diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/intent/IntentData.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/intent/IntentData.java
index 1bfa0dc..a71b20e 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/intent/IntentData.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/intent/IntentData.java
@@ -23,13 +23,15 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
+import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
+
 /**
  * A wrapper class that contains an intents, its state, and other metadata for
  * internal use.
  */
 public class IntentData { //FIXME need to make this "immutable"
                           // manager should be able to mutate a local copy while processing
-    private Intent intent;
+    private final Intent intent;
 
     private IntentState state;
     private Timestamp version;
@@ -37,34 +39,77 @@
 
     private List<Intent> installables;
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a new intent data object.
+     *
+     * @param intent intent this metadata references
+     * @param state intent state
+     * @param version version of the intent for this key
+     */
     public IntentData(Intent intent, IntentState state, Timestamp version) {
         this.intent = intent;
         this.state = state;
         this.version = version;
     }
 
-    // kryo constructor
-    protected IntentData() {
+    /**
+     * Copy constructor.
+     *
+     * @param intentData intent data to copy
+     */
+    public IntentData(IntentData intentData) {
+        checkNotNull(intentData);
+
+        intent = intentData.intent;
+        state = intentData.state;
+        version = intentData.version;
+        origin = intentData.origin;
+        installables = intentData.installables;
     }
 
+    // kryo constructor
+    protected IntentData() {
+        intent = null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the intent this metadata references.
+     *
+     * @return intent
+     */
     public Intent intent() {
         return intent;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the state of the intent.
+     *
+     * @return intent state
+     */
     public IntentState state() {
         return state;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the intent key.
+     *
+     * @return intent key
+     */
     public Key key() {
         return intent.key();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the version of the intent for this key.
+     *
+     * @return intent version
+     */
     public Timestamp version() {
         return version;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Sets the origin, which is the node that created the instance.
+     * Sets the origin, which is the node that created the intent.
      *
      * @param origin origin instance
      */
@@ -72,10 +117,20 @@
         this.origin = origin;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the origin node that created this intent.
+     *
+     * @return origin node ID
+     */
     public NodeId origin() {
         return origin;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Updates the state of the intent to the given new state.
+     *
+     * @param newState new state of the intent
+     */
     public void setState(IntentState newState) {
         this.state = newState;
     }
@@ -94,10 +149,20 @@
         this.version = version;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the intent installables to the given list of intents.
+     *
+     * @param installables list of installables for this intent
+     */
     public void setInstallables(List<Intent> installables) {
         this.installables = ImmutableList.copyOf(installables);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the installables associated with this intent.
+     *
+     * @return list of installable intents
+     */
     public List<Intent> installables() {
         return installables;
     }
@@ -120,12 +185,14 @@
                 && Objects.equals(this.version, other.version);
     }
 
+    @Override
     public String toString() {
         return MoreObjects.toStringHelper(getClass())
                 .add("key", key())
                 .add("state", state())
                 .add("version", version())
                 .add("intent", intent())
+                .add("origin", origin())
                 .add("installables", installables())
                 .toString();
     }
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/intent/impl/GossipIntentStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/intent/impl/GossipIntentStore.java
index 43e184f..9a8f9e7 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/intent/impl/GossipIntentStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/intent/impl/GossipIntentStore.java
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
+import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
 import static org.onosproject.net.intent.IntentState.*;
 import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
 
@@ -149,20 +150,6 @@
         return null;
     }
 
-    private IntentData copyData(IntentData original) {
-        if (original == null) {
-            return null;
-        }
-        IntentData result =
-                new IntentData(original.intent(), original.state(), original.version());
-
-        if (original.installables() != null) {
-            result.setInstallables(original.installables());
-        }
-        result.setOrigin(original.origin());
-        return result;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Determines whether an intent data update is allowed. The update must
      * either have a higher version than the current data, or the state
@@ -239,6 +226,8 @@
 
     @Override
     public void write(IntentData newData) {
+        checkNotNull(newData);
+
         IntentData currentData = currentMap.get(newData.key());
         if (isUpdateAcceptable(currentData, newData)) {
             // Only the master is modifying the current state. Therefore assume
@@ -246,13 +235,11 @@
             if (newData.state() == PURGE_REQ) {
                 currentMap.remove(newData.key(), newData);
             } else {
-                currentMap.put(newData.key(), copyData(newData));
+                currentMap.put(newData.key(), new IntentData(newData));
             }
 
             // if current.put succeeded
             pendingMap.remove(newData.key(), newData);
-        } else {
-            log.debug("not writing update: current {}, new {}", currentData, newData);
         }
     }
 
@@ -307,16 +294,22 @@
 
     @Override
     public IntentData getIntentData(Key key) {
-        return copyData(currentMap.get(key));
+        IntentData current = currentMap.get(key);
+        if (current == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return new IntentData(current);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void addPending(IntentData data) {
+        checkNotNull(data);
+
         if (data.version() == null) {
             data.setVersion(new WallClockTimestamp());
         }
         data.setOrigin(clusterService.getLocalNode().id());
-        pendingMap.put(data.key(), copyData(data));
+        pendingMap.put(data.key(), new IntentData(data));
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -361,8 +354,7 @@
                 // some work.
                 if (isMaster(event.value().intent().key())) {
                     if (delegate != null) {
-                        log.debug("processing {}", event.key());
-                        delegate.process(copyData(event.value()));
+                        delegate.process(new IntentData(event.value()));
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/core/store/trivial/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/trivial/impl/SimpleIntentStore.java b/core/store/trivial/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/trivial/impl/SimpleIntentStore.java
index 06da986..7ef6247 100644
--- a/core/store/trivial/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/trivial/impl/SimpleIntentStore.java
+++ b/core/store/trivial/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/trivial/impl/SimpleIntentStore.java
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@
 import static org.onosproject.net.intent.IntentState.*;
 import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
 
+/**
+ * Simple single-instance implementation of the intent store.
+ */
 @Component(immediate = true)
 @Service
 public class SimpleIntentStore
@@ -49,19 +52,6 @@
     private final Map<Key, IntentData> current = Maps.newConcurrentMap();
     private final Map<Key, IntentData> pending = Maps.newConcurrentMap();
 
-    private IntentData copyData(IntentData original) {
-        if (original == null) {
-            return null;
-        }
-        IntentData result =
-                new IntentData(original.intent(), original.state(), original.version());
-
-        if (original.installables() != null) {
-            result.setInstallables(original.installables());
-        }
-        return result;
-    }
-
     @Activate
     public void activate() {
         log.info("Started");
@@ -99,7 +89,6 @@
         return null;
     }
 
-
     /**
      * Determines whether an intent data update is allowed. The update must
      * either have a higher version than the current data, or the state
@@ -174,6 +163,8 @@
 
     @Override
     public void write(IntentData newData) {
+        checkNotNull(newData);
+
         synchronized (this) {
             // TODO this could be refactored/cleaned up
             IntentData currentData = current.get(newData.key());
@@ -183,7 +174,7 @@
                 if (pendingData.state() == PURGE_REQ) {
                     current.remove(newData.key(), newData);
                 } else {
-                    current.put(newData.key(), copyData(newData));
+                    current.put(newData.key(), new IntentData(newData));
                 }
 
                 if (pendingData != null
@@ -219,7 +210,11 @@
 
     @Override
     public IntentData getIntentData(Key key) {
-        return copyData(current.get(key));
+        IntentData currentData = current.get(key);
+        if (currentData == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return new IntentData(currentData);
     }
 
     @Override