Share pools for sharing files via a storage service

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor included in a hardware server device that implements a storage service, cause the hardware server device to distribute files to users, by carrying out steps that include:

• managing a share pool that includes a plurality of stub files, wherein each stub file of the plurality of stub files is a copy of a seed file that is an empty placeholder file, such that each stub file of the plurality of stub files correspondingly is an empty placeholder file;
• generating, prior to managing the share pool, generating the share pool in a partition of a storage device, wherein the partition is allocated to an instructor for a class;
• receiving a request to distribute a file to a plurality of users;
• selecting, from the plurality of stub files, a group of stub files based on a number of the plurality of users;
• generating a plurality of clones of the file by updating the group of stub files to reference the file;
• migrating, prior to generating the plurality of clones of the file, the group of stub files from the share pool to a folder associated with the file;
• and
• sharing the plurality of clones of the file with the plurality of users.

A hardware server device configured distribute files to users, the hardware server device comprising at least one processor configured to cause the hardware server device to implement a storage service and carry out steps that include:

• managing a share pool that includes a plurality of stub files, wherein each stub file of the plurality of stub files is a copy of a seed file that is an empty placeholder file, such that each stub file of the plurality of stub files correspondingly is an empty placeholder file;
• generating, prior to managing the share pool, generating the share pool in a partition of a storage device, wherein the partition is allocated to an instructor for a class;
• receiving a request to distribute a file to a plurality of users;
• selecting, from the plurality of stub files, a group of stub files based on a number of the plurality of users;
• generating a plurality of clones of the file by updating the group of stub files to reference the file;
• migrating, prior to generating the plurality of clones of the file, the group of stub files from the share pool to a folder associated with the file;
• and
• sharing the plurality of clones of the file with the plurality of users.