Patent ID: 7450331

Claim:
A variable media storage system comprising: a first mobile storage element; a first non-tape drive and a second non-tape drive; a switch system adapted to switch said first non-tape drive and said second non-tape drive to appear virtually to a host as a first tape drive and a second tape drive, respectively; a map system adapted to map said first non-tape drive, when loaded with said first mobile storage element, as a first tape drive with access to a first target tape cassette, said map system adapted to map said second non-tape drive as a second tape drive without access to a second target tape cassette; a second mobile storage element that when loaded in a cooperating relationship with said second non-tape drive is capable of being mapped as a second tape drive with access to said second target tape cassette wherein said second non-tape drive is capable of being switched from appearing virtually to said host as said second tape drive to appearing as said second non-tape drive and wherein said map system consequently maps said second non-tape drive as loaded with said second mobile storage element.