A cloud data management interface (CDMI) is a system for creating, retrieving, updating and deleting data from the cloud. CDMI is the component of cloud-based software and services that is at the heart of how these products and services are used. As a secure networking model, cloud-based computing relies on the idea of backing up, or sending data to and receiving data from, a secure remote location. The cloud data management interface is the venue for using cloud services; it is the software that presents the visual display of tools for manipulating the data. It is also where the client sees what a particular cloud-based technology offers in terms of features and functionality. The interface also allows for maintenance and other supplemental uses. It is essentially the platform or arena for realizing cloud-based services and using them to their potential. Developers of CDMIs conform to design principles in order to provide superior products and services to customers. Some of the finer points of working with a cloud data management interface involve how data is sent, stored and used. One example is the use of metadata, which is otherwise described as "data about data," as pointers or markers for any data being transferred or stored in cloud-based systems. The use of metadata is one typical element of creating, maintaining and presenting CDMIs.