A method of managing target files in a file system, comprising: receiving, at a distributed storage system including a plurality of servers (110-1, 110-2, 110-M) and a plurality of storage devices (105-1, 105-2, 105-Z, 426), a request to create a new target file (240-1, 240-2) in a file system, the request including a new target file name and a piece of content, wherein data within each of the plurality of storage devices (105-1, 105-2, 105-Z, 426) is organized into a plurality of tablets (200, 428), each tablet including a tablet descriptor file (210, 430), one or more target files (240-1, 240-2, 432) and one or more reference files (250-1, 250-2, 250-M), wherein each tablet descriptor file (210, 430) includes a list of target file names (220, 432) and a list of references (230, 434); receiving (301, 321), by a server, a tablet descriptor file (210, 430) associated with a tablet; generating (303, 323), by the server, a unique indicator associated with a storage device or a server or both; generating a new reference file name using the new target file name and the unique indicator; generating (305, 325) a new reference record, the record including a status indicator of a new reference file, the new target file name, and the new reference file name; adding (307, 327), by the server, the new reference record to the list of references (230, 434) of the tablet descriptor file (210, 430) and creating an empty reference file in the file system using the new reference file name; adding, by the server, the new target file name to the list of target file names (220, 432) of the tablet descriptor file (210, 430) and creating the new target file (240-1, 240-2) in the file system using the new target file name, wherein the new target file (240-1, 240-2) includes the piece of content. receiving, at a distributed storage system including a plurality of servers (110-1, 110-2, 110-M) and a plurality of storage devices (105-1, 105-2, 105-Z, 426), a request to create a new target file (240-1, 240-2) in a file system, the request including a new target file name and a piece of content, wherein data within each of the plurality of storage devices (105-1, 105-2, 105-Z, 426) is organized into a plurality of tablets (200, 428), each tablet including a tablet descriptor file (210, 430), one or more target files (240-1, 240-2, 432) and one or more reference files (250-1, 250-2, 250-M), wherein each tablet descriptor file (210, 430) includes a list of target file names (220, 432) and a list of references (230, 434); receiving (301, 321), by a server, a tablet descriptor file (210, 430) associated with a tablet; generating (303, 323), by the server, a unique indicator associated with a storage device or a server or both; generating a new reference file name using the new target file name and the unique indicator; generating (305, 325) a new reference record, the record including a status indicator of a new reference file, the new target file name, and the new reference file name; adding (307, 327), by the server, the new reference record to the list of references (230, 434) of the tablet descriptor file (210, 430) and creating an empty reference file in the file system using the new reference file name; adding, by the server, the new target file name to the list of target file names (220, 432) of the tablet descriptor file (210, 430) and creating the new target file (240-1, 240-2) in the file system using the new target file name, wherein the new target file (240-1, 240-2) includes the piece of content.