1. A method for managing data, comprising: receiving, by a universal namenode, a query from a client; based at least in part on the received query, accessing a catalog service and searching a catalog provided by the catalog service for location information of one or more files responsive to the query, wherein the catalog stores a mapping of a plurality of files stored on a plurality of storage systems to a location at which the plurality of files are respectively stored on the corresponding plurality of storage systems, the plurality of storage systems comprising at least a first storage system and a second storage system; based at least in part on the search of the catalog, determining to move at least one of the plurality of files from the second storage system to the first storage system, and determining to communicate with the first storage system in connection with the one or more files responsive to the queries, and a first protocol for communication with the first storage system; communicating, by the universal namenode, with the first storage system using the associated first protocol; performing at least a portion of the query on the first storage system; and providing, to the client, results of the query such that in the event that various portions of the results correspond to query results stored on a set of the plurality of storage systems, the results of the query are presented in a unified view across the set of the plurality of storage systems and appear, from a perspective of the client, to exist from a single namespace.