Methods and apparatus are disclosed for managing access to data in a data storage system. For example, an apparatus comprises at least one processing platform associated with a distributed virtual infrastructure. The processing platform comprises at least one processing device having a processor coupled to a memory. The processing platform is operative to instantiate a meta data management process that is configured to provide at least one client process with information to allow the client process to perform one or more operations in accordance with one or more data storage devices through a storage area network. The information provided to the client process may comprise one or more data block descriptors. Each of the one or more data block descriptors may comprise path information for at least one of the data storage devices and an offset address in the at least one data storage device. The one or more data block descriptors may correspond to one or more data blocks of a given data file that is stored or storable across the one or more data storage devices.