Big data refers to data volumes in the range of exabytes (1018) and beyond. Such volumes exceed the capacity of current on-line storage systems and processing systems. Data, information, and knowledge are being created and collected at a rate that is rapidly approaching the exabyte/year range. But, its creation and aggregation are accelerating and will approach the zettabyte/year range within a few years. Volume is only one aspect of big data; other attributes are variety, velocity, value, and complexity. Storage and data transport are technology issues, which seem to be solvable in the near-term, but represent longterm challenges that require research and new paradigms. We analyze the issues and challenges as we begin a collaborative research program into methodologies for big data analysis and design.