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; when an elapsed time since the 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.