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 (233-1) 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 , each tablet including a tablet descriptor file , 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 includes a list of target file names and a list of references ; receiving , by a server (110-1), a tablet descriptor file associated with a tablet ; generating , by the server (110-1), a unique indicator associated with a storage device or a server or both; generating a new reference file name (235-1) using the new target file name (233-1) and the unique indicator; generating a new reference record (230-1), the record including a status indicator (231-1) of a new reference file (250-1), the new target file name (233-1), and the new reference file name (235-1); adding , by the server (110-1), the new reference record (230-1) to the list of references of the tablet descriptor file and creating an empty reference file in the file system using the new reference file name (235-1); adding , by the server (110-1), the new target file name (233-1) to the list of target file names of the tablet descriptor file and creating the new target file (240-1, 240-2) in the file system using the new target file name (233-1), 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 (233-1) 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 , each tablet including a tablet descriptor file , 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 includes a list of target file names and a list of references ; receiving , by a server (110-1), a tablet descriptor file associated with a tablet ; generating , by the server (110-1), a unique indicator associated with a storage device or a server or both; generating a new reference file name (235-1) using the new target file name (233-1) and the unique indicator; generating a new reference record (230-1), the record including a status indicator (231-1) of a new reference file (250-1), the new target file name (233-1), and the new reference file name (235-1); adding , by the server (110-1), the new reference record (230-1) to the list of references of the tablet descriptor file and creating an empty reference file in the file system using the new reference file name (235-1); adding , by the server (110-1), the new target file name (233-1) to the list of target file names of the tablet descriptor file and creating the new target file (240-1, 240-2) in the file system using the new target file name (233-1), wherein the new target file (240-1, 240-2) includes the piece of content. <EOS>