The Community Earth System Model (CESM) has been in the realm of "big data" since before it became a buzzword. I'll talk about past experiences with big data (primarily CMIP5), and the lessons learned from those experiences. Those lessons, which have informed and improved big data practices within CESM since that time, will be discussed as well as the preparations being made for the upcoming CMIP6. I'll also mention the various aspects of good data management and how the CESM project is addressing them.