A system includes a selection module, a file module, a storage cache, and an access module. The selection module organizes small files into groups according to a selection function, which organizes the small files based on at least one of related content of the small files, related filenames of the small files, and related access patterns of the small files. The file module uses a predetermined block size and stores, for each group, a large file containing all the small files of the group. The access module receives an access request for one of the small files from a client device and determines a large file corresponding to the one of the small files based on input from the selection module. The access module selectively reads the corresponding large file from the file module into the storage cache, and accesses the one of the small files from the large file.