Abstract: A system processes and stores electronic messages, voice, facsimile, and other data, in a common network architecture having high availability, high throughput, modularity, and linear scalability. The system has the ability to split processing among multiple server machines without having to split data. Electronic messages and other data are organized into folders for individual usernames. A folder daemon resident on a server utilizes a hashing algorithm to convert a username into a hash value corresponding to the folder under a directory of folders for the network's storage devices under which the electronic messages and other data are stored. Using the hashing algorithm, the folder daemon produces a statistically even distribution of folders across the network's storage devices. The folder daemon acts as a file system abstraction layer for the network. Unique numeric identification numbers are associated with the messages and other data in each folder.