1. A computer-implemented method for performing a namespace operation in a distributed file system disposed on a plurality of partition servers, each partition server controlling access to a subset of shared storage objects in the distributed file system, wherein the shared storage objects are hierarchically related, and each namespace operation involves a namespace object and a target object that are part of the shared storage objects, comprising: serializing namespace operations received at each partition server; in response to an unlink namespace operation, removing a reference in the namespace object to the target object, and after the removing step, modifying the target object consistent with the unlink namespace operation; and in response to a link namespace operation, modifying the target object consistent with the link namespace operation, and after the modifying step inserting a reference to the target object in the namespace object.