US Patent 11656768 File deletion in a distributed system

A method of distributed file deletion, performed by a storage system, is provided. The method includes receiving, at the storage system, a request to delete a directory and contents of the directory and adding the directory to a first set, listed in a memory in the storage system. The method includes operating on the first set, by examining each directory in the first set to identify subdirectories, adding each identified subdirectory to the first set as a directory, and adding each examined directory to a second set listed in the memory. The method includes deleting in a distributed manner across the storage system without concern for order, contents of directories, and the directories, listed in the second set.