Efficient index versioning in multi-version databases

A method and system are provided for maintaining a database index version. The database index includes a secondary node affiliated with each leaf node of the index. The secondary node stores version information for each leaf node. A pointer in a header section of the leaf node connects the leaf node to the secondary node. In addition, a status list is maintained to identify each transaction. At such time as a scan of a database index is conducted and an index item is returned, a computation is conducted using the transaction identifiers in the secondary node, the delete flag in the leaf node, and the status list contents for the scanning transaction. The computation and associated logic will determine whether to accept or reject an item. The method results in returning a correct version of the item as existed at the time of start of the scanning transaction.