1. An access device including an access program, the access device coupled with and serving as a front end to a distributed replicated storage system, the access program comprising instructions which when executed cause the access device to perform actions including: updating a current batch of updated meta data about stored data items when the access device stores data items in the distributed replicated data storage system, the updating including appending meta data about stored data items to an existing batch of updated meta data about earlier stored data items to create the current batch of updated meta data about stored data items; when an elapsed time since a last batch of data item meta data was stored exceeds a first threshold value or when a current batch size of the current batch of updated meta data exceeds a second threshold value, storing the current batch of updated meta data as an object in the distributed replicated data storage system, including receiving a batch object identifier for the stored batch of updated meta data, distributing the batch object identifier to other access devices and/or access programs causing the other access devices and/or access programs to retrieve the batch of updated meta data from the distributed replicated data storage system and update their namespaces.