In one embodiment, an operating system on a computer device interfaces with a graph database that has data nodes interconnected by relationship edges. The operating system generates database instructions that specify a database operation for a target node in the graph database and a node traversal list through the graph database to reach the target node. By then transmitting the database instruction to the graph database, the graph database (e.g., a database management operating system) traverses the specified node traversal list through the graph database to the target node, and performs the database operation on the target node.