Patent ID: 7610432

Claim:
A tape library apparatus to which a node ID is assigned and that is connected to a host computer, comprising: a switch that switches the tape library apparatus between a library mode and one or more other operation modes; a plurality of drives that record and produce data to and from respective large capacity tape recording mediums, the drives having respective interfaces that transfer large capacity data to the host computer, wherein selected drives are assigned respective node IDs as first addresses and respective port IDs that represent mounted order numbers as second addresses and the interfaces are activated, the first address being used to determine whether a drive is new and the second address being used to determine whether a mounted drive is moved to a different port, wherein the first addresses and the second addresses are stored in a nonvolatile memory disposed in corresponding drives, wherein an address previously assigned to a particular drive upon production is used when (i) the particular drive is not assigned the first address and the second address and (ii) a command causing the particular drive to be assigned the first address and the second address is not received from the host computer, and wherein when each of the plurality of drives have been assigned the first address, the second address and the address assigned upon production, the first address and the second address are used as a communication address if the tape library apparatus is operated in the library mode and the address assigned upon production is used as the communication address if the tape library apparatus is operated in a mode other than the library mode.