1. Apparatus for use in a redundant away of independent nodes networked together, wherein each node executes an instance of an application that provides object-based storage, comprising: a processor; computer memory holding computer program instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method comprising: as given fixed content data is written to a given node, generating a data object that encapsulates the given fixed content data together with metadata that includes policy data; storing the data object; and enforcing a set of one or more policies against the policy data in the data object's metadata during a life cycle of the data object; wherein the policy enforcement for the data object is carried out independent of policy enforcement for at least one other data object.