Patent ID: 6754768
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A method for accessing a disk drive in a library of hard disk drives, comprising the steps of:(a) representing to a host computer that the library is a predetermined selected form of mass storage, said selected form of mass storage defining a handshaking protocol with said host computer; (b) receiving a command from the host computer and a logical address for a hard disk drive to which said command pertains; (c) consulting a predetermined index associating said logical address with a physical address within the library; (d) translating said logical address to said physical address; (e) locating the hard disk drive corresponding to said physical address; (f) where said hard disk drive is in a storage bin, retrieving said hard disk drive from said storage bin, translating said hard disk drive to a destination receptacle for coupling the hard disk drive to the host computer, electrically interconnecting said hard disk drive and said destination receptacle, and performing said command; (g) carrying out said command by handshaking with said host computer according to said handshaking protocol, wherein steps (c)-(f) are thereby transparent to the host computer; and (h) if said command is to write data, disassembling said data for distribution over at least two hard disk drives.