Patent ID: 8612674

Claim:
A virtual tape library (VTL) in communication with a plurality of applications via one or more hosts, the VTL comprising: memory partitioned into a plurality of virtual storage volumes; a plurality of virtual drives coupled to the memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and the plurality of virtual drives, the processor configured to: enable each application to concurrently access a virtual storage volume via one of the plurality of virtual drives in a first access mode or a second access mode, mount the virtual storage volume to a different respective drive each time an application accesses the virtual storage volume in the first access mode and the second access mode such that the virtual storage volume is simultaneously mounted in a plurality of drives, and place the virtual storage volume in a home slot each time an application accesses the virtual storage volume in the first access mode, the second access mode, or both such that the virtual storage volume simultaneously resides in the home slot and is simultaneously mounted in the plurality of drives.