In a data reading operation, a first terminal in a distributed storage system obtains a first data identifier, which is a unique identifier of first data in the distributed storage system. The first terminal determines, based on the first data identifier, whether first data is local data. When the first data is not local data, the first terminal obtains a first identifier that uniquely identifies the first data in the distributed storage system. The first terminal obtains, based on the first identifier, a second identifier corresponding to the first data and associated with content of the first data. The first terminal obtains, based on the second identifier, a read address that indicates that the first data is stored at a second terminal in the distributed storage system. The first terminal then retrieves the first data from the second terminal.