Patent ID: 6952792

Claim:
A storage and retrieval library for enabling a host system access to one or more diverse media storage devices over a network, said storage and retrieval library comprising: a) a controller network interface for enabling communication between said host system and said storage and retrieval library; b) a control unit for controlling communications of a plurality of primary storage and retrieval data communications I/O paths and a plurality of failover storage and retrieval data communications I/O paths with said host system; c) a failover bridge for detecting a failure condition in any of the primary I/O paths, and in response to detecting a failure condition in any one of said primary I/O paths, to redirect automatically communications destined for said any one of said plurality of primary storage and retrieval data communications I/O paths to a corresponding one of said plurality of failover storage and retrieval data communications I/O paths for uninterrupted data storage and retrieval communication with said host system; d) wherein said failover bridge activates seamless redirection of communications upon detection of a failover condition.