PAL: An Object Oriented Data Access Layer for Herschel Data Processing

The Herschel Ground Segment Product Access Layer (PAL), an object oriented software package that provides a consistent means for accessing Herschel Space Observatory data products, isolates the complexity of underlying storage systems and makes it possible for scientific data analysis scripts to be reused in different environments and over a long period of time as software and hardware evolve. The pluggable design of the PAL makes it easier for users to handle new underlying storage systems and to optimize performance according to different system characteristics.