1. A storage system comprising: a client; and a storage provider in communication the client over a communication network, the storage provider including a first set of storage nodes, each storage node of the first set managed by a different storage server, wherein the file operation requests are transmitted to the first set of storages nodes in the storage provider using a multicast address associated with the first set, wherein at least a portion of metadata and file data stored on the first set of storage nodes is synchronized across two or more storage nodes of the first set; and wherein the storage provider is configured to, in response to a file operation request received from the client: (i) perform initial processing by each storage node of the first set of storage nodes in order to determine which storage node of the first set of storage nodes should be designated to process the file operation request; and (ii) process the file operation request via the designated node.