In a data storage system with a number of replicas of a file set to one or more replicas, a timer is set to track a time since a last access to the file. Responsive to the timer matching a first timer window threshold, a number of replicas of the file are automatically reduced within the data storage system, wherein the probability that the file will be accessed prior to the first timer window threshold is greater than the probability that the file will be accessed after the first timer window threshold.