1. A data management system comprising: a distributed data storage having a data manager executing thereon; an application-aware real-time event data stream received by the data manager; wherein the received application-aware real-time event data stream comprises event-identifying data, metadata, and data changes; wherein the data manager preserves a data history of the data source in a distributed data object store on the distributed data storage; a management gateway comprising a processor; code executed on the processor to generate a graphical user interface having a display element that enables specification of a past time, wherein the graphical user interface includes a display mode object having first and second positions; code executed on the processor and responsive to the specification of the past time to generate a display of a representation of the distributed data object store, or a given portion thereof, as it existed at the past time; code executed on the processor and responsive to the specification of the past time when the display mode object is in the first position to generate a display of a representation of the distributed data object store, or a given portion thereof, as it existed at the past time; and code executed on the processor when the display mode object is in the second position to generate a display of the representation of the distributed data object store, or a given portion thereof, at a current point-in-time, wherein, when the display mode object is in the second position, the representation of the distributed data object store is updated in real-time as given data is received in the distributed data object store.