US Patent 11625386 Fast skip list purge

Techniques are disclosed relating to efficiently managing skip list data structures. In some embodiments, a computing system stores a skip list including a plurality of key-value records that include one or more pointers to others of the plurality of key-value records. The computing system scans the plurality of key-value records in key order to identify key-value records to be purged from the skip list. The scanning includes maintaining a list of key-value records that include pointers that point to key-value records that have not yet been scanned by the scanning. In response to identifying a key-value record for purging, the computing system purges the key-value record by substituting the pointers included the key-value records of the list with pointers included in the key-value record being purged.