Patent ID: 6725394
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for controlling a digital data storage unit comprising a multiplicity of storage media slots for receiving media storage units, a plurality of media storage units loaded in some of the storage media slots, a plurality of data storage drives electrically connected to the digital data storage unit, each data storage drive having a unique drive address, a loader mechanism for selectively moving a media storage unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data storage drives, a storage unit controller connected to at least one host computer, the method comprising the steps of:reserving one or more of the data storage drives as spare data storage drives; decoding a host command sent by the host computer at the storage unit controller, the host command including a source address corresponding to a storage media slot location and a destination address corresponding to a data storage drive specified by the host computer; determining if the specified data storage drive is available; if the specified data storage drive is not available, then using a spare data storage drive instead of the specified data storage drive by moving the media storage unit to the spare data storage drive.