Evolving a ten year old data system

The Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is a comprehensive distributed system designed to support NASA's Earth Science missions. Designed in the early 1990's, EOSDIS has been archiving, managing, and distributing Earth science data since 1994. Over the life of EOSDIS an on-going process of technology updates and improvements in user access, distribution mechanisms, and archive management has attempted to keep the system current. However, data volumes have grown rapidly and the science community has gained experience and capability in processing and analyzing their data. The result is a growing desire to re-examine the current operations for gains and improvements in a variety of areas. The objectives of the evolution of EOSDIS are to: increase end-to-end data system efficiency while decreasing operations costs, increase data interoperability and usability by the science research, application, and modeling communities, improve data access and processing, and ensure safe stewardship