Graphite 1.1 introduces significant enhancements, primarily focusing on adding tag support, which allows for richer metric descriptions and more flexible queries, akin to Prometheus' system. This release simplifies metric identification by using tag=value pairs, facilitating seamless integration with Prometheus for long-term data storage. The update also includes a new piping syntax for chaining functions, a consistent set of aggregation methods, and the ability to create custom function plugins, thereby expanding Graphite's analytical capabilities. Clustering code improvements have optimized performance in distributed environments by streamlining request handling across backend nodes. Additionally, Graphite 1.1 supports Python 3.x and Django up to version 1.11, paving the way for future compatibility while maintaining Python 2.x support in the interim. The update encourages further development across the ecosystem, such as adding support for collectd tagging and Prometheus integration, highlighting the community's anticipation for leveraging these new features.