1. A method for providing access to data for nodes of an information hierarchy, wherein said data for said nodes are stored in a plurality of rows of a table, the method comprising the steps of: generating a plurality of hash values that reflects an order of a plurality of pathnames associated with said nodes; wherein each pathname of said plurality of pathnames corresponds to a row of said plurality of rows and identifies a location within the information hierarchy of a node whose data is stored in the row; and storing said plurality of hash values in a data structure that associates said plurality of hash values with said plurality of rows.