Patent ID: 6766412
Filing Date: 2004-07-20
Classification: G06F,G11B

Abstract:
A digital data storage unit, comprising:a multiplicity of storage media slots, each storage media slot for receiving a storage media unit, a plurality of storage media units loaded in particular ones of the storage media slots, a plurality of data transfer devices for writing data to and reading data from the storage media units, a plurality of data transfer device interfaces corresponding to the plurality of the data transfer devices, each data transfer device interface configured for selectively transferring data between a data transfer device and a host computing environment, wherein at least a number of the data transfer device interfaces are interconnected via at least a communication link, such that each of said at least a number of data transfer device interfaces includes logic circuitry for selectively routing data to one or more other data transfer devices, a loader mechanism for selectively moving a storage media unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data transfer devices, and a storage unit controller connected to the loader mechanism and to the data transfer device interfaces, wherein the storage unit controller is configured for connection to the host computing environment to receive and decode one or more host commands sent by the host computing environment at the storage unit controller, and for controlling the loader mechanism for selectively moving storage media units from the storage media slot locations to the data transfer devices for data transfer in response to host commands.