inspect(database.engine)
-            meta = MetaData(bind=database.engine)
-            MetaData.reflect(meta, views=True)
-            all_tables = inspector.get_table_names() + inspector.get_view_names()
+
+            scanner = self.system.instance(Scanner)
+            all_tables = scanner.get_all_tables_and_views(database)
 
             for table_description in table_descriptions:
                 if table_description.table_name not in all_tables:
diff --git a/dataherald/db_scanner/__init__.py b/dataherald/db_scanner/__init__.py
index 6308a023..4626f1e4 100644
--- a/dataherald/db_scanner/__init__.py
+++ b/dataherald/db_scanner/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 """Base class that all scanner classes inherit from."""
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
-from typing import Any, Union
 
 from dataherald.config import Component
 from dataherald.db_scanner.repository.base import DBScannerRepository
@@ -17,3 +16,13 @@ def scan(
         repository: DBScannerRepository,
     ) -> None:
         """ "Scan a db"""
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def synchronizing(
+        self, tables: list[str], db_connection_id: str, repository: DBScannerRepository
+    ) -> None:
+        """ "Update table_description status"""
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def get_all_tables_and_views(self, database: SQLDatabase) -> list[str]:
+        """ "Retrieve all tables and views"""
diff --git a/dataherald/db_scanner/sqlalchemy.py b/dataherald/db_scanner/sqlalchemy.py
index 0d90388b..4f8e0d54 100644
--- a/dataherald/db_scanner/sqlalchemy.py
+++ b/dataherald/db_scanner/sqlalchemy.py
@@ -22,6 +22,27 @@
 
 
 class SqlAlchemyScanner(Scanner):
+    @override
+    def synchronizing(
+        self, tables: list[str], db_connection_id: str, repository: DBScannerRepository
+    ) -> None:
+        # persist tables to be scanned
+        for table in tables:
+            repository.save_table_info(
+                TableSchemaDetail(
+                    db_connection_id=db_connection_id,
+                    table_name=table,
+                    status=TableDescriptionStatus.SYNCHRONIZING.value,
+                )
+            )
+
+    @override
+    def get_all_tables_and_views(self, database: SQLDatabase) -> list[str]:
+        inspector = inspect(database.engine)
+        meta = MetaData(bind=database.engine)
+        MetaData.reflect(meta, views=True)
+        return inspector.get_table_names() + inspector.get_view_names()
+
     def get_table_examples(
         self, meta: MetaData, db_engine: SQLDatabase, table: str, rows_number: int = 3
     ) -> List[Any]:
@@ -150,7 +171,7 @@ def scan_single_table(
                 meta=meta, db_engine=db_engine, table=table, rows_number=3
             ),
             last_schema_sync=datetime.now(),
-            status="SYNCHRONIZED",
+            status=TableDescriptionStatus.SYNCHRONIZED.value,
         )
 
         repository.save_table_info(object)
@@ -176,16 +197,6 @@ def scan(
         if len(tables) == 0:
             raise ValueError("No table found")
 
-        # persist tables to be scanned
-        for table in tables:
-            repository.save_table_info(
-                TableSchemaDetail(
-                    db_connection_id=db_connection_id,
-                    table_name=table,
-                    status=TableDescriptionStatus.SYNCHRONIZING.value,
-                )
-            )
-
         for table in tables:
             try:
                 self.scan_single_table(