A data storage system includes multiple head nodes and data storage sleds. A control plane of the data storage system designates, for a volume partition, one of the head nodes to function as a primary head node storing a primary replica of the volume partition and designates two or more other head nodes to function as reserve head nodes storing reserve replicas of the volume partition. Additionally, the primary head node causes volume data for the volume partition to be erasure encoded and stored on multiple mass storage devices in different ones of the data storage sleds.