Database hierarchy-independent data drilling

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising machine-executable code that, upon execution by a computer, implements a method for data hierarchy-independent data drilling, the method comprising:

• (a) accessing a database comprising:
• (1) a first data structure comprising definitions of at least two data sets, wherein a definition of a data set comprises a unique set identifier and a set name,
• (2) a second data structure comprising definitions of relations of the at least two data sets, wherein a definition of a relation comprises an identifier of the relation, wherein a relation is a type of logical path between two data sets, and
• (3) a third data structure comprising definitions of set relations between the at least two data sets, wherein a definition of a set relation associates an identifier of a relation, from the second data structure, to the respective unique set identifiers of two data sets from the first data structure, wherein a given row of the third data structure comprises two unique set identifiers from the first data structure,
• wherein all data sets in the first data structure are hierarchy independent such that (i) the data sets in the first data structure do not have a parent or child relationship to other data sets, and (ii) a set relation is capable of associating an identifier of a relation to the respective set identifiers of any two data sets of all of the data sets;
• (b) selecting a set identifier of a start data set using the first data structure;
• (c) setting the set identifier of the start data set as a current data drilling state;
• (d) finding one or more data sets related to the current data drilling state by identifying definitions of set relations comprising the set identifier of the start data set using the third data structure, wherein the one or more data sets include a second data set;
• (e) identifying a hierarchy-independent relation between the current data drilling state and the second data set using the definitions of the relations in the second data structure, wherein the second data set does not have a parent or child relationship to the current data drilling state, thereby finding a logical path between the start data set and the second data set;
• and
• (f) using the logical path, retrieving the second data set and setting the second data set as the current data drilling state,
• wherein the combination of the first data structure, second data structure, and third data structure permits efficient data drilling with reduced computational resources.