Techniques are disclosed relating to building an in-memory multi-level data structure useable to determine presence or absence of key ranges in files consisting of database records. In various embodiments, a computer system operates a database, including maintaining a set of records having a set of corresponding keys that are accessible in key-sorted order and generates a multi-level data structure that facilitates key range lookups against the set of records. The generating may include accessing ones of the set of keys in key-sorted order and determining, for a particular accessed key that includes a set of characters, an intermediate level within the multi-level data structure and a subset of the characters of the particular accessed key for insertion. The computer system may insert, starting at the intermediate level, information that identifies the subset of characters, with the inserting being performed without traversing any levels before the intermediate level.