RATE-LIMITING SECONDARY INDEX CREATION FOR AN ONLINE TABLE

A data storage system may implement rate-limiting secondary index creation for an online table. A secondary index may be generated for a table stored in a data store. The table may be incrementally indexed, maintaining the updates determined according to indexing different portions of the table in a queue of pending updates that are subsequently applied at the secondary index. Prior to indexing a portion of the table, an evaluation of a current number of pending updates in the queue of pending updates may be performed with respect to a throttle threshold. If the current number of pending updates exceeds the throttle threshold, then indexing the portion of the table may be throttled. Received updates to previously indexed portions of the table, may be applied to the table and placed in the queue of pending updates without an evaluation of the current number of pending requests.