Patent ID: 8122166

Claim:
A method of managing command routing to peripheral devices comprising: determining a number of a plurality of independent physical paths to at least one peripheral device connected to a computer system; resolving the plurality of independent physical paths to the at least one peripheral device into one logical path; presenting the one logical path to any originating components of the computer system that issue commands destined for the at least one peripheral device; receiving the command destined for the at least one peripheral device from the originating components; determining if any of the plurality of independent physical paths are in a temporary penalized state, wherein an independent physical path determined to be placed in a temporary penalized state for a pre-determined penalty time period is responsive to detecting a dispatched command error occurring in the independent physical path, determining a type of error, and placing the independent physical path in the temporary penalized state depending on the type of error, and wherein the independent physical path is automatically returned to an active connection state upon expiration of the pre-determined penalty time period; and selecting a physical path not in the temporary penalized state on which to route the received command to the at least one peripheral device.