1. A modular system for managing data storage operations in a network environment, the system comprising: a plurality of storage devices; a plurality of first modules, each first module operating on a particular one of a plurality of first computing devices and configured to identify data from the particular first computing device to be associated with one or more storage operations; a plurality of second modules operating on a plurality of second computing devices and communicatively coupled to the plurality of first modules and to the plurality of storage devices, the plurality of second modules being configured to receive the identified data from the plurality of first modules and to direct a physical transfer of the identified data to the plurality of storage devices; and a manager module communicatively coupled to the plurality of first and second modules, the manager module being configured to initiate a first storage operation and to select at least one first module from the plurality of first modules and at least one second module from the plurality of second modules to perform the first storage operation, said selection of the at least one second module being based on at least loads of the plurality of second modules, wherein the at least one second module is configured to store data associated with the first storage operation on at least one of the plurality of storage devices and to maintain a first index maintaining at least a physical location of the stored data, and wherein the at least one second module is further configured to forward a second index based on the first index to the manager module for tracking the stored data, wherein the second index comprises less information than the first index.