A method for managing data storage using a distributed file system. A file system volume associated with a write request received at a data management subsystem is identified. A logical block device associated with the file system volume is identified. A plurality of data blocks is formed based on the write request. The plurality of data blocks is distributed across a plurality of node block stores in a distributed block layer of a storage management subsystem of the distributed file system. Each of the plurality of node block stores corresponds to a different node of a plurality of nodes in the distributed storage system. The storage management subsystem operates separately from but in communication with the data management subsystem.