A method and apparatus for optimizing storage space allocations, using at least one processor, for computer data in distributed file systems is described. In one embodiment, the method includes processing input/output activity that is associated with computer data to determine a current state of at least one file in a distributed file system, at flush time, combining various storage space allocation decisions applied over at least one network protocol to determine a plurality of file system operations that define storage space, based on the current state of the at least one file, for the computer data and executing the plurality of file system operations on the computer data stored in the storage space.