Replication of tags in global scale systems

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein to be executed by one or more processors, the program code including instructions to:

• create a file and a grouping tag for the file;
• store the grouping tag in a location in metadata for the file;
• retrieve, when preparing for replication, the grouping tag from the location in the metadata for the file;
• determine whether a legacy location in the metadata for the file comprises any value which was stored after a most recent replication involving the file;
• determine whether a size of the legacy location in the metadata for the file was changed after the most recent replication involving the file, in response to a determination that the legacy location in the metadata for the file comprises any value which was stored after the most recent replication involving the file;
• add the grouping tag to the legacy location in the metadata for the file which comprises any value which was stored after the most recent replication involving the file, in response to a determination that the size of the legacy location in the metadata for the file was not changed after the most recent replication involving the file;
• and
• send the metadata for the file, which comprises the grouping tag and any value which are stored at the legacy location in the metadata for the file, to a destination node.

A computer-implemented method for replication of tags in global scale systems, comprising:

• creating a file and a grouping tag for the file;
• storing the grouping tag in a location in metadata for the file;
• retrieving, when preparing for replication, the grouping tag from the location in the metadata for the file;
• determining whether a legacy location in the metadata for the file comprises any value which was stored after a most recent replication involving the file;
• determining whether a size of the legacy location in the metadata for the file was changed after the most recent replication involving the file, in response to a determination that the legacy location in the metadata for the file comprises any value which was stored after the most recent replication involving the file;
• adding the grouping tag to the legacy location in the metadata for the file which comprises any value which was stored after the most recent replication involving the file, in response to a determination that the size of the legacy location in the metadata for the file was not changed after the most recent replication involving the file;
• and
• send the metadata for the file, which comprises the grouping tag and any value which are stored at the legacy location in the metadata for the file, to a destination node.