1. A method of managing storage in a data storage system, the method comprising: writing data blocks to a storage device of the data storage system, pluralities of the data blocks being organized into macroblocks having a fixed size; generating macroblock metadata describing the data blocks organized in the macroblocks; compressing a subset of the macroblock metadata; in response to an access request, decompressing a portion of the subset of the macroblock metadata that was compressed; and providing access to data blocks organized in the macroblocks using the decompressed portion of the subset of the macroblock metadata.