A system and method for allocating storage devices within a multi-node data storage system. The system maintains a data structure including a generation number indicating an incarnation of the data structure, a highest cylinder ID index value observed to be in use within the data storage system, and a safe index value indicating a lowest cylinder ID index value for use when allocating a new cylinder index. Following receipt of an allocation request, the system assigns a cylinder ID index to the allocation request, the cylinder ID index being greater than the safe index value. The assigned cylinder ID index is compared to the highest cylinder ID index value observed to be in use within said data storage system, and when the cylinder ID index is greater than the highest cylinder ID index value, increments the generation number and highest cylinder ID index value maintained within the data structure.