CREATING A SECONDARY INDEX

1 . A processor-based method of creating a secondary index for a B-tree in a database management system, the method comprising:

creating an empty secondary index;

traversing the B-tree to find the left most data page to begin processing;

capturing the current system time;

placing a read-lock on the data page;

retrieving a first primary key value for the data page;

writing the first primary key value to control information for the B-tree;

creating a secondary index entry and writing it into the secondary index; and

releasing the read-lock.

2 . The processor-based method of claim 1 , further comprising clearing the primary key value.

3 . The processor-based method of claim 1 , further comprising determining if the last data page has been reached.

4 . The processor-based method of claim 3 , wherein determining if the last data page has been reached includes if the last data page has not been reached, then using a page link to move to the next data page and if the last data page has been reached, clearing the primary key value.

5 . The processor-based method of claim 1 , wherein creating an empty secondary index includes making it invisible to other database management system processing.

6 . The processor-based method of claim 5 , wherein making it invisible includes making it invisible to other INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE and RETRIEVE processing.

7 . The processor-based method of claim 1 , further comprising after capturing the current system time, writing the current system time to control information.

8 . The processor-based method of claim 1 , further comprising opening an audit trail and moving back in the audit trail to a captured system time and making the secondary index visible to the DBMS for INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE processing;

9 . The processor-based method of claim 8 , further comprising reading a next committed set of database updates from the audit trail and creating a secondary index modification for each row on each audit trail update and applying it to the secondary index

10 . The processor-based method of claim 9 , further comprising clearing the captured system time from control information for the B-tree to indicate completion and making the secondary index visible to the DBMS for all processing.

11 . A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computing system, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

creating an empty secondary index;

traversing a B-tree to find the left most data page to begin processing;

capturing the current system time;

placing a read-lock on the data page;

retrieving a first primary key value for the data page;

writing the first primary key value to control information for the B-tree;

creating a secondary index entry and writing it into the secondary index; and

releasing the read-lock.

12 . The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising clearing the primary key value.

13 . The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising determining if the last data page has been reached.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein determining if the last data page has been reached includes if the last data page has not been reached, then using a page link to move to the next data page and if the last data page has been reached, clearing the primary key value.

15 . The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein creating an empty secondary index includes making it invisible to other database management system processing.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein making it invisible includes making it invisible to other INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE and RETRIEVE processing.

17 . The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising after capturing the current system time, writing the current system e to control information.

18 . The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising opening an audit trail and moving back in the audit trail to a captured system time and making the secondary index visible to the DBMS for INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE processing;

19 . The computer program product of claim 18 , further comprising reading a next committed set of database updates from the audit trail and creating a secondary index modification for each row on each audit trail update and applying it to the secondary index.

20 . The computer program product of claim 19 , further comprising clearing the captured system time from control information for the B-tree to indicate completion and making the secondary index visible to the DBMS for all processing.