Exhibit 31.1

# CERTIFICATION

I, Patrick J. Martin, certify that:

|1. | I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Storage Technology
          Corporation;
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|2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
          material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
          made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
          misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
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|3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
          included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
          condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and
          for, the periods presented in this report;
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|4. | The registrants other certifying officer and I are responsible for
          establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
          Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:
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|(a) |  | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure
                    controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that
                    material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
                    subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
                    during the period in which this report is being prepared;
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|(b) |  | Evaluated the
                    effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and procedures and
                    presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
                    disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
                    report based on such evaluation; and
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|(c) |  | Disclosed in this report any change in
                    the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred
                    during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter that has materially
                    affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants
                    internal control over financial reporting; and
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|5. | The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
          our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
          registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants
          board of directors:
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|(a) |  | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation
                    of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
                    adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process, summarize and
                    report financial information; and
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|(b) |  | Any fraud, whether or not material, that
                    involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the
                    registrants internal control over financial reporting.
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Date: October 29, 2004

/s/ PATRICK J. MARTIN 
Patrick J. MartinChief Executive Officer