A computer-driven system manages databases of flexible storage hierarchy. Computer servers include machine-readable storage containing at least one database, the database comprising multiple data records represented by multiple nodes. Each node has a node type and represents records of a corresponding record type. The nodes are embodied by machine-readable data stored in one or more tables. Multiple client-originated direct links are embodied by data stored in the one or more tables, where each one of the direct links directly connecting a different pair of the nodes. Multiple system-originated calculated links are embodied by data stored in the one or more tables. Each calculated link acts in observance with a rules framework to connect pairs of the nodes that would otherwise be connected only indirectly through one or more intermediate nodes and direct links between said intermediate nodes.