Abstract: A system for storing and retrieving records in a database storage unit by employing a hierarchical data map. In one embodiment, a system according to the invention includes a user interface, a search engine, a data storage unit, and a hierarchical data map. In operation, a user enters search terms through the user interface. The user interface couples the search terms to the search engine. The search engine traverses the hierarchical data map to identify data nodes having associated searchable terms that include the user-input search terms. The search engine then captures unique node identifiers for the identified data nodes, and retrieves records in the database storage unit that are encoded with the captured unique node identifiers. Data records are encoded with one or more unique node identifiers, based at least in part on a relationship between the content of the data records and the searchable terms of the data node.