A data storage system and method for operating the data storage system. The data storage system includes an active data store that contains stored data, a rules engine, and a unified container layer. The rules engine receives a first portion of the stored data from the active data store and apply at least one rule to modify the received first portion of the stored data, resulting in a generation of modified data by the rules engine. The unified container layer: receives and validates the modified data generated by the rules engine, transmits the validated modified data to the active data store, validates external data received from an external source that is external to the data storage system, and transmits the validated external data to the active data store.