Appending to files via server-side chunking and manifest manipulation

A method for implementing localized changes to a data object in a cloud storage system, the method comprising:

• storing a segmented file as a plurality of individual stored object segments and a first manifest, wherein each of the plurality of individually stored object segments correspond to a portion of the data in the segmented file, and wherein the first manifest describes the relationship of the plurality of individually stored object segments to the segmented file sufficient to reconstitute the segmented file;
• receiving a request for write access to the segmented file;
• creating a copy-on-write segmented file responsive to the request for write access to the segmented file, wherein creating the copy-on-write segmented file includes creating a second manifest file wherein the second manifest initially describes the relationship of the plurality of individually stored object segments to the segmented file in a manner identical to the first manifest;
• receiving a first data range and an instruction to include object data from the first data range in the copy-on-write segmented file;
• storing information from the first data range in at least one new object segment;
• modifying the second manifest such that a reconstruction of the copy-on-write segmented file includes the object data from the first data range as well as information from the plurality of preexisting object segments.