Metadata for a set of files in a file system is stored in a client metadata database. In addition, a subset of content for the set of files in the client metadata database is stored in a client content database. The subset of content does not exceed a cache size that is less than a full size of the content in the set of the files. In response to a request, at least a portion of the content that is not already stored in the client content database is retrieved from a server content database, where the server content database is located remotely from the client device.