NASA JPL’s Distributed Object Manager (DOM): Insights from Three Decades of Operating and Modernizing a Pioneering Multi-Mission Distributed Object Store for SpaceFlight Missions

The Distributed Object Manager (DOM) is a generalpurpose, extensible, customizable, high-performance, objectoriented cataloging system that is used for data operations by dozens of flight missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). DOM has been actively supporting missions since its inception in 1993, when it was first developed to support JPL space mission operations. DOM’s lasting relevance provides a unique context from which to draw valuable lessons in software architecture, maintenance, and real time operations as JPL looks forward to the next generation of multi-mission data management systems. DOM predates the widespread adoption of modern cloud-based data management technologies by more than a decade, while providing much of the same functionality. DOM empowers missions to define custom schemas and object types, manage user permissions and privileges, and customize notification services; this allows DOM to meet missionspecific needs throughout entire mission lifecycles, many of which span multiple decades. Additionally, DOM features lightweight, distributable catalog servers and provides Command Line Interface (CLI) tools and Graphical User Interface (GUI) clients to access the different object store servers enabling a full suite of create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) database operations. DOM continues to support critical uplink and downlink data transactions via the Deep Space Network for many flagship missions from Voyager through Europa Clipper. Over the past three decades, DOM has undergone several infrastructure modernizations while maintaining its core functionality and effectiveness. DOM has faced various technical and operational challenges, such as scaling to support an increasing number of flight projects, extending to support growing mission data volumes, coordinating maintenance downtime, ensuring consistency across significant administrative personnel changes, and incorporating emerging technologies and best practices. To address these, DOM’s core functionality has been extended to include a Remote Method Invocation (RMI) interface, a File Notification Service (FNS), event-driven client programs (Message Reactors), and more. We present insights from the current DOM administrative team on evidence-based operations and data management best practices. DOM’s fundamental challenge has been to provide continuous mission support while adapting to changes in data, hardware, cybersecurity, and mission requirements. In adapting to these challenges, DOM exemplifies a successful approach for administering a mature, lasting, reliable flight mission data management system.